Orlando has seen the second-biggest increase in tech job postings of any major U.S. city this year, according to a new report by careers site Dice.com.
Metro Orlando tech job postings boomed 42.7% between January and October, per Dice’s Dec. 13 report. Orlando’s job postings growth was behind only Houston (45.6%), showing strong demand for tech positions persists in the region despite concerns of an economic backslide and possible recession in 2023.
Dice highlights a handful of tech hubs in each Tech Job Report, and this latest report showcased Orlando along with Houston and Detroit. Here’s what Dice had to say about Orlando, which its report refers to as “Tomorrowland:”
“Known for its theme parks and retirees escaping colder weather, Orlando has focused on a return to its roots as a hub for tech, defense and training. With its proximity to Kennedy Space Center, and home to major tech employers like Lockheed Martin, Oracle, Deloitte and Disney, Orlando’s inclusive and collaborative community is a welcome breath of fresh air for tech professionals looking for something with a lower cost of living than other tech hubs (and the lack of income tax is a nice perk, too).”
Here’s more on the state of Orlando’s tech employment scene:
- Top occupations: Software engineer/developer, systems engineer/administrator, business analyst, DevOps engineer, data analyst/scientist, .NET developer
- Top employers hiring: Lockheed Martin Corp., Deloitte, KPMG, The Walt Disney Co., Universal Orlando
- Average tech salary: $103,431
Despite the rapid growth of local tech job postings, Orlando didn’t crack the top 25 for total tech job postings; the metro ranked 29th. New York was No. 1, while fellow Florida cities Tampa (No. 17) and Miami (No. 25) also made the list.
There has been a tight tech labor market for years. While it remains competitive to recruit experienced high-tech workers in Central Florida, it has improved this year, said Chakri Toleti, CEO of Orlando-based patient monitoring startup Care.ai. “That’s changed a lot in the last 12 months. We’re seeing more and more talent willing to work for a Florida company and relocate to Florida.”
The U.S. economy may take a hit from the Federal Reserve’s inflation-fighting policies, per PNC Financial Services Group Inc. PNC (NYSE:PNC) forecasts a recession from the second quarter through the end of 2023, Pittsburgh Business Times reported.
Still, the economic outlook hasn’t fazed local tech companies like Orlando-based OneRail. The startup that operates an efficient, multimodal carrier network for last-mile deliveries expects to hire 50 people in Orlando next year off the heels of a $33 million Series B fundraising round, CEO Bill Catania previously told Orlando Inno.
“We don’t see a slowdown, even with the economy, because this is the way for companies to save money over legacy solutions.”
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