Orlando tech workers earn less, but pay more to live here, compared to those in peer cities Tampa, Charlotte

Orlando’s average tech worker salary has increased by about $12,000 since 2019, but local tech pay still lags behind cities that cost the same — or even less — to live in. 

That’s according to recent data from Dice, a New York City-based company with a website that offers tech career information and data. Orlando’s average tech salary hit $97,708 in 2022, but southeastern cities like Charlotte, Raleigh and Tampa pay average tech salaries above $100,000. 

Those cities all have lower costs of living than Orlando, according to NerdWallet’s Cost of Living Calculator. Here is a closer look at how Orlando and these cities compare for salaries, home prices and rents, based on data from Dice, Zillow and ApartmentList: 

Orlando

Charlotte

Raleigh

Tampa

Overpaying or underpaying?

However, employers don’t feel like they are underpaying for tech talent, Maitland-based staffing firm Kolter Solutions LLC Managing Director Tracy Dickerhoff recently told Orlando Inno. 

In fact, Dickerhoff said the demand for tech talent in the Orlando market is ahead of the supply, and companies often “overpay” workers to steal talent from other companies. “We’re producing less, and more workers are retiring. I see the gap staying wide and getting wider.”

Meanwhile, others have voiced concerns over tech sector pay in Orlando. For example, Black Orlando Tech co-founder Joshua Walker last year said the growth of Orlando’s tech scene is strong, but the pay needs to catch up. 

“Just because we live in Florida doesn’t mean you should pay us less. I see in the startup community or other companies, they feel the pay can be less because our cost of living is less."

Granted, the cost of living in Orlando has skyrocketed since 2020, as home prices and rents have climbed almost nonstop, affecting the region’s cost of living. In fact, the average one-bedroom rent in Orlando has shot up 29% since March 2020, per ApartmentList. 

Still, Orlando isn't the only city facing this trend. Rents since March 2020 have climbed at faster or similar paces in Tampa (38%), Raleigh (28%) and Charlotte (24%). 

Real estate costs in most parts of the country have escalated in the last three years, which may be one reason Dice found more tech workers were unhappy with their pay in 2022 than in 2021. Last year, 49% of tech workers surveyed by Dice said they felt they were underpaid.

"You have a double-edged sword for organizations: More skilled tech talent is available, but retention will be even more difficult," Dice's report said. "Expressing appreciation and value to tech professionals remains a key to retention, across all industries and roles."

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