The Seattle area trailed only Silicon Valley for average tech salary in 2021, according to a new report from Dice.
Dice, a platform that connects tech workers with employers, found the Seattle area had an average 2021 tech salary of $118,729 compared with $133,204 in Silicon Valley. The Seattle area had an 11.2% jump in average tech salary from 2020 to 2021, the report noted.
"When the pandemic began, some pundits and analysts believed that traditional hubs such as Silicon Valley could fade into irrelevance as technologists embraced remote work and moved to places with a cheaper cost of living," the report read. "Such predictions failed to take into account all the factors that continue to make sizable tech hubs attractive, such as easy access to universities and venture funding, a well-established social scene and an existing base of companies seeking talent."
The report also noted that established companies in tech hubs can usually pay more than their smaller competitors.
Rounding out the top five tech hubs by average tech salary in 2021 were New York City ($115,510), Boston ($114,959) and San Diego ($114,801). Dice collected the data by surveying those who used its services between Aug. 10 and Oct. 10. The report included 7,215 completed surveys.
The Seattle area's average tech salary jump between 2020 and 2021 was the fifth highest in the U.S., according to Dice. Pittsburgh came in first with a 14% increase, while Atlanta, Chicago and Miami rounded out the top five with 13.9%, 12.6% and 11.4%, respectively.
Dice also looked at vacation time among respondents. Twenty-three precent of respondents had three weeks of vacation, while 18% had two weeks and 17% had four weeks.
"As burnout remains a growing concern at organizations everywhere, offering more generous amounts of paid vacation time could be a differentiating incentive for attracting talent in 2022," the report read.
