While Tampa Bay ranks high in diversity, according to one report, it lags in affordability, available technology jobs and salary, especially in comparison to neighboring Sunshine State cities.
CBRE Group, a publicly traded commercial real estate and investment firm, has released its annual Tech Talent Analyzer. The report uses 13 metrics to break down the "tech talent score," based on depth, vitality and attractiveness. The biggest factor in the overall score was the tech talent concentration, signifying a cluster of tech workers.
Tampa landed at No. 34 with a 39.48 score, down from its No. 29 score with a 43.7 score in 2020. It also fell below both Orlando and South Florida's scores. They landed at No. 29 and No. 33, respectively.
The local region outpaced Jacksonville, which was No. 46 out of the 50 total spots.
The report dove into a number of factors within the Tampa Bay region, from education to job availability, to office rent.
We highlighted some of the takeaways below.
Tech degrees are being given abundantly — but there are not enough tech jobs to keep talent here.
According to the report, Tampa Bay awarded 8,597 tech degrees but offered 5,880 tech jobs — a difference of 2,717. Meanwhile, Orlando had over 13,000 tech degrees awarded, but even more of a discrepancy — there were roughly 7,000 fewer positions available than graduates.
Tampa wins in minority diversity.
The region was the top MSA for diversity in large market workforces or those with over 50,000 workers. Roughly 33.5% of Tampa Bay's tech talent is underrepresented groups. However, it did not make the top five for women in tech jobs or diversity in its tech graduates.
The region is in the middle of the pack for affordability.
The report broke down an overall estimated cost for a company of 500 employees in a 75,000-square-foot space for one year. After calculating rent cost, tech talent wages, management wage and support wage, Tampa had an average of $42.9 million, with Orlando receiving an identical score.
Floridian cities outpace Tampa Bay in software engineers.
Software engineers were one of the largest groups to make up the technology talent, with South Florida's tech talent being 57% comprised of software engineers, with Orlando having 55.7% of its tech talent holding the same career. Tampa Bay did not have a high enough threshold to be included in the roundup.
