Get All Access for $5/mo

The 10 Best U.S. Cities for Tech Jobs You don't have to buy a one-way ticket to one of the country's most expensive markets to launch your tech career.

By Nina Zipkin

John Cabuena Flipintex Fotod | Getty Images

While San Francisco, New York and Austin are hubs of startup activity, they aren't the only destinations for people interested in building new tech.

Just as the definition of tech is expanding without bounds, its development is no longer confined by geography. To broaden the possibilities for prospective tech workers, financial planning platform SmartAsset assembled its third annual list of the most tech-friendly cities around the country.

Related: The Best and Worst U.S. Cities to Launch a Business

To determine the rankings, researchers weighed the cost of living in a given area, the median income for tech employees, the rate of employment for people with bachelor's degrees, the proportion of the city's employed population with jobs in the tech sector and the average tech industry salary compared with the average salary for other industries in that city. Missing from the criteria? Ping-pong tables and other gimmicky startup perks.

Read on for some stats about the best cities in the U.S. for aspiring tech workers. For the full study, head over to SmartAsset.

10. Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Average income for tech employees: $78,290
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 5.32 percent

9. San Antonio, Texas

Average income for tech employees: $84,070
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 3 percent

8. Des Moines, Iowa

Average income for tech employees: $77,800
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 3.45 percent

7. Raleigh, N.C.

Average income for tech employees: $85,370
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 5.21 percent

6. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Average income for tech employees: $77,470
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 4.24 percent

5. Columbus, Ohio

Average income for tech employees: $80,320
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 4.12 percent

4. Omaha, Neb.

Average income for tech employees: $75,890
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 3.77 percent

2. Huntsville, Ala. (tie)

Average income for tech employees: $92,480
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 5.94 percent

2. Durham, N.C. (tie)

Average income for tech employees: $91,560
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 5.93 percent

1. Springfield, Ill.

Average income for tech employees: $83,520
Percent of workforce in the tech industry: 2.79 percent

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Side Hustle

This 20-Year-Old Student Started a Side Hustle With $400 — and It Earned $150,000 Over the Summer

Jacob Shaidle launched his barbecue cleaning business Shaidle Cleaning in 2021 when he was just 15.

Making a Change

Learn a New Language with This Fresh Approach

Read and listen side by side.

Franchise

How California's New Disclosure Law Could Affect Franchise Sales Nationwide

The bipartisan legislation introduces new registration and pre-sale disclosure requirements for third-party franchise sellers, including brokers, broker networks and franchise sales organizations.