Seattle Lands Title of Second Best North American Tech Market
Seattle is number two on the list for strongest tech market in the U.S. and Canada. According to Real estate firm CBRE’s Scoring Tech Talent report, Seattle led the way in terms of the highest percentage of people with a college degree (63 percent), as well as the greatest population growth since 2011 with close to a 23 percent increase. Data shows that most of Seattle’s talent is coming from elsewhere. Seattle ranked #4 on the list of “brain gain,” meaning that the city draws in more talented folks than it loses.
In 2017, the Seattle tech market employed 145,140 people which is a 19 percent increase over the last six years. On average, these employees made $117,259 a year. According to GeekWire, the tech industry makes up 9 percent of total employment in Seattle. While large companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook continue to expand and contribute towards the increase in Seattle’s cost of living, Seattle is actually a much cheaper place to live and do business than some of its peer cities at the top tier of the market. Yes, Seattle may be at the top of the list in terms of “hottest housing market” in the nation, but on average, Seattle tech workers spend 17.5 percent of their salaries on rent versus 43 percent for New Yorkers, 28 percent for San Fran, and 19 percent in Washington D.C.
To read the full GeekWire article, click here.