Phoenix Great Option for Tech Professionals
With tech professionals, you’ve heard of Silicon Valley, but what about the Silicon Desert? The Greater Phoenix area has been experiencing something of a tech boom over the past few years, and the sector’s expansion shows no signs of slowing down.
What makes Phoenix a smoking hot hub for tech?
As big tech names avoid the high cost of doing business on the coast, Phoenix’s well-connected location and business-friendly governance has lured the likes of Yelp, Uber, and Weebly to set up shop in the city. In fact, the number of tech companies in the area has jumped by nearly 300% in the past five years.
It’s not just established tech companies turning Phoenix into an industry hub though; it’s an attractive ecosystem for startups and budding moguls too. The city’s progressive, business-friendly leadership has worked to create an environment that’s hugely supportive to growing companies. The area is home to a number of incubators and startup communities that help new businesses make key connections in the city, including #yesPHX—which markets itself as the world’s most generous community for entrepreneurs.
A techie paradise
All this innovation and expansion in the Phoenix area’s tech space has generated a huge number of new jobs—the city saw a hike of 19% between 2010 and 2015 alone. New roles are being created at an increasing rate, with tech service roles up 5% in the past year. Of course, the sector can’t actually develop unless there’s enough people to fill those jobs and the biggest barrier to Phoenix’s tech growth right now is talent. Luckily, there’s plenty to attract tech professionals to the area.
Obviously the booming tech market and its abundance of available jobs is high on the list of appealing factors for IT job seekers, but there are other benefits in play too.
Making hay in the Valley of the Sun
The average wage for tech jobs in the Phoenix Metro area is around $75K—over $20k higher than the average salary for the city—and this average rises sharply with experience. Those coming to the table with 3-5 years under their belts in areas like systems administration, web development, and software engineering can expect pay packets of $100,000 to $130,000. You get a lot of bang for your buck in Phoenix too. Recent cost of living data named it one of the most affordable big cities in the country—throw in great weather, incredible scenery, and an increasing number of amenities and you’ve got an alluring prospect for any techie looking for a great lifestyle.
Written by Kevin Ovalle, he is a Vice President at niche technology staffing firm Frank Recruitment Group, and oversees the company’s Scottsdale office.
Photo from J Kowalsky