If Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos hadn’t decided to start Microsoft and Amazon in Washington state, the history of Seattle might have looked very different. These tech giants established a foundation of local talent that other companies have relied upon for decades. Google, Facebook, Tableau, and other large firms have also established offices here, and startups have attracted more capital and talent (according to Pitchbook, local startups managed to draw more than $3.2 billion in VC investment in the first three quarters of 2020).
Like other tech hubs across the country, Seattle relies on a network of good schools, incubators, and VC firms to flow talent and money to companies with promising business models. Nearby Redmond is home to Microsoft, and Amazon has a substantial presence in nearby Bellevue (along with Valve and other tech companies). Within Seattle, a number of tech companies, including Google and Adobe Systems, call Fremont neighborhood (known for its counter-cultural vibe and self-proclaimed moniker “The Center of the Universe”) home.
As the COVID-19 vaccination rate rises and companies resume long-term planning, it’s worth reviewing how Seattle is doing on the tech-hiring front. And the answer is, in short, pretty well: According to Dice’s Q1 Tech Job Report, hiring in Seattle has risen four percent year-over-year. Moreover, companies’ hunger for technologists seems to be accelerating, with job postings jumping 16 percent in the city between February and March 2021.
As you might expect, Seattle’s top hiring organizations in the first quarter included Amazon, Facebook, Salesforce, Deloitte, and Uber. Amazon, Facebook, and Salesforce all saw revenues rise during the pandemic, thanks to increased use of their respective cloud services by a nation largely trapped at home for the past year. Amazon’s core e-commerce business also radically expanded as quarantined customers relied on it for everything from cleansers to video games.
Within Seattle’s tech industry, top occupations included software developer, senior software developer, program manager, product manager, and network engineer. These occupations are in-line with the top technology professions nationwide, suggesting that local companies are interested in building out teams that can craft a new generation of software products, including cloud services. According to Dice’s 2021 Tech Salary Report, Seattle’s average tech salary is $106,723.
Across the country, both emerging and well-established tech hubs, including the likes of Salt Lake City and Austin,continued to draw top tech talent in the first quarter. Seattle seems well-positioned to compete with those hubs for in terms of attracting both tech organizations (and companies hiring for tech talent) and technologists themselves. For more information on the first quarter’s top occupations, cities, and skills, download Dice’s latest Job Report.
The Dice Q1 Tech Job Report
Tech Hub Neighborhood Spotlight: The Central District
The Central District may have changed over the years, but the soul of this historically Black community is still vibrant in its locally-owned restaurants such as the Garfield Community Center and Fat’s Chicken and Waffles. In the first instance you’ll likely venture into this district, only 2mi (3km) from downtown, to scope out the former homes of Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix. No trip into the Central District is complete without checking out the magnificent MLK mural and other art depicting African American history around the Douglass-Truth Public Library. – Via CultureTrip.com
