Tech is hot, and the job market is great, but you already know that. Bet you didn’t know what the best cities are for tech jobs for women, however, so check out our comprehensive list below:
1. Washington, D.C.
With only a five percent pay gap and with 39% of the city’s tech jobs going to women, this is our number one place to consider if you are actively looking for a tech job. Remember, though, that’s it is expensive to live in D.C.
2. Baltimore, MD
Another East Coast city, Baltimore also boasts a pay gap of only seven percent, and women make up 31 percent of the tech workforce. That’s almost a third. While some people think that Baltimore’s best days are behind it, tech jobs have risen a healthy 28 percent since 2014.
3. Philadelphia, PA
Talk about smaller pay gaps and you have to include Philly. Men make only three percent more than women here, and tech jobs are close to a third of the total job picture. One problem is that Philadelphia ranks a low 24th for general income.
4. Houston, TX
Houston is thriving in oil-rich Texas. Fracking has created another boom for the state even though there are some signs of production topping and demand weakening. All that said, there is virtually no pay gap in Houston, and housing is plentiful, especially in the surrounding areas
5. Arlington, VA
Close to D.C., Arlington reports that a full third of the tech workers are women there, but the pay gap is a not-so-nice 13 percent. That means tech women make only 87 percent of what men do.
6. Albuquerque, NM
New Mexico is the poorest state in the U.S., but Albuquerque is good for women in tech as the pay gap is a low 5 percent, and as we have seen on other cities above, women hold almost a third of the tech jobs. Job growth in general has not been stellar here, however.
7. Kansas City, MO
While under a third at 29 percent, women tech workers still claim a substantial margin here. The city tells us that it ranks in the top twenty for tech job increases, but general KC income can be disappointing.
8. Durham, NC
Durham is not that great for tech job increases compared to other cities on our list and it ranks 20th on the gender pay gap issue. The weather is great though, and the city ranks 11th in that highest women’s net income after housing expenses.
9. Long Beach, CA
Ok, most tech jobs in Long Beach are held by men. Those that are held by women, however, pay really well and women in some cases are paid more than men. If you can get a tech job here, be ready for a nice paycheck.
10. St. Paul, MN
It’s cold in the winter there, and the winter can start in October. If you can live with that, and don’t mind a ranking of 12th in gender pay gap, and if you think the Vikings are going to win the Super Bowl, maybe consider St. Paul.
11. Detroit, MI
Detroit has rebranded and rebuilt itself and is no longer totally dependent upon auto manufacturing. Women make only seven percent less than men in tech jobs, and the downtown area is greatly improving. One more thing—there is ample housing sometimes available at cheap prices if you pick the right neighborhood. And close to half of the tech workforce consists of women and that’s a big number.
11. Louisville, KY
Not everyone makes baseball bats here, and the gender pay gap for women’s tech jobs is not that bad. There is a surprising high cost of living here, however, and tech does not pay astoundingly well here.
13. Chandler, AZ
Wow, more baseball towns are on the list. Spring training mecca Chandler clocks in with 29 percent of tech jobs going to women—almost a third—and the municipality reports that women have the 12th best after-housing-cost income.
14. Indianapolis, IN
The gateway to the Midwest is not exactly the gateway to high-paying tech jobs, but Indy does have a very affordable housing scene and the gender pay gap is virtually non-existent.
15. Denver, CO
There are lots of reasons to go to Colorado—from climate to scenery to the easy availability of some substances—and add the low gender pay gap of only 11 percent, and some serious tech job growth, and you may have to make plans to visit. Plus, if you’re moving to the Mile High city, you can definitely find great apartments for a pretty cheap rent price.
The last five cities on our list don’t stand out for any particular reason, but we felt they should be listed anyway, so take these locales into consideration for women’s tech jobs especially if you have another reason to move to one of them:
16. Freemont, CA
Freemont, CA is in Silicon, Valey, and the average tech job pays women over $71,000. Its proximity to where things are happening can be invaluable.
17. New York, NY
While New York has a strong tech scene, there is a definite vibe that lets us know it’s not trying to be the next Silicon Valley. Tech jobs in general have grown by over 30 percent during the last ten years and a woman in data and analytics could get a nice $120,000 salary. Of course you have to factor in the high cost of NYC living.
18. Boston, MA
While Boston recently added over 17,000 tech jobs, women nabbed only 4,000 of these. In fact, it is predicted that women won’t achieve equal pay until the year 2220. That’s sobering, but there are a lot of positive initiatives in the works.
19. Virginia Beach, VA
Some entry level IT tech jobs pay only $50,000 here and the tech scene isn’t what we would call vibrant, but The tech Tribune does have some positive things to say about the region.
20. Fort Worth, TX
As you can see, gender pay gap is a big deal, and almost any one of the cities listed above have made great progress reducing that figure. If you’re looking for a great tech job and you are a woman, start looking in the locales we’ve described above.
