Almost every industry in the US’s modern economy involves technology in some way. Whether that’s using a residential proxy to connect yourself with different parts of the world, or simply using wireless earphones for your morning calls.
With this increasing reliance on technology in our day-to-day lives, more and more young people are beginning to pursue a career in the tech industry. That’s why we wanted to find out where they can enhance their chances of being successful. We’ve looked at employment, salaries, universities and broadband speed to crown one state as the tech capital of the US.
Massachusetts is the tech capital of the US, with a score of 8.5/10
We’ve looked at several factors, including employment, tech businesses, universities and internet speed, to crown a state as the tech capital of the US.
1. Massachusetts – 8.5/10 tech score
Taking the top spot is Massachusetts, with an overall tech score of 8.5/10. Other than its internet speed, Massachusetts ranks highly in all categories and is in the top five for five of the eight categories. Massachusetts also has the highest percentage of people in the tech industry.
2. Colorado – 8.42/10 tech score
Taking second place is Colorado with a tech score of 8.42/10. Apart from the broadband coverage, Colorado scores highly across the board, with the second-highest percentage of people employed in the tech industry and the fourth-highest number of tech business establishments per 100,000 people.
3. Virginia – 8.37/10 tech score
Completing our top three is Virginia, which has earned itself a tech score of 8.37/10. Despite poor broadband coverage, Virginia has a high internet speed and a high percentage of people in the tech industry. People in Virginia who are employed in the tech industry can also expect to earn 136% more than the state’s median salary.
California and New York have more tech universities than any other state with five
Going to a good university can set you up for a successful career in any industry you choose. That’s why we’ve looked at the states with the most tech universities.
1. California – 5 tech universities
California is one of two states to take the top spot with a total of five tech universities. California’s five tech universities are based in Arcata, Claremont, Pasadena, Pomona, and San Luis Obispo. Pasadena’s California Institute of Technology is ranked as the best of the five, sitting in 9th in the national university rankings.
2. New York – 5 tech universities
Also with five universities is New York, which shares the top spot with California. New York’s tech universities are based in Potsdam, Utica, Troy, Henrietta, and Old Westbury. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the highest-ranked tech university, which sits 51st in the national university rankings.
3. Michigan – 3 tech universities
Michigan takes third place with three tech universities. Flint, Southfield, and Houghton are the cities of Michigan’s tech universities. Michigan Technological University, based in Houghton, sits highest out of the state's tech universities, with a national university ranking of 151.
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Maryland has faster internet than any other state in the US, with an average speed of 196mbps
There’s nothing more frustrating than buffering when you’re trying to work, play video games, or stream the latest series. That’s why we’ve looked into the average internet speed of every state in the US.
1. Maryland – 196.2 Mbps average internet speed
Maryland’s average internet speed is the fastest in the US at 196.2 Mbps. Not only is Maryland’s internet speed the fastest, but the broadband coverage is also one of the highest in the US at just over 95%. Although Maryland isn’t known for its rapid internet speed, it is known for its blue crabs which are commonly found in the Chesapeake Bay.
2. Virginia – 193.1 Mbps average internet speed
In second place is Virginia, with an average internet speed of 193.1 Mbps. Despite its fast internet speed, Virginia’s broadband coverage is quite low at just 84%, which is in the bottom half of states. Virginia is known as the ‘Mother of Presidents’, providing more Presidents than any other state.
3. New York – 190.5 Mbps average internet speed
Completing our top three is New York which has an average internet speed of 190.5 Mbps. New York’s broadband coverage is also the third highest in the US at 96.8%. Among New York’s worldwide fame, lies the headquarters of Kickstarter, which was one of Time’s top ten best inventions of 2010.
Massachusetts has more employees in the tech industry than any other state, with over 4,300 per 100,000
Getting a job in the tech industry can be hard. So we’ve looked at the states which are employing the most people in tech.
1. Massachusetts – 4,321 employed in the tech industry per 100,000
Taking the top spot is Massachusetts, with just over 4,300 employees in the tech industry per 100,000 people. Massachusetts has just under 308,000 people employed in the tech industry, which makes up 8.6% of the working population, the third highest in the US.
2. Washington – 4,219 employed in the tech industry per 100,000
Washington’s total of 4,219 people employed in the tech industry per 100,000 gives them second place in our list. Washington has more employees in the tech industry than Massachusetts, in first place, with a total of 333,000. This total makes up 9.4% of the working population, which is actually the highest percentage in the US.
3. Virginia – 4,013 employed in the tech industry per 100,000
Completing our top three is Virginia, with just over 4,000 people employed in the tech industry per 100,000. Virginia has a total of 350,000 people employed in the tech industry, which makes up 8.7% of the working population, the second highest in the US.
Almost 10% of Washington’s workforce is in the tech industry, the highest in the US
We wanted to find out which states have the highest percentage of its workforce working in the tech industry.
1. Washington – 9.4% of workforce employed in the tech industry
Washington takes the top spot with 9.4% of their workforce employed in the tech industry. Washington has over 330,000 people employed in the tech industry, which is spread across just 15,000 tech businesses. Not only does Washington have the highest percentage of people employed in tech, but the median salary here is also the highest in the US, at $124,000 a year. This is 147% higher than the state's median, which is the second highest in the US.
2. Virginia – 8.7% of workforce employed in the tech industry
In second place is Virginia, where the 350,000 people employed in the tech industry make up 8.7% of the workforce. Virginia’s total of people employed in tech is spread over just 20,000 tech businesses. However, Virginia’s median salary in tech is 136% higher than the state's median.
3. Massachusetts – 8.6% of workforce employed in the tech industry
Completing our top three is Massachusetts, with 8.6% of its workforce employed in the tech industry. There are over 300,000 people employed in the tech industry, which is spread over 15,000 tech businesses. Those working in the tech industry in this state can expect to earn almost double the median salary.
Methodology
We used Wikipedia for the number of tech universities.
We used World Population Review for the average internet speed and broadband coverage.
For the percentage of workforce in tech, the median tech salary, the percentage higher than the median state wage, net tech employment, and tech business establishments, we used CyberStates.
District of Columbia was removed.We then used the 2022 population in each state from World Population Review to work out the number of tech business establishments per 100,000.
We put this data into a weighted table giving each factor a normalized score out of 10. We then took an average of these scores to get an overall score out of 10 which we used to rank each state.
District of Columbia was not included in the data.
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