Denver's position in the tech scene has only improved over the last few years. Within the past month, three new studies have been released ranking Denver higher than ever before.
Denver ranks #3 for best cities to start a tech career.
Last Tuesday, CTS released their rankings of the best cities to start a tech career. San Francisco took the top spot on the list, followed by Austin and Denver. The study ranked 77 U.S. cities on 10 different metrics including number of workers in the high-tech industry, average commute time, unemployment rate, median earnings in tech, cost of living, and projected growth rate.
Denver scored high in nearly every category the study analyzed, from the large number of businesses to above-average earnings. Additionally, in 2015, Denver high-tech companies received over a half-billion dollars from investors.
Here were some of Denver's numbers:
Median earnings in computer, engineering and science jobs: $76,448
Number of local venture capital deals in 2015: 51
Average commute time: 27 minutes
Denver ranked ninth best city for young entrepreneurs
Moneyrates.com released their first list of the best cities for young entrepreneurs, where Texas and Florida cities both did particularly well. However, Denver also received a respectable ranking at #9.
The study said that not only does Denver have a healthy growth rate, but an attractive market due to our high rankings in educational attainment and young adult affluence.
The list was created from four criteria in order to examine which areas of the country do the best job of encouraging the investment of time, money, and energy it takes to start a business. Namely: population growth, young adult affluence, educational attainment, and tax environment.
Denver ranked #9 for best cities for women in tech
Smart Asset released their annual list of the best cities for women in tech, ranking Denver #9.
Although Denver disappointed with only 24.4% of female tech workers, our pay equity put us closer to the top. The average salary for women in tech in Denver is $72,012 and for men is $73,908.
Washington, D.C. ranked #1 with women holding 40.4% of computer and mathematical occupations compared to the national average of 26%. Additionally, D.C. has a long-standing very minimal gender pay gap, women are paid 90-94% of what men are in the capital. This is the second consecutive year D.C. has taken the top spot on the list.
Smart Asset ranked 58 of the largest cities using U.S. Census Bureau Statistics on women and men in "computer and mathematical occupations." The four metrics calculated were women as a percentage of the workforce, gender pay gap in tech, income after housing costs, and three year tech employment growth.
Denver's rank moves up 3 spots in Tech Talent Scorecard
In the CRBE Research report, 2016 Scoring Tech Talent, Denver was ranked #18, an improvement from last years ranking of #21.
The study looked at the cities' competitive advantages and their ability to attract and grow tech talent pools. San Francisco was again ranked #1, with Washington, D.C. at #2. The goal of the study was to look at how tech talent in the North American workforce is "igniting innovation and influencing economic and real estate growth across the U.S. and Canada."
The introduction of the study notes that tech talent in the U.S. has grown by 27% (or 1 million jobs) over the past 5 years. 13 metrics were used to rank the 50 largest markets, including tech labor costs, tech talent concentration, and real estate costs.
Alex Hammerstein, the senior VP of CBRE tech and media practice in Denver stated:
While our thriving tech industry, growing population, and influx of millennials are all serving to drive up office and apartment rents, overall Denver remains a very affordable and attractive option for both startups and established tech companies.