Opening Bell
Statshot: Talking Tech
High salaries, remote workers make Washington state the nation’s top tech employer
By Seattle Business Magazine November 17, 2023
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Seattle magazine.
Watch out, Silicon Valley. Yet another study pegs Washington as the top state for tech.
Business consulting firm Venture Smarter analyzed median hourly wages, the number of people employed in tech roles per 1,000 jobs, and also added the percentage of remote workers to devise a “Tech-Friendly Index.”
Washington has the highest number of remote workers and the second-highest number of people employed in tech roles per 1,000 jobs. California, Virginia, Maryland, and Colorado round out the top five. “Surprisingly, California, the renowned hub of Silicon Valley, does not claim the first spot,” the report says. “The state falls short in terms of job opportunities.”
Washington, by the numbers
- No. 1 Top overall state for tech workers.
- 60 Number employed in tech positions per 1,000 jobs.
- $27.08 Median hourly wage for all professions.
- $61.64 Median hourly wage for tech workers.
- 228 Percentage increase of median hourly wage for tech workers compared to all workers.
- 24.2 Percentage of remote workers.
- 87.72 Tech Worker Friendly Score.
Big Number
2.8 Million
Square feet of Amazon’s new high-tech warehouse in Arlington. It becomes the largest Amazon fulfillment center in the Pacific Northwest and can handle twice as much inventory as a similar warehouse in Kent.
Quote
“The project took on a much bigger scope than originally intended. While we imagined this a simple flip, we quickly discovered that the space and infrastructure needed a full extensive rehab.”
Big Mario’s owner Jason Lajeunesse, discussing why it took the Seattle pizza chain seven months to reopen the former Northlake Tavern & Pizza House after the 65-year-old institution closed its doors in January. It is now known as Big Mario’s Northlake Tavern.