San Diego Increases Its Status as a Burgeoning Tech Hub

A surge in tech labor contributed to the gains.

While San Francisco still dominates the top 5 markets in CBRE’s Tech Talent Scorecard, San Diego managed to outpace both Los Angeles and Orange County in overall rank on factors like tech talent supply, growth, concentration, cost and completed tech degrees.

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, “Technology employment in San Diego only rose 0.1 percent in 2015 and 2016. But since 2017, the tech labor pool has surged 10.3 percent. This means San Diego experienced the second biggest ‘momentum change’ on record last year when compared to 49 other technology markets in the U.S. and Canada. The city was outpaced only by Orlando, Florida.

“San Diego’s horizon in the tech industry is incredibly positive,” said Andrew Ewald, first vice president at CBRE’s San Diego office. “We continue to see a diversification in the tech sector, with growth in software-as-a-service development, robotics, autonomous driving and medical-related technologies. This diversity, coupled with an increase in VC spending and lower cost of living compared to other markets, positions San Diego as a great region to grow a technology-focused business.”

You can read more about San Diego’s score here.