A PUBLICATION OF
TECH INDEX
National Metro Comparison
TECH TALENT SUPPLY, TECH TALENT DEMAND + INNOVATION
NC TECH METRO INDEX
INTRODUCTION NC TECH has been quantifying the state’s progress in the tech industry for years. In early 2022, the organization will release the 8th version of the State of the Tech Industry (STIR) report, which analyzes the size and growth of the state’s tech workers, firms, and wages. A key component of the STIR report is comparing North Carolina with the other states in the nation to gauge performance. The STIR report is produced annually by
METHODOLOGY
Economic Leadership LLC, a research and consulting
To create the index, Economic Leadership
firm also based in North Carolina.
LLC reviewed the data available at the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) level
In 2021, NC TECH wanted to develop a way to evaluate
relevant to the tech sector. This list of
the metro areas of the state (STIR focuses on the state
potential metrics was presented to NC Tech
level), and asked Economic Leadership LLC to help
leaders who provided feedback to finalize
develop an index to compare the state’s metros’ tech
the list. The list of metrics was grouped into
performance against other top metros in the country.
three subindexes of tech talent supply, tech
Together, we developed a methodology to compare
talent demand, and innovation. Based on
metro tech performance with data that is released
feedback from the tech business leaders on
annually, which can continue to be assessed yearly.
the board, supply of tech workers was given the highest weighting, as they felt it was
The metro index focuses on some of the emerging
one of the biggest factors in a tech business’
challenges for tech hubs, including a heavy focus on the
location decision. Demand was the next
availability of workforce. The issue of finding qualified
priority, as colocation has been a big factor
workers has only been exacerbated as we emerge
in tech agglomeration. Innovation was
from the COVID-19 pandemic. The index also places an
given the lower weighting, as the metrics
equal emphasis on tech skills as traditional educational
available at the metro level were more
training. As skills-based hiring is rising as a trend to
focused on general research & development
find talent, this index includes data on job postings
(R&D) and entrepreneurship, rather than
and online profiles based on whether they contain tech
specifically tech focused data.
skills. In this way, we are still quantifying talent if the worker does not have relevant postsecondary education. Self-employed tech workers were also included in this analysis to capture all available tech talent.
2 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
THE NC TECH METRO INDEX WEIGHTING Each subindex consisted of seven unique metrics that
upheaval, the tech data is still relevant as so many tech
were weighted equally (14.3 percent) based on their
jobs were able to convert to remote work. Half of the
ranking. Most of the data evaluated is from the year 2021
states actually grew their tech workforce from 2019 to
or 2020. Some of the public governmental sources are
2020. A more detailed description of each metric is
a few years older. While the year 2020 had tremendous
provided in the appendix.
TECH TALENT SUPPLY: 45% Resident tech workers per 1,000 adults
EMSI
2020
Computer, math, and statistics degrees per 1,000 adults
Census
2019
STEM educational completions per 1,000 adults
EMSI
2020
Number of online profiles in MSA with tech skills per 1,000 adults
EMSI
2017-2021
Bachelor’s degree or higher per 1,000 adults
EMSI
2021
An index value was created
H-1B visa approvals per 1,000 adults
USCIS
2017-2020
for each subindex and then
Diversity of tech occupations relative to total population
EMSI
2020
based on its weighting a final overall index was created.
TECH TALENT DEMAND: 35%
This index included the
Tech occupation location quotient (LQ)
EMSI
2021
top 105 populated MSAs in
Unique job postings with tech skills per 1,000 adults
EMSI
2017-2021
America as well as the top
Median job posting duration
EMSI
2017-2021
Cost of living adjusted tech wages
EMSI
2020
Annual tech job openings per 1,000 adults
EMSI
2017-2021
Competitive effect of tech job growth
EMSI
2017-2021
Turnover rate of employees
EMSI
2020
ten populated metros in NC. Some of the NC metros were included in the top 105 MSAs in terms of population. This created a total of 110 metros to be ranked. Data was also
INNOVATION: 20%
standardized by the adult Patents per 1,000 workers
US PATENT OFFICE
2019
population (those over age
NSF Business funded higher education R&D as a % of gross area product NSF SBIR/STTR funding per $ of gross area product SBIR
2019
25 in each MSA), or the gross
2019
area product of the metro’s
Business dynamism rate (opening vs closing Rate)
Census
2018
Business applications per 1,000 adults
Census
2020
Business R&D as a % of gross area product
NSF
2018
Higher education R&D as % of gross area product
2019
economy.
TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021 I 3
OVERALL RESULTS
DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC
91
6
RALEIGH-CARY, NC
42
7
CHARLOTTE-CONCORD-GASTONIA, NC-SC
24
27
163
60
GREENSBORO-HIGH POINT, NC
76
77
WINSTON SALEM, NC
87
90
FAYETTEVILLE, NC
117
92
ASHEVILLE, NC
112
93
JACKSONVILLE, NC
264
94
HICKORY-LENOIR-MORGANTON, NC
141
103
With the tech supply, tech demand, and innovation indexes combined, the final results included Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham in the top 30 tech metros. With Durham-Chapel Hill and Raleigh-Cary both in the top ten at
WILMINGTON, NC
6th and 7th respectively. Interestingly, several of the smaller metros in the state that fall outside of the top 105 metros in terms of population performed well. Considering that Wilmington’s 2021 adult population ranked the metro 163rd out of all MSAs in the nation, it is quite impressive that the metro ranked as the 60th best metro for tech. Many of the typical tech metro rankings across the country only look at the top 50 or 100 metros so many of these smaller metros in NC had not been compared to other metros across the country prior to this research.
NORTH CAROLINA STANDINGS
Adult Population Ranking Tech Index Ranking 4 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
OVERALL TECH METRO INDEX RANKINGS Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 6 Raleigh-Cary, NC 7 Madison, WI Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Provo-Orem, UT Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Salt Lake City, UT San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR Columbus, OH Colorado Springs, CO Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Pittsburgh, PA Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 27 Lansing-East Lansing, MI Dayton-Kettering, OH Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Rochester, NY Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Seattle came out on top as the number one tech metro, followed by the Silicon Valley area. Other top performers included Austin, TX, Boston, MA, and Washington, DC. The Charlotte metro ranked just behind New York city.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA Worcester, MA-CT St. Louis, MO-IL Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Kansas City, MO-KS Boise City, ID Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Richmond, VA Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Charleston-North Charleston, SC Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Tucson, AZ Ogden-Clearfield, UT Cleveland-Elyria, OH Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Wilmington, NC 60 Knoxville, TN Albuquerque, NM Portland-South Portland, ME Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Jacksonville, FL Syracuse, NY San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Akron, OH New Haven-Milford, CT Greenville-Anderson, SC Birmingham-Hoover, AL Springfield, MA Oklahoma City, OK
Wichita, KS Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL Greensboro-High Point, NC 77 Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY Urban Honolulu, HI Columbia, SC Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Tulsa, OK Chattanooga, TN-GA Baton Rouge, LA Winston-Salem, NC 90 Memphis, TN-MS-AR Fayetteville, NC 92 Asheville, NC 93 Jacksonville, NC 94 New Orleans-Metairie, LA Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Toledo, OH Jackson, MS El Paso, TX Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 103 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Stockton, CA McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL Bakersfield, CA Fresno, CA Modesto, CA
TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021 I 5
TECH TALENT SUPPLY INDEX
NO.1
The Tech Talent Supply subindex was given the highest weighting (45 percent) out of the three. This was based on feedback provided by NC tech leaders, who advise that the availability of workforce was the greatest challenge for tech companies, and biggest draw that a tech hub could provide. This index included the metrics of the number of tech workers who live in the metro, the number of computer and math degrees present, and tech skills present in the population. The ability of the metro to accept high skilled workers from abroad, and the diversity of the tech sector, were also included in evaluating the supply of tech workers.
8
TOP 10 METROS FOR TECH TALENT SUPPLY
RALEIGH-CARY, NC RANKED 8 TH OF THE 110 METROS FOR TECH TALENT SUPPLY
1
2
3
4
5 RANKING
6 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
6
84.4
7
8
80.5 PROVO-OREM, UT
84.9
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL-BLOOMINGTON, MN-WI
85.0
RALEIGH-CARY, NC
87.9
AUSTIN-ROUND ROCK-GEORGETOWN, TX
91.0
MADISON, WI
BOSTON-CAMBRIDGE-NEWTON, MA-NH
92.0
WASHINGTON-ARLINGTON-ALEXANDRIA, DC-VA-MD-WV
92.8 SEATTLE-TACOMA-BELLEVUE, WA
SAN JOSE-SUNNYVALE-SANTA CLARA, CA
94.4
SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY, CA
TECH TALENT SUPPLY INDEX VALUE
9
79.8
10
TOP NC METROS 82
Raleigh-Cary, NC ranked eighth of the 110 metros for tech talent supply, just behind Austin. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC scored just outside of the top ten at 11th. Raleigh-Cary scored in the top ten for every supply metric except H1-B visa approvals and tech worker diversity. Charlotte ranked in the top 20 for online profiles with tech skills, indicating that when looking at skills, the metro has more tech talent than the educational data suggests.
93
100
11
79
29
8
105 94 54
RANKING
8
RALEIGH-CARY, NC........................ 84.4
82
ASHEVILLE, NC............................... 33.0
11
DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC........... 79.3
93
WINSTON SALEM, NC................... 25.1
29
CHARLOTTE-CONCORDGASTONIA, NC-SC......................... 67.5
94
JACKSONVILLE, NC....................... 24.6
100
HICKORY-LENOIRMORGANTON, NC.......................... 20.7
105
FAYETTEVILLE, NC........................ 15.0
54
WILMINGTON, NC........................... 51.9
79
GREENSBORO-HIGH POINT, NC...... 37.6
TECH TALENT SUPPLY INDEX VALUE TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021 I 7
NC TECH TALENT SUPPLY INDEX CHARTS
COMPUTER, MATH & STATISTICS DEGREES*
5
33.7
Raleigh, Cary
19
21.0
Durham, Chapel Hill
31
17.7
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
62
12.6
Greensboro, High Point
68
12 .1
Wilmington
80
10.8
Jacksonville
89
9.4
Winston-Salem
96
8.6
Fayetteville
102
7.2
Asheville
109
4.6
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
RANKING ACROSS ALL METROS
*PER 1,000 ADULTS
NUMBER OF RESIDENT TECH WORKERS*
STEM EDUCATIONAL COMPLETIONS*
7
42.7
Raleigh, Cary
3
7.48
Raleigh, Cary
20
29.3
Durham, Chapel Hill
6
6.22
Durham, Chapel Hill
22
28.4
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
48
2.42
Greensboro, High Point
76
16.0
Greensboro, High Point
60
2.11
Wilmington
79
15.7
Wilmington
96
1.80
Fayetteville
83
15.0
Jacksonville
73
1.79
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
84
14.5
Winston-Salem
87
1.44
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
89
13.1
Fayetteville
95
1.15
Winston-Salem
103
9.7
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
97
1.13
Asheville
107
8.5
Asheville
101
0.88
Jacksonville
8 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
*PER 1,000 ADULTS
*PER 1,000 ADULTS
NUMBER OF ONLINE PROFILES W/ TECH SKILL(S)*
5
42.8
Raleigh, Cary
20
239
30
H-1B VISA APPROVALS*
2
33.9
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
27
5.7
Raleigh, Cary
19.4
Durham, Chapel Hill
34
4.5
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
50
15.0
Wilmington
53
2.6
Wilmington
57
14.0
Greensboro, High Point
66
1.8
Greensboro, High Point
67
11.8
Asheville
81
1.1
Winston-Salem
92
8.2
Fayetteville
106
0.4
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
94
7.9
Winston-Salem
108
0.3
Fayetteville
95
7.3
Jacksonville
109
0.2
Asheville
102
6.0
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
110
0.1
Jacksonville
*PER 1,000 ADULTS
Durham, Chapel Hill
*PER 1,000 ADULTS
PEOPLE W/ BACHELOR’S DEGREES OR HIGHER*
TECH WORKER DIVERSITY INDEX
7
461.8
Raleigh, Cary
4
148.9
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
8
452.9
Durham, Chapel Hill
8
145.4
Asheville
25
379.2
Wilmington
18
119.0
Jacksonville
33
359.7
Asheville
40
106.3
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
38
351.1
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
43
102.3
Wilmington
86
295.9
Greensboro, High Point
46
100.4
Winston-Salem
95
265.2
Winston-Salem
75
92.5
Raleigh, Cary
99
240.4
Fayetteville
82
88.6
Durham, Chapel Hill
101
237.0
Jacksonville
93
83.0
Greensboro, High Point
107
188.2
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
106
71.2
Fayetteville
*PER 1,000 ADULTS
TECH TALENT DEMAND INDEX NO.2
The Tech Talent Demand subindex was given the second highest weighting (35 percent) of the three. Demand is an important indicator for tech because tech companies and startups look for thriving tech presence when they decide where they want to locate.
This index includes the metrics of tech worker concentration, tech wages, and turnover rate. Skills based data was used for measuring demand in job postings.
9
TOP 10 METROS FOR TECH TALENT DEMAND
1
2
3
4
80.2
5 RANKING
10 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
80.0
6
7
78.3
8
78.1
9
DENVER-AURORA-LAKEWOOD, CO
82.2
DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC
82.9
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
90.5
BOSTON-CAMBRIDGE-NEWTON, MA-NH
SEATTLE-TACOMA-BELLEVUE, WA
AUSTIN-ROUND ROCK-GEORGETOWN, TX
SAN JOSE-SUNNYVALE-SANTA CLARA, CA
90.7
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
97.8
SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY, CA
TECH TALENT DEMAND INDEX VALUE
WASHINGTON-ARLINGTON-ALEXANDRIA, DC-VA-MD-WV
DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC RANKED 9 TH OF THE 110 METROS FOR TECH TALENT DEMAND
76.8
10
TOP NC METROS 107
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ranked ninth of the 110 metros for tech talent demand, just behind Washington, DC. The Charlotte and Raleigh metros scored in the top 20. Seven of the ten NC metros scored in the top 50 on cost-of-living adjusted tech wages.
87
106
9
67
16
17
60 86 63
RANKING
9
DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC........... 78.1
67
GREENSBORO-HIGH POINT, NC...... 43.7
16
CHARLOTTE-CONCORDGASTONIA, NC-SC......................... 71.2
86
JACKSONVILLE, NC....................... 32.1
87
WINSTON SALEM, NC................... 31.7
106
HICKORY-LENOIRMORGANTON, NC.......................... 17.1
107
ASHEVILLE, NC...............................16.9
17
RALEIGH-CARY, NC........................ 70.5
60
FAYETTEVILLE, NC........................ 49.5
63
WILMINGTON, NC........................... 45.9
TECH TALENT DEMAND INDEX VALUE TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021 I 11
NC TECH TALENT DEMAND INDEX CHARTS
UNIQUE JOB POSTINGS W/ TECH SKILL(S)*
5
78.3
Raleigh, Cary
12
60.0
Durham, Chapel Hill
17
50.9
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
75
17.6
Fayetteville
78
16.9
Wilmington
83
15.0.
Greensboro, High Point
93
11.6
Winston-Salem
105
6.7
Asheville
106
6.5
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
107
6.4
Jacksonville
RANKING ACROSS ALL METROS
*PER 1,000 ADULTS
TECH WORKER LOCATION QUOTIENT
MEDIAN JOB POSTING W/ TECH SKILL(S) DURATION, DAYS
6
1.9
Durham, Chapel Hill
18
38
Raleigh, Cary
8
1.7
Raleigh, Cary
22
37
Fayetteville
21
1.3
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
30
36
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
72
0.8
Wilmington
41
35
Durham, Chapel Hill
76
0.7
Greensboro, High Point
61
33
Greensboro, High Point
84
0.6
Winston-Salem
91
29
Jacksonville
91
0.5
Fayetteville
91
29
Winston-Salem
94
0.5
Jacksonville
96
28
Wilmington
103
0.4
Asheville
98
27
Asheville
106
0.4
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
102
26
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
12 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
COST OF LIVING ADJUSTED MEDIAN HOURLY TECH WAGES
COMPETITIVE EFFECT OF TECH JOB GROWTH*
6
$47.70
Raleigh, Cary
3
4.59
Durham, Chapel Hill
8
$46.53
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
7
2.74
Wilmington
13
$45.07
Durham, Chapel Hill
11
2.44
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
19
$43.61
Greensboro, High Point
17
1.21
Greensboro, High Point
21
$42.87
Fayetteville
38
0.24
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
33
$41.48
Winston-Salem
39
0.20
Asheville
48
$39.13
Jacksonville
53
-0.26
Fayetteville
78
$35.82
Wilmington
55
-0.39
Winston-Salem
95
$34.34
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
76
-1.11
Raleigh, Cary
103
$32.22
Asheville
95
-1.94
Jacksonville *PER 1,000 ADULTS
ANNUAL TECH JOB OPENINGS*
TURNOVER RATES OF TECH WORKERS
5
5.36
Durham, Chapel Hill
11
30.1%
Jacksonville
15
3.70
Raleigh, Cary
34
33.3%
Fayetteville
22
3.20
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
47
34.0%
Wilmington
45
2.17
Wilmington
84
37.8%
Winston-Salem
68
1.74
Greensboro, High Point
85
37.9%
Durham, Chapel Hill
80
1.42
Jacksonville
88
38.1%
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
89
1.22
Winston-Salem
96
39.4%
Asheville
93
1.15
Fayetteville
104
43.1%
Raleigh, Cary
100
0.86
Asheville
108
44.8%
Greensboro, High Point
102
0.83
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
110
50.4%
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
*PER 1,000 ADULTS
TECH
NO.3
The Tech Innovation subindex evaluates the culture of R&D and entrepreneurship in each metro. Feedback provided by the NC Tech leaders reminded the
INNOVATION INNOVATION
researchers that the next great tech advancements
INDEX
will come in non-tech industries such as automobiles, healthcare, etc. This is why research & development is so important to developing new and innovative technology. Some of the biggest unicorns have been tech startups. If a metro is able to support new businesses and help them thrive, than perhaps the next great tech startup will come out of their area.
23
TOP 10 METROS FOR INNOVATION
Raleigh-Cary and Durham-Chapel Hill rank 2nd and 3rd out of all 110 metros
1
2
3
4
5 RANKING
14 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
6
7
71.8
70.9
8
9
NEW HAVEN-MILFORD, CT
73.8
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
74.8
PHILADELPHIA-CAMDEN-WILMINGTON, PA-NJ-DE-MD
78.9
PROVO-OREM, UT
82.4
SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY, CA
DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC
82.7
BOSTON-CAMBRIDGE-NEWTON, MA-NH
83.2
RALEIGH-CARY, NC
AUSTIN-ROUND ROCK-GEORGETOWN, TX
87.4
SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA
TECH INNOVATION INDEX VALUE
69.9
10
TOP NC METROS 70
Raleigh-Cary and Durham-Chapel Hill rank 2nd and 3rd respectively out of all 110 metros studied, just behind Austin, TX for the most innovative tech metro. The other metros in North Carolina did not fare as well in innovation as they did in other subindexes. Jacksonville, NC did rank 4th overall in business dynamism, meaning more businesses were opening, than closing, in the metro. The innovation subindex is where Charlotte metro scored lower than expected, given its size.
59
107
3
81
69
2
97 98 70
RANKING
2
RALEIGH-CARY, NC........................ 83.2
70
ASHEVILLE, NC............................... 44.2
3
DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC........... 82.7
81
GREENSBORO-HIGH POINT, NC...... 39.7
59
WINSTON SALEM, NC..................... 49.7
97
FAYETTEVILLE, NC....................... 31.7
69
CHARLOTTE-CONCORDGASTONIA, NC-SC.......................... 44.3
98
JACKSONVILLE, NC....................... 31.5
70
WILMINGTON, NC.......................... 44.2
107
HICKORY-LENOIRMORGANTON, NC.......................... 23.5 TECH INNOVATION INDEX VALUE TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021 I 15
NC TECH INNOVATION INNOVATION INDEX INDEX CHARTS
PATENTS PER 1,000 WORKERS
10
2.41
Raleigh, Cary
16
1.83
Durham, Chapel Hill
47
0.78
Winston-Salem
58
0.61
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
64
0.56
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
70
0.49
Wilmington
75
0.45
Asheville
77
0.43
Greensboro, High Point
108
0.09
Jacksonville
109
0.09
Fayetteville
RANKING ACROSS ALL METROS
BUSINESS FUNDED HIGHER ED R&D AS A % OF GROSS AREA PRODUCT
HIGHER ED R&D AS A % OF GROSS AREA PRODUCT
1
4.47%
Durham, Chapel Hill
Raleigh, Cary
18
0.66%
Winston-Salem
.041%
Winston-Salem
24
0.57%
Raleigh, Cary
68
.007%
Wilmington
73
0.14%
Greensboro, High Point
81
.002%
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
76
0.11%
Wilmington
82
.001%
Fayetteville
90
0.03%
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
87
.001%
Greensboro, High Point
92
0.02%
Asheville
100
.000%
Asheville
93
0.02%
Fayetteville
104
.000%
Jacksonville
107
0.00%
Jacksonville
104
.000%
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
107
0.00%
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
1
.618%
Durham, Chapel Hill
9
.064%
28
16 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
SBIR/STTR FUNDING PER $1M OF GROSS AREA PRODUCT
$1,262.11 Durham, Chapel Hill
2
BUSINESS APPLICATIONS PER 1,000 ADULTS
18
24.3
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
Raleigh, Cary
24
22.2
Raleigh, Cary
29
$188.14
52
$85.87
Asheville
33
21.4
Fayetteville
75
$40.08
Greensboro, High Point
43
19.6
Greensboro, High Point
79
$35.70
Winston-Salem
52
17.8
Durham, Chapel Hill
87
$18.59
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
55
17.4
Wilmington
95
$12.19
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
69
14.9
Jacksonville
101
$0.00
Jacksonville
78
13.9
Winston-Salem
101
$0.00
Fayetteville
82
13.6
Asheville
101
$0.00
Wilmington
110
8.6
BUSINESS DYNAMISM RATE
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
FUNDED TOTAL R&D AS A % OF GROSS AREA PRODUCT
4
2.7%
Jacksonville
6
4.9%
Durham, Chapel Hill
10
2.0%
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
20
2.4%
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
12
1.8%
Asheville
20
2.4%
Asheville
15
1.8%
Raleigh-Cary
20
2.4%
Jacksonville
34
1.3%
Wilmington
20
2.4%
Wilmington
63
0.7%
Durham, Chapel Hill
20
2.4%
Fayetteville
81
0.3%
Greensboro, High Point
26
2.4%
Raleigh, Cary
82
0.3%
Fayetteville
36
1.7%
Greensboro, High Point
84
0.3%
Winston-Salem
61
1.0%
Winston-Salem
97
0.1%
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton
78
0.8%
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia
INSIGHTS INSIGHTS
This analysis reveals that NC metros rank well on several metrics that contribute to their competitiveness. All of the NC metros had positive business dynamism
The Tech Metro Index shows which metros have the talent, the demand, and the innovation to maintain, create, and recruit tech business. North Carolina’s top metros score well across the board, and rank in the
rates, which means more businesses are being created than exiting. Several NC metros scored high in the competitive effect of tech occupation growth. This means growth is driven by more than just national and tech industry trends.
top 30 overall. Some of the small metros in the state “punched above their weight”, and scored higher than expected based on their population size, particularly Wilmington.
There are also opportunities for NC metros to improve their rankings. Outside of the Triangle, the innovation metrics lagged. Fostering more business R&D and entrepreneurship would improve innovation in these other metros. Several NC metros also had high turnover rates for tech occupations, with Charlotte having the highest out of all 110 metros in 2020. This could indicate high rates of cannibalism between firms or insufficient hiring and/or training programs for employees. This
TECH
shows an opportunity for local educational institutions to help ensure that their students are ready to hit the ground running when they start at a local firm. Many
INDEX
National Metro Comparison
NC metros also scored low in approvals of H1-B visas. This means metros could be missing out on injecting talent to their area. Out analysis helps benchmark the top metros of the state against the top metros in the country and can quantify future improvement needed to become even stronger tech hubs.
18 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
APPENDIX SUPPLY
DESCRIPTION
Resident tech workers per 1,000 adults
The number of tech workers who live within the metro area standardized by the adult population of the metro (over the age of 25).
Computer, math, and statistics degrees per 1,000 adults
The number of adults who had their first major in a computer, math, or statistics degree in the metro standardized by the adult population of the metro.
STEM educational completions per 1,000 adults
Number of completions (certification, degree, or award from a postsecondary institution) in STEM fields standardized by the adult population of the metro.
Number of online profiles in MSA with tech skills per 1,000 adults
Number of online professional profiles that contained any tech skill in the metro area standardized by the adult population of the metro.
Bachelor’s degree or higher per 1,000 adults Number of adults with a bachelor’s degree standardized by the adult population of the metro. H-1B visa approvals per 1000 adults
The number of new and renewed high-skilled immigration work visas standardized by the adult population of the metro.
Diversity of tech occupations relative to total population
The percentage of tech workers who are people of color divided by the percentage of people of color in the general adult population. A value of 100 means the tech workforce is as diverse as the general population of the metro. If lower, less diverse. If higher, more diverse.
DEMAND
DESCRIPTION
Tech occupation location quotient (LQ)
Tech workers % of the total metro workforce compared to the national average. If higher than 1, more concentrated in tech than the national average.
Unique job postings with tech skills per 1,000 adults
Online job postings (with duplicates removed) that required at least one tech skill standardized by the adult population of the metro.
Median job posting duration
The median amount of time it takes for an online job posting with at least one tech skill to be filled.
Cost of living adjusted tech wages
The median hourly wage for tech workers in the metro adjusted for the cost of living in the metro.
Annual tech job openings per 1,000 adults
Openings are the number of jobs that need to be filled to meet growth demand, turnover, and retirement of workers in a year.
Competitive effect of tech job growth
The competitive effect is the actual change in tech workers minus the expected change in tech workers for the metro. The expected change accounts for the national growth and the industry mix. If positive, it means the job growth was higher than expected due to the region’s competitive effect.
Turnover rate of employees
The total number of separations in tech jobs divided by the total number of tech jobs. A separation is when a worker’s SSN is removed from a company’s payroll. This demonstrates the amount of movement occurring in tech jobs.
INNOVATION
DESCRIPTION
Patents per 1,000 workers
The number of registered patents created in a metro area standardized by the number of workers in the metro.
Higher education R&D as % of gross area product
The $ amount of research & development spending occurring at universities in the metro standardized by the gross area product of the metro.
Business funded higher education R&D as a % of gross area product
The $ amount of research & development spending occurring at universities that are funded by the private sector in the metro standardized by the private sector gross area product of the metro.
SBIR/STTR funding per $ of gross area product
The total funding awarded to SBIR/STTR projects in the metro standardized by the gross area product of the metro.
Business Dynamism Rate (Opening vs Closing Rate)
The percentage of business opening compared to the percentage of the business closing in the area. If positive, it means that there is good business churn in the area that contributes to innovation.
Business applications per 1,000 adults
The number of applications people submitted to start businesses in the metro standardized by the adult population of the metro.
Business R&D as a % of gross area product
The $ amount of research & development that is funded by the private sector in the metro standardized by the private sector gross area product of the metro. For some values there was not data available, in this case the state level was used.
TECH SKILLS LIST AMX Programming
Interactive Web Pages
Espresso (Android Testing Framework)
Data Lakes
Sizmek (Software)
watchOS
ExactTarget
Agile Product Development
Microsoft Enterprise Library
Cisco Certified Network Professional
Adobe Spark
Azure Service Fabric
(CCNP) Wireless
Test Datasets
Ad Serving
On-Screen Takeoff (Estimating Software)
Cloud Management Platforms
IT Security Documentation
Semantic Parsing
HyperWorks (CAE Software)
ATLAS.ti (Qualitative Data Analysis Software)
Defect Life Cycle
Soft Sensors
Power Distribution Units
Windows Software
IAM Level III Certification
Performance Profiling
Amazon Elastic Container Registry
Cyber Incident Response
Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM)
CompTIA Security+ CE
Network Science
Cloud Hosting
Geospatial Information Technology (GIT)
Information Systems Architecture
CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)
Avaya (Telecommunications)
Mobile Native Application Testing
XtremIO (Network-Attached Storage System)
Automated Machine Learning
FileAid (Software)
Informatica Data Validation Option
Sprint Backlogs
Digital Communications
Server Automation
Crimeware
Facebook Advertising
Ionic 4 (Mobile App Framework)
Correlation Analysis
Google Adwords Certification
Azure Data Lake
Epicor Prophet 21 (Distribution Software)
Vbrick (Software)
Spring Cloud
Pega Certified Senior System Architect
ASC 606 (Revenue Recognition)
Solution Design
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
Project Management Body Of Knowledge
Digital Rights Management
Routing And Switching
(PMBOK) Methodology
PMI Professional in Business Analysis
Avid Media Composer (Software)
SpriteKit
Accubid (Estimating Software)
Shiny (R Package)
Construction Management Software
Microsites
Dialogflow (Google Service)
Application Delivery Controller
Computational Design
Word Embedding
Cellular Phone Exploitation
Adaptive Insights (Software)
OmniGraffle
Azure Logic Apps
Amazon Elastic File System
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
Graphics API
Content Filtering
Routing And Switching
Growth Hacking
AWS App Mesh
MITRE ATT&CK Framework
Cloud-Native Computing Foundation (CNCF)
GigE Vision
Elixir (Programming Language)
Standards
3D Touch
Anaconda (Software)
Bluecoat Proxies
Office 365 Administration
Software Installation
Defense In Depth
ASP.NET MVC 5
Custom Scripting
Go-to-Market Strategy
Excel Services
Aderant (Software)
Cloud-Native Computing
Gatsby.js
Voice User Interface
Ridge/LASSO Regressions
Energy Policy Analysis
Crestron Certified Programmer
MeteorJS
Supply Chain Cyber Security
20 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
TECH SKILLS LIST CONTINUED Interactive Web Content
Cloud-Native Architecture
Command And Data Handling
Worksoft Certify
Azure Command-Line Interface (Azure CLI)
Unified Endpoint Management
Oracle Demantra
Pelco (Security System)
Amazon Macie
Spring WebFlux
Image Segmentation
Industry 4.0
PHP Frameworks
Microsoft 365
Video Ads
Capital IQ (Software)
Endpoint Devices
Cyber Governance
Atmospheric Modeling
Ixia BreakingPoint
AWS Internet Of Things (IoT)
Product Roadmap Management
Microsoft Planner
Crestron (A/V Systems)
Cisco Meraki
eTapestry (Fundraising Software)
Geospatial Mapping
Amazon WorkSpaces
UX Research
Android Emulators
Julia (Programming Language)
Desktop Management
Cyber Defense
Oracle HRMS
Pega Certified Lead System Architect
Optitex (Fashion Design Software)
Amag Symmetry
PVT Analysis
Cyber-Physical Systems
AWS Auto Scaling
Amazon Translate
TransCAD
Jamf Certification
Tricentis Tosca
Digital Design
Atlassian OpsGenie
Cloud Services
Server Configuration
Computer-To-Plate
Email Service Providers
Sponsored Posts
Smart Meter Systems
Flask (Web Framework)
Informatica
Microsoft Delve
Apache Avro
Audio-Visual Technology
IxVeriWave (Network Test Tool)
Cyber Security Strategy
AWS Inferentia
Microservices Development
AWS Certified Solutions Architect
Houdini (3D Animation Software)
Amazon Textract
Crazy Egg (Website Optimization Tool)
Kenshoo (Marketing Software)
Natural Language Generation
Sports Analytics
CISCO Certified Network Professional -
Cloud Management
Hybrid Cloud Computing
Security
Amazon Elastic Container Service
EnCase Certified Examiner
DevSecOps
Canva (Software)
Small-Unmanned Aerial Systems (S-UAS)
Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP)
Haskell (Programming Language)
Navisworks (BIM Software)
Macros
Design Portfolio
iSqFt (Bidding Software)
Economic Modeling
Android Testing
Nintex Workflow
Control-M (Batch Scheduling Software)
2D Computer-Aided Drafting And Design
Virtual Reality
Azure Active Directory
Poll Everywhere (Polling Software)
IxLoad (Network Testing Tool)
Deep Learning Methods
Alexa Skills Kit
Gulp.js
Finance Automation
Cyber Operations
GoSystems (Tax Software)
BuzzSumo (Software)
IxChariot (Traffic Generator)
Adobe Business Catalyst
Lumion (3D Rendering Software)
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Enterprise Storage System
Travel Demand Modeling
IBM Informix
AWS CodeDeploy
Learner Analysis
Digital Content Management
Hootsuite (Social Media Management Software)
Fastboot
TECH SKILLS LIST CONTINUED Office 365 Admin Center
AWS Kinesis
Qualitative Data Analysis
Data Literacy
Healthcare Analytics
Part-of-Speech Tagging
Amazon Quantum Ledger Database (QLDB)
Expense Forecasting
FastAPI
ITIL Foundation Certification
Ivalua (Spend Management Software)
Sound Design
Mainframe Testing
Data Interfaces
ADDIE Instructional Design Model
Mechanical Electrical Plumbing (MEP)
Agile Project Management
Network Infrastructure
Design Software
Equivio (eDiscovery Software)
System Recovery
Google Cloud Dataproc
Amazon Data Pipeline
SAP IoT
Amazon Forecast
Figma (Design Software)
GIS Certificate
File Naming
CompTIA IT Fundamentals
GIAC Web Application Defender
NedGraphics (Textile Design Software)
Pega Robotics Software
Virtualization Security
Certified Information System Auditor (CISA)
Cyber Safety
Cyber Hygiene
Industry Analysis
Cyber Security Management
Reltio (Master Data Management Software)
Robotic Process Automation
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Azure Security
Amazon Comprehend
User Journey Mapping
Conversational User Interface
Clinical Informatics
Radare2 (Reverse Engineering Software)
Apache Flume
LS-DYNA (FEA Software)
Google Display & Video 360
AWS CodeCommit
AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
AWS SageMaker
Software Development Engineer in Test
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Thermal Desktop (Thermal Modeling Software)
Dell Boomi (Integration Platform)
Host Based Security System (HBSS)
Citrix Workspace
Feature Learning
Smart Buildings
Technology Strategy Development
WebVR
Foglight (Database Software)
Spectre Circuit Simulator
Sybase (Software)
Machine Learning Methods
Microsoft Azure Certification
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
General Fund Enterprise Business Systems
Wireless
(GFEBS)
Zuken (Software)
Heuristic Evaluation
Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average
AWS CloudHSM
(ARIMA)
Data Management Platforms
Full Stack Development
Spring MVC
Quantum Mechanics
Automation Controls
Breeze.js
Social Media Trends
Amazon ElastiCache
Online Marketing
Quantitative Data Analysis
Windows Performance Analyzer
22 I TECH INNOVATION INDEX 2021
TECH OCCUPATIONS LIST CODE
DESCRIPTION
11-3021
Computer and Information Systems Managers
15-1211
Computer Systems Analysts
15-1212
Information Security Analysts
15-1221
Computer and Information Research Scientists
15-1231
Computer Network Support Specialists
15-1232
Computer User Support Specialists
15-1241
Computer Network Architects
15-1244
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
15-1245
Database Administrators and Architects
15-1251
Computer Programmers
15-1256
Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
15-1257
Web Developers and Digital Interface Designers
15-1299
Computer Occupations, All Other
17-2061
Computer Hardware Engineers
TECH INDEX
National Metro Comparison
2021 RESEARCH UNDERWRITERS PARTNERS
GOLD SUPPORTERS
SILVER SUPPORTERS
TECH NCTECH.ORG
INDEX
National Metro Comparison