Phoenix ranks No. 20 overall in CBRE’s 2025 Scoring Tech Talent report, as tech talent hiring in North America slowed despite strong growth in artificial-intelligence specialty talent, according to a new report from CBRE.
Phoenix saw strong tech talent job growth from 2021 to 2024, expanding its tech talent labor pool by 5.6% to 102,540 people. From 2021 to 2023, the city produced more tech graduates (17,949) than tech jobs added (5,400). This makes Phoenix an attractive market for expanding companies who are seeking skilled professionals.
“Metro Phoenix offers a large, skilled tech talent labor pool and produces more than 6,000 tech degree graduates annually,” said Kevin Calihan, Executive Vice President at CBRE. “This combination of talent availability and affordability makes Phoenix an increasingly attractive destination for tech companies looking to expand or relocate.”
Overall, U.S. tech talent employment grew only 1.1% (64,140 jobs) in 2024, far below its peak in 2022 (+7%). Canada had stronger growth (+5.9%) than the U.S., adding 66,600 tech talent jobs overall, primarily in the high-tech industry. The number of computer and information systems managers surged in the U.S. (+9%) and Canada (+16%) due to the widespread adoption of AI, making that job the fastest growing among all tech talent roles across North America. In 2024, computer and information systems managers accounted for 83% of U.S. tech talent job growth.
CBRE’s annual Scoring Tech Talent report covers 75 North American markets, ranks the top 50 tech markets in the U.S. and Canada and outlines tech talent labor market trends amid economic shifts and increased remote hiring. Tech talent is a group of highly skilled workers in more than 20 tech-oriented occupations – such as software engineers and systems and data managers – across all industries.
Phoenix posted standout gains across multiple talent metrics. From 2018–2023, the metro saw a 23.4% increase in residents in their 20s with college degrees—fifth among large U.S. tech talent markets—and a 21.8% rise among college-educated residents in their 30s, the eighth-best gain nationally.
Compensation and affordability moved in tandem. Tech wages climbed 18.1% from 2021–2024 to an average of $118,645 (18th of 50 markets), while Phoenix maintains a relatively accessible cost profile: average annualized apartment rent equals 15.4% of the average tech wage, 13th-lowest among 50 markets. The region also counts an AI talent pool of roughly 5,600 professionals.
