Halifax ranked 5th in North America's up-and-coming tech talent markets

Halifax ranked 5th in North America's up-and-coming tech talent markets. In Canada last year, tech talent jobs increased by 1.7% or 18,400, led by tech management and computer support positions across all industries. How does Halifax stack up? According to the 2024 CRBE Scoring Tech Talent report, Halifax has seen a 64.2% growth in tech over the last 5 years. The CRBE Scoring Tech Talent report is an annual publication that assesses and ranks the top 50 markets in the U.S. and Canada based on their competitive advantages and appeal to employers and tech talent employees. The report also highlights 25 emerging North American tech talent markets that show significant growth potential. Halifax is among only three Canadian cities that made the 2024 list. Joining Halifax is London (4th) and Winnipeg (13th). The top three include Huntsville (1st), Colorado Springs (2nd) and Dayton (3rd). Up-and -coming markets are noted as opportunity areas that have potential to offer larger talent pools, geographical reach and cost efficiencies.

Quick Halifax 2022 vs. 2023 Stats

Total Tech Employment (2023): 15,600 (-500) Total Tech Growth (5 Years): 64.2% (+6.2%) Total Tech Wages (2023): $69,216 USD (+$7,705 USD) Total Tech Wage Growth (5 Years): 31% (+10%) Software Developer Wages (2023): $76,088 USD (+$14,577 USD) Software Developer Wage Growth (5 Years): 31.1% (+5.2%) Tech Talent Degree Graduates (2022): 1,069 (-73) Eight Canadian cities made the top 50 list, including tech hubs in Toronto (4th) and Ottawa (10th). The report indicates there is a high demand for tech talent in both large and small markets as companies across all industries increase and expand their use and implementation of technology.

Key report findings:

• This year’s top-ranked tech talent markets are the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, New York Metro, Toronto and Austin. Washington, D.C. fell to sixth place, replaced by Toronto for fourth, while Austin rose to fifth. Canada’s Waterloo Region, along with Madison, WI and Orlando in the U.S., were the highest ranked small markets;
• Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are the leading AI-development markets in Canada, accounting for 60% of the country’s AI-specialty tech jobs;
• Tech talent workforce diversity is expected to improve since the share of recent tech degree graduates from underrepresented race/ethnic groups and women was higher than those already employed.

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