The state of u.s. tech hiring

According to a survey of more than 2,800 IT senior managers with hiring responsibilities in 28 major U.S. markets:

  • 69% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 54% plan to hire for new positions in 2021 - for a list of city rankings, scroll to the bottom.

  • 73% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management

  • 91% are concerned with losing valued staff

Atlanta

  • 80% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 61% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 78% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Database management

  • 90% are concerned with losing valued staff

Austin

  • 71% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 45% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 77% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Wireless network management

  • 96% are concerned with losing valued staff

Boston

  • 69% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 52% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 67% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation and web development and design (tie)

  • 85% are concerned with losing valued staff

Charlotte

  • 70% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 48% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 81% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Web development and design

      • Database management

  • 95% are concerned with losing valued staff

Chicago

  • 61% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 52% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 62% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Database management

  • 81% are concerned with losing valued staff

Cincinnati

  • 67% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 56% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 81% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Business intelligence and reporting services

  • 89% are concerned with losing valued staff

Cleveland

  • 59% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 52% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 68% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management

      • Desktop support

  • 91% are concerned with losing valued staff

Dallas

  • 80% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 69% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 77% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management

      • Network administration

  • 91% are concerned with losing valued staff

Denver

  • 76% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 50% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 72% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Web development

      • Telecommunications support and cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

  • 98% are concerned with losing valued staff

Detroit

  • 71% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 73% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 87% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Web development and design

  • 85% are concerned with losing valued staff

Houston

  • 74% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 62% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 77% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management

  • 89% are concerned with losing valued staff

Indianapolis

  • 71% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 50% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 75% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Database management

      • DevOps

      • Agile

  • 95% are concerned with losing valued staff

Los Angeles

  • 79% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 62% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 82% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management and web development and design (tie)

  • 92% are concerned with losing valued staff

Miami

  • 77% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 74% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 80% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Web development and design

      • Database management

  • 89% are concerned with losing valued staff

MINNEAPOLIS

  • 68% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 49% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 70% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Database management

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation

  • 98% are concerned with losing valued staff

Nashville

  • 61% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 45% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 60% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation

      • Database management

  • 91% are concerned with losing valued staff

New York

  • 76% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 62% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 75% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Desktop support

  • 90% are concerned with losing valued staff

Philadelphia

  • 71% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 52% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 69% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Database management

  • 86% are concerned with losing valued staff

Phoenix

  • 60% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 46% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 58% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management

      • Cybersecurity

  • 88% are concerned with losing valued staff

Pittsburgh

  • 57% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 50% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 67% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Database management

  • 94% are concerned with losing valued staff

Portland

  • 82% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 53% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 83% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Web development and design and wireless network management (tie)

  • 98% are concerned with losing valued staff

Raleigh

  • 58% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 45% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 66% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Telecommunications support

      • Cybersecurity

  • 92% are concerned with losing valued staff

Sacramento

  • 73% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 49% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 80% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Database management

      • Telecommunications support, cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation (tie)

  • 97% are concerned with losing valued staff

San diego

  • 62% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 45% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 73% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management

      • Cybersecurity

  • 97% are concerned with losing valued staff

San Francisco

  • 54% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 44% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 65% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Database management

  • 92% are concerned with losing valued staff

Seattle

  • 69% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 65% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 84% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management

      • Cybersecurity

  • 94% are concerned with losing valued staff

Tampa

  • 65% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 51% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 69% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cybersecurity

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Database management

  • 85% are concerned with losing valued staff

Washington, D.C.

  • 70% are very confident in their company's growth prospects in 2021

  • 56% plan to hire for new positions in 2021.

  • 72% anticipate hiring more contractors.

  • The three most in-demand skillsets:

      • Cloud (e.g., computing, security and architecture)

      • Cybersecurity

      • Database management

  • 87% are concerned with losing valued staff

*cities most likely to hire for new positions in 2021

  1. Miami - 74%

  2. Detroit - 73%

  3. Dallas - 69%

  4. Seattle - 65%

  5. Houston - 62%

  6. Los Angeles - 62%

  7. New York - 62%

  8. Atlanta - 61%

  9. Cincinnati - 56%

  10. Washington, D.C. - 56%

  11. Portland - 53%

  12. Boston - 52%

  13. Chicago - 52%

  14. Cleveland - 52%

  15. Philadelphia - 52%

  16. Tampa - 51%

  17. Denver - 50%

  18. Indianapolis - 50%

  19. Pittsburgh - 50%

  20. Minneapolis - 49%

  21. Sacramento - 49%

  22. Charlotte - 48%

  23. Phoenix - 46%

  24. Austin - 45%

  25. Nashville - 45%

  26. Raleigh - 45%

  27. San Diego - 45%

  28. San Francisco - 44%