Austin has had the highest tech migration rate in the nation over the past year, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. That statement alone grabs the attention of anyone in technology, and for good reason: tech professionals now know that they can work from anywhere they choose, so why not choose a fantastic home like Austin? The city’s boomtown status includes the roots laid down by Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Cisco, IBM, Apple, eBay, and Oracle, each of which has strong headquarters in the city. Austin brought in 217 software and information technology workers per 10,000 pre-existing employees in just a half-year, a number nearly five times higher than that of most other global tech hubs.
The data gathered shows that Austin securely announced its presence as a tech mecca when thousands of professional technology experts realized that remote work was a possibility, and plenty of non-remote tech jobs are available in an ideal city to live in. Gaining notice as an option for all levels of tech professionals since 2020, the rate of growth in Austin in both job opportunities and the tech community has skyrocketed. Austin’s workforce, low or no Texas taxes, and spacious living possibilities made the city highly desirable for professionals to gravitate toward. Nicknamed the “Silicon Hills, ” the vibrant city lies between its sprawling tech centers and the beautiful rolling hillsides to the east. The tech ecosystem is so popular with venture capitalists and CEOs that it’s entirely possible for tech pros to form relationships with decision-makers.
Since Dell’s founding in the mid-1980s, Austin has been an area that has attracted big names. Some of the most recognizable employers in Austin include AMD, Adobe, Applied Materials, AT&T, Atlassian, and tech legends Amazon and Apple, all with headquarters or major satellite offices in the city. Silicon Hills is the tech epicenter for startups; with 5,500 budding ventures calling the greater Austin area home. The companies of Silicon Hills have been hard at work, bringing in a cool $950 million in collective funding, with BorrowersFirst alone raising $100 million.
With the University of Texas residing in the heart of Austin, and the stellar global attention-getter event SXSW, an annual festival that sells out at least a year in advance, the city is a stunner when it comes to innovation and activity. The visibility that these two revolutionary tech attention-getters create has pulled top talent away from often overcrowded, expensive familiar tech hubs. With tech talent coming into the area, the nation’s corporations are keeping their eyes turned towards the city to snatch up tech professionals as fast as they can. Being extremely business-friendly and one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the nation, the energy in the city is undeniably positive.
The future for Austin is bright, too, with Oracle moving its primary headquarters to the city and one of the biggest venture capital firms, 8VC, already scoping out property. Tesla founder Elon Musk is building a new Cybertruck factory in Austin, and news recently surfaced that his Boring Company has bought an industrial site in a location just outside of the city limits. Other near-future huge milestones in Austin’s tech scene include Apple’s new campus in North Austin, investing $1 billion in infrastructure for its creation. This news means a great opportunity for 15,000 more workers to have the opportunity to apply their tech skills in a role with Apple.
A career in tech in Austin’s hotbed of opportunity is irresistible. The city is undeniably hip, which means that the tech landscape is diverse, energetic, and thriving. With the demand for qualified, expertly trained tech professionals at an all-time high, techies know that they can go where the scene is hot, practically writing their own ticket to finding the job they want. With a lower cost of living and no-to-nonexistent taxes, Austin has also attracted many companies to set up shop. The corporate or regional headquarters for big names such as eBay, Indeed, Whole Foods, Dell, and Apple are all rooted in the Silicon Hills, and a host of other well-known entities also share Austin as their tech hub. Not only are the companies attractive to those working in technology, but the quality of life and opportunity to be supported in an entrepreneurial venture is also enticing.
Austin’s growing list of industries includes advanced manufacturing, clean energy technology, creative and digital media, data management, financial services, insurance, life sciences, and space technology. Tech professionals can find jobs in any of those areas fairly easily since high-tech jobs in Austin represent 16.4% of all occupations in the area, compared to 8.8% nationwide. Overall, jobs in Austin’s tech industries total 173,837, which made the percentage of industry growth shoot up by 7.7%.
Technology is a time-honored institution in Austin, so it’s no surprise that those with an entrepreneurial spirit want to get started in the city. Startups get a healthy incubation period with the robust support of the City of Austin, which offers a wealth of information on their dedicated resource board. Techstars Austin is another supporter that connects startups with its national network of advisors and investors and also shares its wealth of wisdom with office hours for any one-to-one help they can offer. Startup Runner is focused primarily on the mentorship model, guiding younger businesses through the process of developing and marketing strategy and acquiring customers. WeWork is connected to Startup Runner as a program that takes a direct hands-on approach.
Large sites such as Built In Austin, provide the latest news on tech in the area and serve as the go-to clearinghouse for tech jobs specific to the Silicon Hills. GeekAustin.org is a nonprofit group that also serves the local tech community with networking, mentorship, and relevant information for Austin professionals. The Austin Tech Alliance is an invaluable source of help that aims to build a culture of civic engagement, using technology as a connector. Their mission includes education through tech grassroots policy issues, advocating for tech as a tool to solve civic challenges, and activation of the tech community allowing all an equal voice.
The greatest amount of excitement in not only the tech universe but for all Austinians goes to SXSW, a whirlwind of interactive events within a giant festival. A festival, exhibition, and conference with multiple inner offerings create an almost frenetic environment that affects all of what Austin—and the world—has to offer, similar to a World’s Fair. Music greats have taken the stage at SXSW before their names became recognizable, films make their debuts and gain instant popularity, and mini-festivals of every kind spring up in every corner of the ten-day event. South by Southwest grows in size and scope every year and is attended by hundreds of thousands of people—more than 400,000 participated in 2019 in some way, shape, or form. The event is dedicated towards helping creative people achieve their goals and celebrates the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture.
Other than the tech scene, the incredibly favorable weather, and stupendous convocations like SXSW, there is a colorful, enjoyable community who call Austin home. Neighborhoods are diverse in cost, culture, and style, with something for everyone. One thing that Austinians do have in common is their commitment to Southern hospitality and pride themselves on getting involved in their community. The cost of living is lower than in many other metropolitan areas, partly because Texas has no state income tax. Tech professionals appreciate that their salaries stretch further in the city, making the quality of life high. Examples of salaries for different roles in technology in Austin include User Experience Designers typically earning $102,000, and Software Engineers averaging $103,000 annually.
The city of Austin is worthy competition for quality tech training and education. As a major tech hub that needs a huge amount of talented professionals, it’s easy to find plenty of technology bootcamps and classes. More than fifteen training locations offer a range of at least 200 in-person courses to choose from in a vast array of subjects in technology, including design, digital marketing, data-related training, coding, business, web development, and IT. Most schools also offer live online and on-demand options, allowing students to choose how they’d like to learn. Two schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold classes in computer labs pre-loaded with the latest equipment and software, led by live, off-site instructors. Additionally, Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, has numerous live online, on-demand, and private lesson options.
Austin offers more than 30 in-person graphic design-related bootcamps and classes, all in close proximity to the center of the city. Those wanting to pursue a design career have more than enough options to learn any type of design area they desire, and many schools also offer live, online options. Types of programs that can be found include bootcamps/immersives, certificates, and classes, ranging from six hours to twelve weeks in length. Topics across the graphic design spectrum are Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Visual Design, and UX Design. Highly ranked schools that offer courses include New Horizons, Lumenbrite, UT Austin Bootcamps, and General Assembly. Two other schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold classes in computer labs with equipment pre-loaded with the latest software and live instructors teaching from remote sites.
Schools that offer in-person data science classes and bootcamps in Austin include eight training locations that provide more than twenty-two courses, including bootcamps, which dive deeply into hands-on instruction in this fast-growing field. Subjects within data science include Python, SQL, machine learning, and R. Schools offering a range of data science courses in Austin include General Assembly, Data Science Dojo, Flatiron, Galvanize, UT Austin Boot Camps, and New Horizons. Additionally, Certstaffix and ONLC hold data science classes in local computer labs led by live, offsite instructors.
For in-person classes and bootcamps in Austin in web development, students can choose from six schools with traditional classrooms and two schools that offer live instruction in state-of-the-art computer labs with live, off-site instructors. Schools that hold web development programs include General Assembly, Hack Reactor, Galvanize, Austin Coding Academy, Flatiron, and ACC Continuing Education. Hybrid-style schools that offer computer lab access with a remote instructor include ONLC and Certstaffix.
There are many course options presented by seven schools to choose from for in-person coding classes and bootcamps in Austin. Schools in the area are located both in the city center and in areas that allow students to avoid busy city traffic. All these training centers offer live online courses and allow students to take classes from anywhere. Schools in the Austin area include General Assembly, New Horizons, Galvanize, Data Science Dojo, Flatiron, Hack Reactor, ACC Continuing Education, Austin Coding Academy, and UT at Austin Bootcamps. Additionally, two schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold their coding classes in dedicated computer labs, with instruction from live, remote instructors. All courses guide students step-by-step through the learning process and provide hands-on experiential learning. In this subject, students can find coding-related options in web development, data science, computer science, iOS development, front-end development, back-end development, Python, JavaScript, Java, SQL, HTML and CSS, and PHP and MySQL. Offerings range from comprehensive and immersive bootcamps to extensive information certificates and classes. Most courses are also available live online and offer various times and durations. For more extensive programs, financial assistance is often available.
Those looking for in-person web design classes and bootcamps in Austin can choose from many courses at schools located both within the city and surrounding areas that help avoid traffic. Subjects within web design include front-end web development, visual design, UX design, WordPress, HTML and CSS, JavaScript and jQuery, Sketch, and Adobe XD. Courses include bootcamps and hands-on classes, ranging from three hours to twelve weeks. A wide variety of programs related to web design are offered by schools, including Austin Coding Academy, UT at Austin Bootcamps, General Assembly, and New Horizons. Two schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold courses in dedicated computer labs, led in real time by off-site instructors.
Austin is one of the most popular places to work in the field of digital marketing. Attending an in-person digital marketing class or bootcamp in Austin is a wise investment to get ahead of the competition in the booming digital world. Students can choose from courses offered face-to-face at General Assembly and UT at Austin Boot Camps. Two additional schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold courses in computer labs with live, remote instructors leading classes. Subjects students can choose from include Google Analytics, Google Ads, SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and ecommerce.
Top schools in Austin that offer in-person Python bootcamps and classes include New Horizons and General Assembly. Two additional schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, offer classes in computer labs with pre-loaded professional-level software and are led by live, off-site instructors. Python is essential for most careers in technology, and certain professions require knowledge in specific syntaxes of the language.
Students can choose in-person classes and bootcamps in video editing in Austin from Lumenbrite. Additionally, Certstaffix offers courses in a fully equipped computer lab led by live, offsite instructors. Video editing classes are fast-paced, hands-on experiences ranging from two to ten days. General areas of study in video editing include motion graphics, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro.
In-person UX Design classes in Austin are offered by two schools: General Assembly and UT Austin Boot Camps. These schools offer comprehensive overviews of the user experience (UX) and place particular emphasis on Sketch and Adobe XD.
Students can choose from twenty-five unique in-person Excel classes throughout the Austin metropolitan area, as well as live online sessions and on-demand options. All Excel sessions range from three hours to three days and are provided by several schools, including New Horizons and General Assembly. Two more schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold their Excel courses in computer labs with live remote instructors available during class. More options for Excel and other business-related skills are offered live and online by Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool. The necessity of fluent Excel skills stretches into most areas of a professional career, so general and specific classes in the software are available face-to-face, live and online, or on-demand. Prime examples of Excel workshops are those from General Assembly, which offers an Excel Bootcamp. This three-hour, hands-on and beginner-welcome session teaches attendees skills such as formatting techniques, mathematical formulas, PivotTables, charts, and beyond. This bootcamp can also be taken in a live, online class.
Offering onsite corporate tech training sessions is a terrific investment for your team or workplace. An expert instructor from Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, will come to your location, or a live session can be tailored for presentation via video conferencing platforms such as Zoom. A wide variety of subjects and skill levels are available, and each is custom-tailored to fit the client. If preferred, individual employees can attend an open enrollment session at regularly scheduled times. Discounted vouchers are available when purchased in multiples. Contact Noble Desktop for further information.