The hits keep coming in Charlotte's vibrant tech scene. In just six months, Credit Karma, Centene, Lowes, Better.com, AvidXchange, and Robinhood all announced their move to Queen City. What’s happening in Charlotte now is indicative of the direction technology, finance, and project management sectors are heading: away from overcrowded, expensive areas to locations where their valuable workforce wants to live. Building on the local ecosystem that supports future growth in the tech and finance industry in particular, Charlotte has landed at number five on the list of the best tech towns by CompTIA. This enviable spot places the beautiful East Coast city above locations that have historically scored higher such as Boulder, Seattle, and San Francisco. Charlotte’s thriving banking sector underscores how long-established companies such as Bank of America still leave room for new FinTech players, like RedVentures.
Companies re-evaluated their plans when the world changed in 2020. As a result, Charlotte came out a winner. A big reason is the cost of doing business in the city and its proximity to other major East Coast hubs. When companies saw the opportunity to save money on real estate in the affordable spaces available, they realized they could spend more to snap up the brightest professionals the tech world has. In return, savvy tech pros saw the multitude of opportunities to be had with Fortune 500 companies, smaller niche businesses, and startups and made the move to Charlotte. Citing that change brings new jobs, the city has made strides to help pave the way for fresh names to move to the city while still providing the structure long-established corporations appreciate.
According to the Charlotte Regionals Business Alliance, Charlotte’s pool of technology professionals nearly doubled in the past decade, in large part due to the giants of industry that call the city home. Legendary corporate names such as Compass Group, Bank of America, Honeywell International, and Duke Energy—all on the Fortune 500 list—all have roots in the area, and the pace of their growth continues steadily upward. Burgeoning and new-to-the-area companies are blooming in Charlotte, and all of this activity creates a small problem for big business—a boon for job seekers: there just aren’t enough tech workers to go around. Due to the shortage, candidates can write their own prescription for success, finding multiple offers that fit their goals.
There are ways that companies are generating their own workforce pool, including offering continuing education in the skills they most need. Grants are also available from many organizations eager to build on Charlotte’s strong business, finance, and tech foundations. Helping add available tech talent, UNC Charlotte has invested heavily in its computer science program with grants and backing from investors eager to see the results. Already, graduates of boot camps and certification programs are being scooped up by big-pocketed companies in Charlotte’s key industries, including aerospace and defense, machinery, biotech and pharmaceuticals, business and finance, and energy.
Entrepreneurs flourish in Charlotte, with a wealth of organizations and investors that are open and willing to all ideas. With a good proof-of-concept and some sweat equity, some of Charlotte's most recognizable tech-specific success stories include Levvel, Sitehands, and SmartSky Networks. A growing number of resources exists for new or scaling entities, one of which is Tabbris Innovation Hub, an incubator and coworking space in South End that offers guidance and access to capital, and Carolina FinTech Hub, a non-profit organization that functions as a mini-chamber of commerce for recruiting tech businesses.
Tech isn’t just thriving in Charlotte, it's one of the few industries that is literally struggling to fill open jobs. Those with existing roles or just starting a career in tech in Charlotte could not find a better place to be, as the workplace landscape tilted globally in 2020. Charlotte's top employment sectors are finance, healthcare, research and analysis, manufacturing and IT, and job boards post hundreds of jobs per week searching for candidates to fill roles from entry-level through to executive positions. Companies cite their biggest needs are for project management, product design, and all engineering fields, and many are willing to help offset the cost of training driven, promising people. Charlotte-based technical training institute Tech Talent South has teamed up with the city of Charlotte to get people training in computer coding to help make them qualify for the many jobs available.
Those with tech experience don’t have to limit themselves to working in a company that is entirely technology-focused. Charlotte’s most in-demand roles include statistician, credit counselor, operations analytics, and all levels of healthcare professionals. Within any business hiring for those roles, tech-savvy candidates can offer their skills with the confidence of knowing they’re working in a secure field. Seven employers in Charlotte are businesses that have made the Fortune 500 list and are an excellent source for careers at any level. Fortune 500 companies in Charlotte such as MetLife, Lowes, Nucor, and Time Warner Cable are just a few of the best-known names that have announced they are pushing hard to find qualified and eager new team members.
Built In Charlotte is the one-stop-shop for everything about technology in the city. The website provides real-time updates on job opportunities, breaking news, and chances to network. According to a report by the Charlotte Observer, tech job growth in Queen City has been outpacing the national average by growing 30% over the past five years. As the home of Bank of America’s global headquarters and Wells Fargo’s East Coast division headquarters, the city has a long-standing reputation as a banking capital, making it a mecca for those in FinTech. Although finance is the most actively hiring sector in Charlotte, cybersecurity, robotics, and AI are all additional areas where there is a surplus of jobs available to tech talent. At Lowe’s new 23-floor center headquarters, 2,000 newly hired tech professionals exemplify how much opportunity there is in the city.
The diversity of Charlotte’s tech scene is undoubtedly a reflection of the area’s movement into an innovative age. While the city has witnessed a surge in startups over the past several years, the region has been acquainted with the tech industry for decades. Companies such as LendingTree and Skookum were some of the first businesses to put Charlotte’s tech scene on the map, and countless more have followed in their footsteps. While many of Charlotte’s tech leaders are in the financial sector, other tremendous career opportunities can be found in big data and ecommerce.
Charlotte is a town that embraces STEM diversity, ranking as the #2 spot for minorities and women to be actively engaged in the workforce, which spills over into the excitement of living in an incredibly diverse region, where cultures meld and share both their individual histories and combined futures. Although technically a big city, Charlotte has more of a small town or suburban feel, with many parks and more single-family homes dominating the cityscape. The pace of life is leisurely, and residents are well-known as welcoming, community-involved, and full of southern hospitality. The food and beverage scene is nothing less than spectacular, with toques vying to win the hearts of the foodies who flock to their establishment for farm-to-table delicacies. The city offers the best of both worlds, with plenty of mountainous escapes to the west and famous shoreline dunes and Atlantic Ocean sunrises to the east.
One of the most treasured aspects of Charlotte lies outside of the glittering city that resembles a treasure chest when viewed at night: its proximity to the shore. The Outer Banks (OBX to the cool kids) are barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina that boast open-sea beaches, state parks, and shipwreck diving sites, along with some of the more unusual inhabitants locals love to see. Wild mustangs are often spotted moving through some of the dunes, descendants of those first brought over by Spanish explorers in the 1500s. These amazing animals have survived hurricanes and humans and have sparked many great stories, and make for amazing backdrops against the seagrass and drifting dunes.
No matter what a professional earns, Charlotte has a flat tax rate, making it easier to consider how much a person needs to budget to live any lifestyle choice. A popular option is to customize a downtown loft-type apartment or to find plenty of room outside of the city center. One thing residents won’t find is a surplus of high-rise living. Although apartments that reach the sky exist, most locals prefer quaint and quiet neighborhoods. Community is an important aspect of life throughout the area, and Charlotte is one of the few places left where it’s not uncommon to find a place where every person knows the names of their neighbors.
Salaries in the tech industry in Charlotte are solid, and the city has ample availability to find a job in any job sector. Examples of earnings for professionals in the Queen City include Data Analysts, who earn an average of $74,000, and Product Managers, who can look forward to about $92,000 annually.
In innovative technology-rich Charlotte, creative ways of earning high salaries across all tech sectors make acquiring and upskilling technological abilities a wise investment. There are an amazing amount of technology classes and bootcamps in Charlotte to choose from. More than 200 of the best course offerings from area schools provide in-person, live online, and on-demand course options. Schools are located in downtown Charlotte and nearby easily accessible areas. For tech students, schools cover a vast array of subjects in technology, including Design, Digital Marketing, Data-related training, Coding, Business, Web Development, and IT. Two schools, Certstaffix and ONLC, hold classes in computer labs preloaded with the latest software and led by a live, offsite instructor. Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, has compiled an extensive list of the top schools and the subjects they offer.
Charlotte has more than 25 options for in-person and hybrid courses and bootcamps in Graphic Design. Those wanting to pursue a design career have more than enough options to learn anything they’d like about the field, and many schools also offer live online and on-demand 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. New Horizons offers in-person training, and two schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold classes in computer labs with equipment preloaded with the latest software and led by a live, offsite instructor.
Schools that offer Data Science classes and bootcamps in Charlotte include training locations that provide thirty excellent in-person and live online courses. Schools are located downtown or just outside of the city center, making it possible to find a spot that fits with busy schedules. Courses range from three hours to 72 weeks, including bootcamps, which dive deeply into hands-on instruction in this fast-growing field. Subjects within the realm of Data Science include Python, SQL, Machine Learning, and R. The schools that offer a range of data science courses include New Horizons, UNC Charlotte Boot Camps, and Tech Talent South. Certstaffix is a school that also provides data science training via a hybrid option in a computer lab with a live, remote instructor.
For in-person and hybrid Web Development classes and bootcamps in Charlotte, students can choose from 37 classes provided face-to-face by TechTalent South, or Certstaffix, a school that offers live instruction in a state-of-the-art computer lab with a live, offsite instructor. Additionally, Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, offers live online classes in web development and beyond.
There are more than 50 options presented by ten highly ranked schools to choose from for in-person, live online, and on-demand coding classes and bootcamps in Charlotte and some a short commute away in Washington, D.C. These training centers offer live online courses and provide a way for students to take classes from wherever they choose and are close to major thoroughfares. Schools in the city include Tech Talent South, UNC Charlotte Boot Camps, and New Horizons. Two other schools, Certstaffix and ONLC, hold their coding classes in a dedicated computer lab, with instruction from a live, remote instructor. All courses take students through the learning process step-by-step and provide object-based experiential learning experiences. 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 & CSS, and PHP & MySQL. Offerings range from comprehensive and immersive bootcamps to extensive information certificates and classes. Most courses are also available live online and offer a variety of times and lengths. For more extensive programs, financial assistance is often available.
Those looking for in-person Web Design classes and bootcamps in Charlotte choose from fifty courses at schools around the heart of the city center and nearby sub-cities. Topics within web design include Front-end Web Development, Visual Design, UX Design, WordPress, HTML & CSS, JavaScript & jQuery, Sketch, and Adobe XD. Courses include bootcamps and hands-on classes, ranging from three hours to twelve weeks, and are offered in-person, live online, and via on-demand sessions. Schools that offer web design courses include face-to-face options at New Horizons and at Certstaffix and ONLC, two schools that hold courses in dedicated computer labs, led in real-time by offsite instructors.
Attending a hybrid-style Digital Marketing class or bootcamp in forward-thinking Charlotte is a wise investment to get ahead of the competition in the booming digital world. Schools in the city offer live online classes, as well as on-demand sessions. Students can choose to take courses from Certstaffix and ONLC, two schools that hold courses in a computer lab with a live, remote instructor leading the class. For digital marketing instruction, students can choose from courses including Google Analytics, Google Ads, SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and ecommerce.
Charlotte is a good choice when looking for a school for learning Python skills in an in-person or hybrid-style bootcamp or class. Four highly rated schools offer face-to-face and live online classes in convenient locations for busy professionals both downtown and within minutes outside of the city center. Top schools include UNC Charlotte Boot Camps and New Horizons. Two other schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, provide classes in a computer lab with pre-loaded professional-level software and are led by a live, offsite instructor. Python is essential for most careers in technology, and certain professions require knowledge in specific syntaxes of the language. Instruction in Python for all levels and career-related topics can be found throughout the schools listed and offered live online, as well as on-demand by Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool.
Students can choose from seven in-person and hybrid-style Video Editing classes and bootcamps in Charlotte at Certstaffix, which holds classes in a computer lab led by a live offsite instructor. Video editing classes are fast-paced, hands-on learning experiences that range from two to ten days. General areas of study in video editing include motion graphics, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro.
UX Design classes and bootcamps in Charlotte are available live online and in-demand from a variety of noteworthy schools. Taking courses online offers the convenience of choosing the location that is most conducive for the student, with all of the same excellent information in an in-person class. Training centers offer classes that are important to every professional in the field of design, including Sketch, Adobe XD and UX Design Research. These schools offer comprehensive overviews of the user experience (UX) and place particular emphasis on Sketch and Adobe XD.
Students have a choice of more than 20 unique in-person and live online Excel bootcamps and classes throughout Charlotte and surrounding areas. All Excel sessions range from three hours to three days. New Horizons offers training in Excel, and two different schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold Excel classes in dedicated computer labs led by an offsite instructor. The need for Excel skills stretches into most areas of a professional career, so essential general and specific classes in the software are available face-to-face, live online, or on-demand.
In every sized business in Charlotte, it’s necessary to keep your team up-to-date with the latest developments in technology. That’s why Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, provides onsite corporate training in technology. An expert Noble Desktop instructor will arrange a session in a vast array of technical subjects, and can provide training at your location. Additionally, a live session can be arranged via a video conferencing platform such as Zoom.
If it is easier for individual employees to attend a class on their own schedule, vouchers can be obtained for them to attend an open enrollment session. There is a discount on the purchase of multiple vouchers. Contact Noble Desktop to arrange a tailored training session for your workplace and employees.