Seattle’s Growing IT Industry

Information Technology (IT) is rapidly becoming one of King County’s most exciting and impactful sectors. From increases in videogames and software development, to big data and cloud computing, King County is solidifying its reputation as a world hub of IT.

The New York Times recently deemed Seattle as the “New Center of a Tech Boom” as local companies flex their tech muscles. Microsoft and Amazon are key players in the boom, attracting high-skilled talent and convincing other dominant tech companies to open up shop in King County. Most recently, HP decided to bring its cloud computing business to Pioneer Square. These recent developments are contributing to Seattle’s newfound reputation as “Cloud City.”

As the IT sector continues to create more and more jobs, educational institutions and organizations are working hard to fill them with bright graduates. University of Washington is a proven leader in computer science and engineering education, while DigiPen Institute of Technologyremains a top game development institution. Other local institutions with prominent technology degrees include Bellevue College, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, and Art Institute of Seattle. However, tech education doesn’t start at higher-ed. Local organizations, includingWashington STEM and Code.org, are focused on computer science education in K-12 systems by developing curriculum and building training tools to help young students learn the basics of coding (one of the fundamentals of computer science).

Although the large corporations are taking the lion’s share of credit for elevating the IT sector, tech jobs are sprouting up in small and midsize businesses across all sectors. At the Technology Alliance’s State of Technology Luncheon, the organization released data from a recent study that shows technology-based employment accounts for over 268,000 jobs in King County. Job growth in IT shows no signs of slowing as local tech powerhouses expand their reach and national companies take advantage of the rare talent pool that exists here.