New York City is strengthening its position as one of the most important technology centers in North America. Recent research from CBRE shows that the New York metropolitan area has surpassed the San Francisco Bay Area in total tech talent by headcount, marking a significant shift in the country’s technology employment landscape.
The growth reflects several factors, including the expansion of artificial intelligence, continued investment by major technology companies, and strong demand for technical talent across industries such as finance, media, healthcare, and professional services.
New York Surpasses San Francisco in Tech Talent
According to CBRE’s 2026 Scoring Tech Talent research, the New York metropolitan area had approximately 394,300 tech workers in 2025. This represented an increase of more than 30,000 workers over a three-year period.
During the same period, the San Francisco Bay Area had approximately 375,730 tech workers, with the region experiencing an overall decline in technology employment following multiple rounds of industry layoffs.
The milestone is particularly notable because it represents the first time New York has moved ahead of San Francisco in total tech talent headcount during the history of CBRE’s long-running report.
However, San Francisco remains highly influential within the broader technology economy and continues to rank ahead of New York in overall tech talent rankings that consider additional factors such as talent concentration, research activity, and investment.
Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping Technology Employment
Artificial intelligence has become one of the most important forces behind recent technology job growth. Companies across multiple industries are hiring professionals with expertise in AI, machine learning, data science, software engineering, and related technical fields.
CBRE data indicated that New York added more than 20,000 AI-related jobs since the middle of 2025. The San Francisco market also experienced substantial growth in AI employment despite its broader decline in total technology jobs over the previous three years.
Across the United States and Canada, the number of AI-skilled technology workers increased significantly year over year. Data scientists, technology managers, computer and information systems professionals, and engineering specialists have been among the roles benefiting from the growing demand for AI expertise.
AI-related positions also represent a growing share of technology job postings. This trend suggests that businesses are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into their operations, products, customer experiences, and long-term strategies.
Major AI Companies Continue to Expand in New York
New York’s growing technology workforce has been supported by the presence and expansion of major AI and technology companies.
Several leading companies in artificial intelligence maintain substantial operations in the city, helping create demand for engineers, researchers, data specialists, product professionals, and other skilled workers.
The city’s appeal extends beyond traditional technology companies. Financial institutions, advertising agencies, media organizations, healthcare companies, and professional service firms are also investing in AI capabilities. Technology is also being explored for improving New York City’s infrastructure, including innovative approaches to cooling subway stations.
This diversified employment environment may give New York an advantage as AI becomes a business priority for organizations that do not traditionally identify as technology companies.
Why New York Is Attractive to Tech Professionals
New York offers several characteristics that make it attractive to technology workers and employers. The city has a large and diverse economy, access to major universities, a substantial financial sector, and a strong concentration of businesses across multiple industries.
For technology professionals, this can create opportunities to work on a variety of products and business challenges without being limited to a single industry.
New York’s established startup ecosystem also continues to support innovation. Entrepreneurs and growing companies can access investors, customers, professional services, and a large pool of potential employees.
The growth of AI is further strengthening these advantages as companies across the city compete for technical talent capable of developing and implementing new technologies.
Other Cities Are Also Seeing AI Job Growth
The growth of AI employment is not limited to New York and San Francisco. Other major metropolitan areas, including Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas-Fort Worth, have also reported increases in AI-related talent.
This broader geographic expansion suggests that the technology industry is becoming less concentrated in a small number of traditional hubs. Organizations in cities across North America are building technical teams and investing in AI capabilities.
Remote and hybrid work may have contributed to this shift, but the increasing importance of AI across industries is also creating demand for specialized talent in more locations.
The Economic Impact of Growing Tech Workforces
A growing technology workforce can have a significant impact on local economies. Higher-paying technology jobs can increase demand for housing, office space, restaurants, retail, and other services.
In New York, the influx of high-earning technology professionals may also contribute to ongoing pressure on housing costs. Manhattan rents have continued to rise, reflecting the broader challenges of limited housing supply and strong demand from high-income workers across several industries.
At the same time, technology growth can generate new business opportunities. Startups, service providers, educational institutions, recruiters, and commercial real estate companies may all benefit from the expansion of technology and AI-focused employment.
What This Shift Means for the Future of Tech
New York’s rise in tech talent does not necessarily mean that Silicon Valley is losing its importance. San Francisco remains a major center for technology innovation, venture capital, research, and entrepreneurship.
Instead, the latest employment trends may signal a more distributed technology economy. New York is demonstrating that major technology growth can occur within a diversified business environment where finance, media, healthcare, education, and other industries increasingly rely on advanced technology.
Artificial intelligence is likely to remain a major driver of this transformation. As organizations continue to adopt AI tools and build AI-powered products, demand for skilled professionals may reshape employment patterns across cities and industries.
Conclusion
New York City’s emergence as the largest technology talent hub by headcount represents an important development in the evolving U.S. technology landscape. Growth in artificial intelligence, expansion by major technology companies, and increasing demand for technical expertise across industries have all contributed to the city’s momentum.
While San Francisco continues to lead in several broader measures of technology strength, New York’s workforce growth highlights the expanding influence of other major cities in the technology economy. As AI continues to transform how businesses operate, competition for skilled talent is likely to remain strong across North America.
FAQs
New York has a large and diverse economy, strong access to skilled professionals, major universities, financial institutions, startups, and technology companies. The growing demand for AI and other technical expertise across industries has further accelerated technology job growth in the city.
New York has surpassed the San Francisco Bay Area in total tech talent headcount, according to recent CBRE research. However, San Francisco still ranks ahead in broader technology talent rankings that consider factors such as talent concentration and research and development investment.
AI is creating demand for professionals in areas such as data science, engineering, machine learning, software development, and technology management. AI-related jobs are also making up a growing share of technology job postings as companies across many industries invest in artificial intelligence.
