Looking to relocate but want to be sure you won’t be left jobless? These are some of the greatest cities to live in if you’re a tech professional searching for a job with room for advancement.

1. Research Triangle, North Carolina

North Carolina, which includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, is known for its dense concentration of research institutions and associated enterprises. In April 2015, Forbes rated Raleigh the “second greatest city for IT employment development.”

Population: As of 2018, there are 469,298 in Raleigh, and 2,238,315 in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill combined statistical area

Tech Average Annual Income (Raleigh): $91,686 

Average Rental Cost per Month (Raleigh): $1,262 

Top Tech Businesses: Citrix, Cisco Systems, IBM, and Red Hat, Inc.

Top IT Employment Sectors: Design Engineer, Java Developer, Infrastructure Architect, SQL Developer, and Tooling Engineer.

2. San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, California

It’s no wonder that the IT industry is booming in this area, which is also known as “Silicon Valley.” However, because Silicon Valley is a loosely defined geographical area, statistics may differ.

Population: As of 2018, there are 1,030,119 residents

Tech Average Annual Income (San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area): $205,650

Average Rental Cost per Month: $3,064

Top Tech Businesses: Adobe, Apple, and eBay 

Top IT Employment Sectors: Java Developer, Infrastructure Architect, and Software Engineer

3. Austin, Texas 

Austin is home to several more extensive, more established businesses, but it also has a booming startup environment, so you can choose where you want to work.

Population (Austin-Round Rock metro area): As of 2018, there are 2,168,316 residents

Tech Average Annual Income (Austin-Round Rock metro area): $90,420

Average Rental Cost per Month (Austin): $1,556

Top Tech Businesses: Dell, IBM, and Intel

Top IT Employment Sectors: Development Analyst, Java Developer, Network Administrator, Technical Writer, and Software Engineer

4. Portland, Oregon

The suburbs west of Portland are frequently referred to as the “Silicon Forest,” a form of northwest Silicon Valley.

Population: As of 2018, there are 653,115 in Portland and 2,478,810 in Portland metro area

Tech Average Annual Income: $89,190

Average Rental Cost per Month: $1,653

Top Tech Businesses: Intel, Vernier Software & Technology, and Zapproved

Top IT Employment Sectors: iOS Developer, IT Service Manager, Programmer Analyst, and Senior QA Analyst

5. Provo, Utah

You’ll be working with a lot of BYU graduates here. Several companies and independent businesses in the area, but Google also has a presence.

Population: As of 2018, there are 116,702 residents

Tech Average Annual Income: $81,740

Average Rental Cost per Month: $1,161

Top Tech Businesses: Google, Google Fiber, and Qualtrics

Top IT Employment Sectors: Python Developer, Software Engineer, and Technical Support

6. Fort Collins, Colorado

The Colorado community mixes small-town charm with a multitude of high-tech career opportunities.

Population: As of 2018, there are 167,830 residents

Tech Average Annual Income: $85,990

Average Rental Cost per Month: $1,359

Top Tech Businesses: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Intel, and Hewlett-Packard

Top IT Employment Sectors: Application Software Developer, Software QA, and Test Engineer

7. Indianapolis, Indiana

Fortune 500 corporations and other notably tech-oriented enterprises call this Midwest city home.

Population: As of 2018, there are 867,125 residents

Tech Average Annual Income: $75,100

Average Rental Cost per Month: $1,006

Top Tech Businesses: One Click Ventures and Phoenix Data

Top IT Employment Sectors: Java Developer, Infrastructure Architect, and Net Developer

8. Boise, Idaho

Boise is known for its affordability and high quality of life, and it is home to both startups and industry behemoths.

Population: As of 2018, there are 228,790 residents

Tech Average Annual Income: $71,917

Average Rental Cost per Month: $1,175

Top Tech Businesses: Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft

Top IT Employment Sectors: Application Engineer, Firmware Engineer, Mobile Software Developer, and Software Engineer

9. Nashville, Tennessee

You already know that this is a large city for healthcare, biotechnology, and country music.

Population: As of 2018, there are 1,932,099 residents in Nashville metro area

Tech Average Annual Income (Nashville metro area): $79,190

Average Rental Cost per Month: $1,458

Top Tech Businesses: Infoworks and Zycron

Top IT Employment Sectors: iOS Developer, Information Security Engineer, IT Manager, and Senior Programmer Analyst

10. Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester is an excellent alternative for individuals who want a lot of possibilities, with Boston and Portland relatively near to various tech giants inside the city itself.

Population: As of 2018, there are 112,525 residents

Tech Average Annual Income (Nashville metro area): $85,050

Average Rental Cost per Month: $1,338

Top Tech Businesses: Dell and Hewlett-Packard

Top IT Employment Sectors: Java Developer, Senior IT Project Manager, Systems Architect, and UI Software Engineer

There is IT employment almost everywhere—but there is also competition everywhere. So even though you’ll have to work for it, any of these places will provide you with a fantastic chance to start the profession of your dreams.