NYC edges out Bay Area in tech talent, with most roles housed in nontech firms

One hire's path to the Big Apple

Erin Sullivan had only been to New York City once before choosing a job there, and the subway clinched it. "Having the freedom of just hopping on the subway and getting anywhere was so magical for me," she says. "I knew that I wanted to end back up" in the city.

After earning a computer science degree in 2023 from the University of Oklahoma, the 25 year old joined Bank of America in New York City as a software engineer.

The numbers now favor New York

CBRE's August tally puts the New York metro at 394,300 tech jobs, nudging past the Bay Area's 375,730. From 2022 to 2025, New York added over 30,000 tech workers, whereas San Francisco saw a decline of almost 24,000. As CBRE vice chairman Lauren Crowley Corrinet sums it up, "the Big Apple is on top."

Why so many tech jobs sit outside tech

Julie Samuels, president and CEO of Tech:NYC, points to long standing New York industries using software and AI as core tools. According to Tech:NYC, only 35% of the city's tech employees are employed by tech companies and startups, and 64% draw paychecks from nontech firms such as banks and media organizations, per a report published in November 2026.

To keep up with artificial intelligence, she says "everyone is hiring" tech workers and consultants, adding, "All these traditional industries are thinking about how they can bring AI into the fold in their own work." AI companies are expanding in the city as well: OpenAI signed a lease for a 90,000 square foot office in Lower Manhattan, and Anthropic intends to bring its New York staff up to 1,000 employees in 2026, twice its current size.

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What it means for your portfolio

Lifestyle still draws talent, Corrinet says: "Everything's here, and it's just such a rich and engaging place for people to live." Samuels also points to drawbacks, noting that the city's steep living expenses weigh on even tech workers "who make six figures right out of college," and she warns that rising compensation may further squeeze affordability for other residents.

The bottom line: New York's tech engine is being powered by banks, media and other incumbents as much as startups, while AI expansion adds another hiring lane. For investors, that spreads exposure across commercial real estate, consulting and staffing, and enterprise software, not just pure play tech. A companion video to this report includes additional insights from Samuels, Corrinet and Sullivan, along with other tech workers opting for NYC.

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