For many years now, Silicon Valley and California have had a reputation as the place to be for those that aspire to reach the top within the digital or technological industries. Playing host to the headquarters of countless internationally renowned corporations, Silicon Valley and the wider San Francisco area ostensibly seem to have it all yet according to recent research, is only the 15th best city to head to if you’re looking to kickstart a digital career.
Compiled by the digital marketing agency Distinctly, this research examines a number of factors such as monthly outgoings, annual leave, salary, disposable income, and happiness. These were selected in order to determine those cities that best strike the balance between employment opportunities, living conditions, and general quality of life outside of work.
Overall, Sydney emerged as the number one city in which to head to for a career in the digital sphere, in no small part due to boasting a highly efficient infrastructure network and a climate renowned for it’s sunshine and heat. With plenty of average holiday time as well and a comparatively lower cost of living next to the possible alternative destinations, Sydney definitely has a lot of pull factors to attract the best and brightest talent.
In Europe, Amsterdam proved the most popular urban hub and already boasts a portfolio including the European headquarters of both Uber and Netflix. Whilst not the largest city in terms of geography or population, Amsterdam scored very well in plenty of other categories within the survey. Well renowned as well for being particularly clean as cities go and with easy access to the whole of Europe, it’s no surprise to see the Dutch capital doing so well for itself.
London by comparison features all the way down at 16th, despite being the city on this list with the most startup companies within its boundaries. Whilst always popular for recruits due to the sheer amount of things to do and massive amounts of diversity, the financial costs of living within the heart of the UK are prohibitive to many who can simply hold on to more of their money by looking elsewhere.
Out of all of the American cities, Austin, Texas scored the highest, coming at position number 6. Having seen a swell of digital companies of all sizes over recent years, Austin serves as a promising locale for those put off by the financial requirements of seeing up in California or New York.
Thankfully for those with the skillset to participate in any kind of digital job, such abilities are in constant demand no matter where you might be in the world. Just junior and entry level roles alone are increasing in quantity by approximately 20% each and every year, which requires a constant influx of new talent. Whether you fancy the sun and sand of Sydney or the comparatively cooler climes of Montreal or Toronto, there’s no limit to where a digital career can take you.
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