Both Raleigh and Durham, N.C. made Business Week’s list of the top 15 cities for tech jobs. The state’s Research Triangle is home to Duke University, North Carolina State, and UNC-Chapel Hill, and the region contains one of the highest concentrations of PHDs in the country.

High-tech companies such as IBM, DuPont, BASF, Verizon, and Nortel Networks create plenty of demand for technology workers in the region, with particularly strong demand for software engineers and network admins. Plus, the state’s relatively low cost of living means salaries tend to go farther here than in other tech centers such as California or Massachusetts.

Estimated Employment, 2016:

• Application Software Engineers: 12,870

• Computer Programmers: 10,460

• IT Managers: 9,970

• Network and System Admins: 10,270

• System Software Engineers: 12,190

• Tech Support: 22,510

See Projections For:

California

Colorado

Massachusetts

Washington