Throughout the country, the technology industry is steadily growing and creating more and more jobs for the workforce. In fact, Atlanta ranked 14th among the top 20 metro areas in high-tech job growth, according to real estate firm CBRE Group Inc. As for growing tech employment, the numbers don’t lie. Tech employment in Atlanta rose nearly 11 percent between 2011 and 2013; and nearly 15 percent between 2010 and 2012.

Interested in moving to Atlanta for a career in the technology industry? A software engineer in metro Atlanta earned about $93,000 last year, CBRE noted. A strong industry cluster coupled with tech focused research universities such as Georgia Tech are luring companies seeking lower operating cost locations and a close in proximity potential employee pool. One alluring draw to the Atlanta area (as well as other southern metros like Raleigh) is that it is more affordable for businesses and employees to live and work in these regions when compared to the high taxes, regulations and cost of living in California.

Within CBRE’s Tech-Twenty markets, 10 grew their high-tech job base by more than 10 percent, including Austin (34 percent), San Francisco Peninsula (30 percent) and New York (23 percent), between 2011 and 2013. In 11 of the top 20 markets, high tech jobs accounted for more than 20 percent of the total new office employment from 2012 to 2014. Austin and Salt Lake City ranked well in the study in terms of the most growth in high tech employment offerings during the 2011-2013 period.