San Diego Ranks in the Top 25 Nationally in CBRE’s Annual Scoring Tech Talent Report

San Diego ranks No. 22 nationally in CBRE's 2026 Scoring Tech Talent report. The market continues to benefit from a diverse technology workforce supported by the region's life sciences, defense and manufacturing industries.

CBRE's report analyzes 75 U.S. and Canadian markets, ranks the top 50 and examines technology labor trends. Its findings show employers reorganizing their workforces around artificial intelligence, adding AI-related roles while reducing some traditional positions.

The number of AI-skilled technology workers across the U.S. and Canada increased 45% year over year to 751,000 as of mid-2026. AI-related positions represented 31% of U.S. technology job listings in June, up from 11% in 2022.

San Diego's diversified economic base provides technology professionals with opportunities beyond traditional technology companies. Its life sciences, defense, professional-services and manufacturing sectors also employ specialized technology talent, helping broaden the region's employment base. In CBRE's 2026 report, manufacturing and professional services accounted for 19% of local tech-talent employment.

"San Diego's technology workforce undergoing significant change as it retools for the AI era," said Brunson Howard, CBRE's San Diego Market Leader and Senior Managing Director. "The region continues to benefit from a highly educated workforce, leading research institutions and an innovation economy. Those strengths position San Diego to compete for the specialized talent and companies shaping the next phase of AI-driven growth."

Across North America, CBRE expects AI growth to influence multiple commercial real estate sectors, including offices, data centers and multifamily properties. Technology companies increased their share of U.S. and Canadian office leasing from 13% to 21% during the first half of 2026.

CBRE defines tech talent as highly skilled workers across more than 20 technology-oriented occupations in all industries, including computer and information systems managers, software developers and hardware engineers. Markets are ranked through a weighted analysis of 13 metrics, including talent concentration, workforce pipeline and research-and-development investment.

Some additional highlights about San Diego in the report:

• San Diego's average annual wage for tech talent employed by the tech industry of $139,642 is fifth highest among large markets in CBRE's analysis.
• San Diego's population of 20-something with college degrees increased by 13.2% from 2019 to 2024, the 11^th largest gain among large markets.
• Similarly, San Diego's population of 30-somethings with college degrees increased by 11.3% in that span, 21^st among large markets.
• San Diego claims 10,456 AI-skilled workers, which is 17^th most among the top 50 markets.