Seattle Retains No. 2 Ranking in CBRE’s 2026 Scoring Tech Talent Report

Seattle ranks No. 2 overall in CBRE’s 2026 Scoring Tech Talent report as roles specializing in artificial intelligence fueled tech-talent job growth in North America, according to a new report from CBRE.

CBRE’s 13th annual Scoring Tech Talent report analyzes 75 markets in the U.S. and Canada, ranks the top 50 markets and outlines tech labor market trends. This year’s report highlights the clustering of AI jobs; Thirty-seven percent of AI jobs in the U.S. are found in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

That AI expansion over the past year – a 45% increase to 751,000 AI-related workers in the U.S. and Canada as of June 2026 - has bolstered top tech-talent markets. Momentum for AI job growth is continuing. In June, AI jobs accounted for 31% of tech-talent job listings in the U.S., up from 11% in 2022.

Seattle claims the third-most AI-related tech talent jobs in North America at 41,591, trailing only the San Francisco Bay Area and New York Metro. Additionally, 58% of Seattle’s AI talent sits inside the tech industry, the highest concentration nationally. The metro area is home to the University of Washington, ranked fifth among North American universities for AI program share and computer-science graduates.

In terms of overall tech talent, Seattle’s workforce grew 13.1% from 2022 to 213,010 workers in 2025. That’s an increase of 24,590 jobs and the fifth-highest volume gain among the top 50 markets in CBRE’s analysis.

“Seattle is where AI companies come to build and scale, and the 1.9 million sq. ft. of leasing activity by AI companies across the Seattle metro since 2023 proves it,” said Michael Dash, vice chairman at CBRE. “The Seattle Metro is consistently selected, not because it is the easiest option, but because it is the most compelling one. We aren’t just simply participating in the AI revolution, we are helping define it.”

Across North America, CBRE expects the AI industry’s momentum to benefit office markets in key hubs. In San Francisco, AI companies have accounted for 30% of leasing activity – roughly 10 million sq. ft. - since 2023. CBRE’s earlier Tech Gateway Office Markets report highlights that, apart from San Francisco, AI leasing activity was mostly concentrated in Manhattan (4.1 million sq. ft.), Boston (nearly 2.6 million) and Seattle (1.9 million) since 2023.

“The Seattle region isn’t just riding the national AI wave, we’re one of the few places generating it,” said Brian Biege, executive vice president at CBRE. “With 58% of our AI talent embedded directly inside the tech industry, the highest concentration of any market in the country, and the University of Washington’s pipeline continually feeding it, this region has the depth to turn AI job growth into durable demand and we’re already seeing that show up in the office market demand fueled by AI leasing velocity.”

Tech Talent Rankings

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. CBRE ranks North American tech talent markets through a weighted analysis of 13 metrics such as tech talent concentration, tech talent pipeline and research and development investment.

Seattle stood out in the report in several other key measures:

• Seattle offers the second-highest average annual wage for tech talent employed by the tech industry ($190,050 in 2024), trailing only the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Seattle ranks fourth for share of software engineers employed within the tech industry (62.9%).
• It is a top 10 market for educational attainment, with 48.5% of the region’s population age 25 and older holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. The U.S. average is 36.8%.
• It is the most concentrated large market for residents in their 30s, who make up 17.5% of the total population, a key age cohort for tech labor. Seattle also registered a 22.8% increase in 30-something residents with college degrees, eight most among large markets.
• Despite Seattle’s reputation as an expensive market, the city’s ratio of monthly apartment rent to average tech wage (16.8%) ranks in the middle of the top 50 markets.