New York Overtakes San Francisco as Top Tech Market

New York has surpassed the San Francisco Bay Area as the largest tech talent market by headcount in the US, driven by AI hiring. According to CBRE's 13th annual Scoring Tech Talent report, New York has 394,300 tech talent jobs, compared to 375,730 in the Bay Area.

The growth of AI roles has been a key factor in New York's rise to the top, with AI tech roles growing by 45% in the past year. This growth has accounted for nearly one-third of all tech-talent job listings in the US. San Francisco and New York each added more than 20,000 AI-specific jobs since mid-2025, with 751,000 AI-related workers across the US and Canada as of June.

The Bay Area's tech talent workforce dropped by 6% from 2022 to 2025, while New York's tech talent workforce grew by more than 8% during the same period. This shift is attributed to the finance sector in New York hiring a lot of tech talent and AI workers, according to Colin Yasukochi, executive director of CBRE's Tech Insights Center.

## Why it matters The rise of New York as the top tech market has significant implications for the industry. As tech workers spill into other industries and cities, companies are focusing more on AI investments. The growth of AI roles is expected to continue, with 37% of AI jobs in the US located in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle, and Washington. This shift is likely to have a substantial impact on regional office markets, with New York's office market now home to the most tech workers.

The fact that New York has surpassed the Bay Area as the top tech market is a significant milestone, marking the first time New York has claimed the top position in the history of CBRE's analysis. As the tech industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how this shift affects the industry as a whole.

## What happens next As the tech industry continues to grow and evolve, it is likely that other cities will emerge as major tech hubs. With the growth of AI roles expected to continue, companies will need to adapt to the changing landscape. The rise of New York as the top tech market is a significant development, and it will be interesting to see how the industry responds to this shift.