During the height of the pandemic, remote working became the standard for many jobs, especially within the tech sector of the U.S. economy. According to the business data company Small Business Trends (SBT), 1 in 4 Americans shifted to working remotely during 2021, which totaled to a 22% increase in remote work from the previous year.

SBT also noted that the percentage going into 2022 decreased by only 1%, which meant that the majority of Americans that shifted to remote work declined to return to office. Another survey provided by Apollo Technical found that 63% of high-growth companies shifted towards hybrid models in 2022, where employees split their work week between home and office, rather than returning to a more traditional in-office experience.

Higher than normal interest in hybrid or remote models of work has forced many businesses to offer such models as incentives for hiring new employees, and even for employee retention. Such an increased rate of demand for remote work in the tech sector even led Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg to suggest that more than 50% of U.S. tech companies would utilize a remote workforce by 2030.

A recent survey by cloud talent firm Revolent found that three out of four tech workers and professionals favored companies that allowed them to continue working remotely. The same survey found that 56% of tech professionals linked their personal happiness to their ability to work either from home or with a hybrid work model.

“Remote work offers an incredible opportunity to shift the dial for the tech workforce,” said Nabila Salem, President at Revolent.

“We know lots of people new to the tech industry want to remain in big cities and enjoy the benefits that brings with it. However, others don’t want that, or struggle to accommodate the long commute that it sometimes demands. And with many businesses removing that requirement to attend the office in-person, it opens up a huge amount of the country to a new audience.”

With the ever-increasing possibilities of a majority-remote workforce becoming a reality within the tech industry, many workers and professionals have shifted their focus on finding affordable places throughout the United States that also offer solace from the hustle and bustle of major city life.

A separate research report from Revolent calculated the most affordable places to live for tech professionals seeking to avoid areas with larger influxes of people. The purpose of the study was to highlight locations around the U.S. that offer a better cost of living while also avoiding the stresses of less affordable states and larger cities. The data for rent and cost per living were calculated based on the median salary within the technology industry of each state’s largest city. Screen Shot 2022 03 28 at 21.29.12

The report found that Arkansa, Kansas, and Iowa came out on top as prime destinations for a much quieter living and more affordable cost of living, with Alabama coming in at 6th overall.

According to the data, the average cost of rent per month in Huntsville, Alabama is around $1,081.25, with the average cost per year totaling to around $22,825.68.

The report also found that the average cost of living per month for Huntsville was around $820.89, well below the highest average of Omaha, Nebraska.

This also means that, according to Revolent, the average disposable income for tech professionals in Huntsville falls around $84,049.32 per year.

And, it just gets better from there. According to Worth.com, Huntsville ranks 9th in the 11 most important Tech Cities in the U.S.

Glassdoor, a top online platform for reviewing companies and job postings, shows that the tech industry in Huntsville is showing no signs of slowing down, with around 2,041 tech jobs currently on the market in Huntsville. And, according to online SEO analytics, there are more than 200 searches for “entry-level tech jobs huntsville, al” every month.

While Revolent’s survey does not mean that high-salaried tech positions in hubs like New York or California are going to disappear, the survey suggests that Huntsville does offer an easier path for workers in the tech industry who are often barred by rent prices and unaffordable costs of living. Huntsville’s averages remove the barriers involved with relocation, with workforce development, and with worker retention, and helps tech workers pursue their own personal goals as they start their careers.

Huntsville represents a city that offers up the tech field as a much more affordable and viable career option that removes the limitations of housing that are often found in states like California.

“Whether you live there already or are looking at relocation options, a career in tech no longer requires moving to the East or West Coast in order to take advantage of the lucrative salaries on offer. I think that’s incredibly exciting news for a lot of people that may have previously considered a career in tech, but were ultimately put off by the costs associated with working in one of the more traditional tech hubs,” added Salem.

For now, Huntsville’s growing tech industry is here to stay.

Photo credits: Tenth Revolution Group