The Bottom Line: San Francisco isn’t just back — it’s absolutely dominating tech hiring. Yes, AI is the engine, but it’s simply a fact.
The Bay Area added nearly 11,000 net new tech hires in the last 12 months, nearly 2x the next closest metro (NYC at ~5,700). If you’re looking to break into tech or make your next career move, geography still matters. A lot.
Let me be direct: If you want a job in AI or most of B2B right now, you need to be looking at San Francisco.
The data says otherwise. And it’s not even close.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: SF Is Crushing It
According to Pave’s real-time compensation dataset tracking 337,700 current employees across select metro areas, San Francisco added 10,970 net new hires in the last 12 months. That’s nearly double New York (5,690) and more than triple Los Angeles (3,050).
Here’s the breakdown of the top metros (and the “alternatives” everyone talks about):
But here’s what really matters: Look at the rest of that chart. Most major metros are flat or negative. Austin, the darling of the pandemic remote work movement? Down 271 net hires. Portland? Down 157. Boulder? Down 135.
Miami, which has been positioned as the “next tech hub” for the past three years? Added just 368 net new hires. That’s 3% of what San Francisco added.
This isn’t about SF “coming back.” It’s about SF never actually leaving — and now accelerating again.
Why This Matters For Your Career
Here’s what I tell every founder and every job seeker: Density creates opportunity.
When you have 11,000 new hires being added in a single metro area, you’re not just looking at more job openings. You’re looking at:
- More at-bats: More interviews, more offers, more leverage in negotiations
- Faster career velocity: When companies are hiring aggressively, they promote faster and pay more to retain
- Network effects: Every coffee chat, every happy hour, every “friend of a friend” introduction has a higher probability of leading somewhere
- Optionality: If your current role doesn’t work out, you’re not starting from scratch — you’re already in the ecosystem
Compare that to setting up shop in a market that added 100-500 net new hires. You might find a job. But you won’t have the same career trajectory.
The “Remote Work” Paradox
es, more roles are remote-friendly than ever before. But the best roles — the ones at the fastest-growing companies with the most equity upside and the strongest career accelerants — are still disproportionately hiring in SF.
Why? Because that’s where the talent density is. That’s where the investors are. That’s where the network effects are strongest.
A company might say “we’re remote-first,” but when you look at where their leadership team sits, where their key hires are coming from, where their office is (even if it’s “optional”), it’s often still SF.
The data bears this out. Pave notes their dataset “skews heavily towards technology companies.” These aren’t just any jobs — these are tech jobs. The high-growth, high-compensation, equity-heavy roles that actually move the needle on your career and your net worth.
What About Cost of Living?
Yes, SF is expensive. Let’s not pretend otherwise.
But here’s the math that matters: If you’re making $120K in Austin versus $180K in SF, you’re not coming out ahead in Austin once you factor in:
- Equity value (SF companies have more exits, higher valuations)
- Career trajectory (faster promotions, better next roles)
- Network value (the person you meet at a coffee shop might be your co-founder, your next boss, or your angel investor)
I’ve seen too many talented people optimize for cost of living early in their careers, only to realize five years later they’ve missed the rocket ship opportunities that only existed in high-density tech markets.
The Exceptions (And When You Should Ignore This Advice)
There are exceptions:
- If you’re at a fully-remote company that’s growing fast (think GitLab, Zapier, Automattic), you can build a great career from anywhere
- If you’re in a specialized role (think security, DevOps, data science) where demand massively outstrips supply, you have more geographic flexibility
- If you’re later in your career and have an established network, you can operate effectively from secondary markets
But if you’re early-to-mid career, don’t have a deep network yet, and want to maximize your trajectory? The data is clear.
What To Do With This Information
If you’re serious about a career in tech:
- Get to SF. At least if you want to be in AI, B2B, etc. Even if it’s for 6-12 months. Even if it’s uncomfortable. Build the network, take the meetings, get the pattern recognition.
- Track where the hiring is happening. Don’t just look at job boards — look at where companies are actually adding headcount. Follow the talent flows.
- Optimize for learning and network, not just comp. Early in your career, being in the room where it happens is worth more than a slightly higher salary in a cheaper city.
- Ignore the narrative, follow the data. Twitter will tell you SF is dead every single week. Pave’s data shows 11,000 net new hires. Trust the data.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just about SF. It’s about understanding how markets actually work.
Tech is a hits-driven business. The best companies produce outsized returns. Those companies cluster geographically because talent, capital, and knowledge all benefit from proximity. That hasn’t changed, despite five years of “remote work will change everything” narratives.
Could this shift in the future? Maybe. But right now, in October 2025, if you want a job in tech that will actually move your career forward, the answer is still the same as it was in 2015, 2010, and 2005:
Come to SF.
The data doesn’t lie. The Bay Area is adding nearly 11,000 net new tech hires while most other markets are flat or shrinking. If you’re sitting in Austin, Miami, or anywhere else waiting for the tech jobs to come to you, you’re making a bet against very clear data.
Make the move. Build the network. Take the risk.
Your 10-years-from-now self will thank you.
