According to CBRE’s 2025 Scoring Tech Talent report, overall, tech job growth has slowed, but the adoption of artificial intelligence has increased demand for AI-specialty tech talent.
Denver was ranked 14th in the 2025 report. The city boasts a total tech talent pool of 116,970 specialists, making it the 13th largest tech market measured in North America. This strong base is supported by a growing workforce; tech talent in the metro increased by 5.6% between 2021 and 2024, adding 6,190 tech talent jobs. The city’s tech concentration, representing 6.8% of total employment, is also above the 5.3% average for the top 50 markets.
“Denver’s top 15 ranking underscores the enduring strength of our local talent pool,” said Nic Weld, a senior vice president at CBRE in Denver. “Over the past few years, fewer jobs have been added to the market than local colleges have awarded degrees in tech, making our city a major draw for employers looking for a highly skilled workforce. This, combined with a strong concentration of tech professionals skilled in AI, reinforces Denver’s reputation as a desirable market for tech companies.”
Denver’s Highly Educated Workforce and Youthful Population
- Denver has a highly educated workforce, ranking 6th among the top 50 markets for educational attainment, with 51.4% of residents holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, exceeding the national average of 35%.
- From 2021 to 2023, 13,346 people earned tech degrees in Denver.
- The city has a competitive job market, due to generating 7,156 more tech-degree graduates than new jobs formed since 2021.
- From 2018 to 2023, Denver saw a 17% gain in residents in their 20s with college degrees, the eighth largest growth rate among large U.S. markets
- In the same time frame, the city saw a 16.4% increase in residents in their 30s with college degrees, the 15th largest gain.
- Denver has an AI tech talent pool of 8,100 and ranks #14 among the top 20 AI talent markets across the U.S. and Canada.
Colorado Springs ranked third out of North America’s Emerging 25 Markets. The metro had a total tech employment of 21,200 in 2024, a 16.1% increase from 2021. In the same time frame, the annual tech wage in the metro grew 19.2% to $123,561 in 2024.
CBRE’s annual Scoring Tech Talent report analyzes 75 North American markets and ranks the top 50 tech markets in the U.S. and Canada. Tech talent refers to highly skilled workers across over 20 technology-oriented occupations, including computer and information systems managers, software developers and hardware engineers, across all industries. The market rankings are determined by a weighted analysis of 13 metrics such as tech talent concentration, tech talent pipeline and research and development investment.
Real Estate Considerations
The rapid growth of AI-related companies led to a rebound in office leasing activity by the high-tech industry. In the first half of 2025, tech companies accounted for 17% of total U.S. office leasing activity, up from 10% in late 2022.
Demand for AI-related roles contributed to increased tech talent wages, which grew by 3.9% in the U.S. and 5.2% in Canada in 2024. The average annual tech talent wage in Denver was $137,967 in 2024; the ratio of tech wages to apartment rents sits at 16.1%, the 23rd best ratio of the top 50 markets measured based on the affordability standard of 30% of income to housing.
Companies Shift Priorities for Tech Talent
The finance, insurance and real estate industry (FIRE) added the most tech talent jobs in the U.S., while the U.S. high-tech industry reduced its tech talent by 3.1%. About 9% of the tech talent workforce in Denver is in FIRE industries. Tech companies slowed tech talent hiring from a peak in 2022 and often opted to realign their workforce to pursue AI-related initiatives.
Organizations have already begun to strengthen the AI expertise of their existing workforce and to hire specialized talent. CBRE’s analysis of LinkedIn data found that tech talent workers with AI skills grew more than 50% year-over-year to 517,000 as of mid-2025. Meanwhile, 20% of U.S. tech job postings in June 2025 were AI-related, up from 11% in mid-2022, according to CBRE’s analysis of Lightcast data.
To view the full report, click here.
