01 Overview
02 Talent Pipeline
03 Industry Ecosystem
04 Labor Analysis
05 Operating Cost and Statutory Incentives
06 Quality of Life

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Greater Phoenix

A top hub in the nation for software & IT

 

Greater Phoenix is a top market in the nation to locate, relocate or expand your software and IT business operations. In fact, the region’s software and IT sectors are some of the largest in the nation.

 

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Contents

1
Overview
2
Talent Pipeline
3
Industry Ecosystem
4
Labor Analysis
5
Operating Cost and Statutory Incentives
6
Quality of Life
1

Overview

Greater Phoenix is exceptionally positioned to absorb both new-to-market companies and expansion of the value chain in the region for businesses looking to start and relocate their software and IT operations.

Value Proposition

Livability

Greater Phoenix offers significantly lower costs of living with an abundance of craft breweries and coffee houses throughout the region and more than 300 days of sunshine annually.

Infrastructure

This region offers access to a leading domestic and international airport, fast internet connectivity, low risk of natural disasters and a robust network of data centers, which creates consistent and reliable power coverage to any software and IT business looking to start or relocate to Greater Phoenix.

Competitive Operating Costs

In addition to cheaper real estate and benefit costs compared to peer markets, Greater Phoenix also provides a number of quality incentives to further decrease your business’s operating costs even more.

Workforce Ecosystem

Through university alignment and partnerships, there are plenty of highly qualified college graduates to hire at your software and IT business. Specialized programs at universities across the state train the top talent the country has to offer. Arizona has also seen a growing number of coding schools and bootcamps.

Value Chain

Greater Phoenix cultivates a welcoming tech-focused community backed by dynamic firms. The region is home to a growing number of local technology startups as well as large software and IT offices of Fortune 500 firms.

2

Talent Pipeline

Greater Phoenix boasts competitive, non-distance program completions at colleges and universities in concentrations related to software and information technology.

Greater Phoenix Talent Pipeline

Below are the total number of non-distance program completions at colleges and universities in Greater Phoenix for computer engineering, information technology, computer and software engineering, and computer science. The region produced over 2,700 graduates in these fields during the 2017 to 2018 school year. Greater Phoenix’s universities are committed to supplying the workforce needed to enable companies to scale in the region. Comparison data for peer markets has been provided below. Data was adjusted for the population sizes of the markets.

Software and IT in Phoenix

 

Software Degrees in Western Regions

Software and IT in Phoenix

Notable Programs in Software & IT - Related Fields

Competitive Programs

In a competitor markets’ talent pipeline analysis, Greater Phoenix has become one of the top software and IT cities to relocate to and start a business, pulling ahead of popular cities like Denver, Salt Lake City, and Charlotte in total degree completions for finance and insurance-related programs.

Arizona State University
  • #1 Most innovative school (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020), U.S. News & World Report
  • #6 Online graduate business programs, U.S. News & World Report
  • #2 Online bachelor’s degree programs, U.S. News & World Report
  • #6 Online MBA program, U.S. News & World Report
  • #5 Best-qualified graduates, The Wall Street Journal
  • #25 Global universities, economics/business, U.S. News & World Report
University of Arizona
  • #4 Undergraduate management information system program, U.S. News & World Report
  • #3 Graduate information systems program, U.S. News & World Report
  • #4 Online graduate computer information technology program
  • #12 Entrepreneurship program, U.S. News & World Report
3

Industry Ecosystem

GPEC has helped bring many leaders in the software and IT industry to the region since 2016. Combined, these companies have brought over 2,500 jobs to Greater Phoenix.

This market demonstrates competitive advantages for software and IT companies in non-workforce dimensions, especially in comparing operating costs.

Incubators & Accelerators

Greater Phoenix has a strong support network for software and IT companies. Listed below are some of the region’s incubators and accelerators, spaces that can be used by companies as they grow. Many of these spaces offer additional services to help connect, integrate, and build new companies in the ecosystem.

 

Coworking Spaces

Greater Phoenix has a strong support network for entrepreneurs and startups. Listed below are some of the region’s coworking spaces that can be used by companies as they develop a presence in the region. Many of these spaces offer additional services to help connect and integrate new companies into the ecosystem.

National Operations in Greater Phoenix

Many leading national software and IT companies have substantial operations in Greater Phoenix. Below is a sample of some national companies that have a presence in the region.

Phoenix-Based Firms

Greater Phoenix is home to a dynamic and growing software ecosystem. In addition to many national leaders operating in the region, several software and IT companies are headquartered here.

Banne Health
Godaddy
Honeywell Aerospace
4

Labor Analysis

Greater Phoenix has a robust supply of human capital to ensure all available positions are filled quickly with top talent, making the region very attractive to relocate or start your software and IT company.

Median Wage

Greater Phoenix has a robust supply of human capital at an affordable cost. Median wages in Greater Phoenix are significantly lower than peer markets. Below is a table of median wages across peer markets for software and IT occupations.

Scroll to the side to see how Greater Phoenix stacks up against other cities in terms of median wages for software and IT occupations.

 

Occupation Phoenix Austin Denver New York City Salt Lake City San Francisco
General & Operations Managers $91,198 $98,319 $119,744 $140,053 $72,732 $136,371
Software Developers, Applications $100,749 $107,095 $104,473 $114,046 $100,740 $137,675
Computer Systems Analysts $89,056 $83,041 $93,446 $108,191 $76,877 $117,262
Software Developers, Systems Software $98,900 $111,843 $117,092 $123,666 $105,625 $135,478
Computer Occupations, All other $82,237 $83,287 $103,430 $100,363 $71,023 $109,341
Computer & Information Systems Managers $135,549 $145,940 $156,189 $181,602 $113,396 $183,270
Network & Computer Systems Administrators $82,200 $86,309 $83,975 $97,584 $79,024 $101,443
Computer Network Support Specialists $53,846 $60,941 $68,791 $82,404 $55,600 $82,384
Computer Programmers $85,195 $83,872 $94,627 $86,944 $79,401 $106,594
Computer Network Architects $102,745 $123,863 $117,924 $124,038 $104,081 $127,951
Information Security Analyst $97,207 $109,840 $94,588 $125,969 $82,479 $118,659
Web Developers $63,980 $74,733 $78,164 $78,275 $72,273 $105,206
Database Administrators $92,555 $95,221 $97,024 $105,780 $97,485 $108,857
5

Operating Cost and Statutory Incentives

Greater Phoenix has competitive operating costs for software and IT businesses relocating and starting operations compared to other top markets. Also, with the highly competitive tax environment in Greater Phoenix and Arizona, there exists a number of tax incentives that can be utilized to mitigate operating costs.

The Annual Business Operating Cost Analysis has been prepared using the following parameters as an estimate for software and IT operations in competitor markets. Component and custom analysis to match your company’s operations can be provided upon request.

Assumptions

  • $500,000 personal property investment
  • 10,000 square foot Central Business District
  • Utilities (per month): Included in Lease
  • 50 jobs (Bureau of Labor Statistics equivalent occupations)
Occupations Employment
Software Developers, Applications 15
Web Developers 15
Software Developers, Systems Software 10
Computer Network Architects 5
Computer & Information Systems Managers 2
Computer Network Support Specialists 2
General & Operations Managers 1
Total 50

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all incentives available within the state of Arizona. Additionally, this information serves as a guide for potential incentives that depend on project parameters and program requirements.

Arizona Tax Environment vs. Competitor Markets

Arizona has a very competitive tax and fringe/mandated benefits environment compared to other major software and IT markets.

 

Quality Jobs Tax Credit

The Quality Jobs Tax Credit program awards $9,000 of tax credits over three years for qualifying companies. The chart below highlights minimum qualifying capital expenditure and wage rate in an urban area, while the texts describe additional program parameters.

Software and IT in Phoenix

R&D Tax Credit

  • Refundable and nonrefundable corporate income tax credits for qualified research and development done in Arizona, including company funded research at a state university
  • Credit amount is 24% of first $2.5 million in qualifying expenses plus 15% of the qualifying expenses in excess of $2.5 million
  • Qualifying small companies (less than 150 FTE) can apply to make their credit refundable (75% of nonrefundable credit value). A company can receive up to $2.0M in refundable credits per year
6

Quality of Life

Greater Phoenix offers residents unlimited recreational activities, a robust restaurant industry with flavors from around the world, day and night activities for the family, outdoor fun and so much more.

 

Parks and Recreation

Greater Phoenix is home to hundreds of parks and hundreds of miles of hiking, biking and walking trails. The Greater Phoenix region is home to the largest municipal park in the United States, South Mountain Park. South Mountain Park covers more than 16,000 acres. Other large parks in the region include the White Tank Mountain Regional Park, Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, and the Superstition Mountains. Notable walking trails in the region include the canal system, Tempe Town Lake, the Greenbelt and Papago Park.

Cost of Living

When you choose to relocate to Greater Phoenix, you do not have to give up your career in Software and IT. The region is a leader in the industry, offering growth opportunities for both employers and employees. Use the calculator below to see some of the potential savings you could see if you chose to relocate to Greater Phoenix while still working in the Software and IT industry.

Austin
Dallas
Denver
Los Angeles
Portland
San Francisco
Seattle
Annual Income
Monthly Mortgage
5,000
Monthly Healthcare
Monthly Groceries
Total Annual Savings
$

Companies in Greater Phoenix

  • Amazon Services
  • Blackboard
  • GoDaddy
  • Houzz
  • Kudelski Security
  • Lyft
  • Nextiva
  • Opendoor
  • PayPal
  • SiteLock
  • Turo
  • Uber
  • WebPT
  • Weebly
  • Yelp
  • ZipRecruiter

Want to see a full list of companies in Greater Phoenix? Download the complete report.

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