Ive been doing some research and finding very little. so i my question is what is the best city/state to be in as a web developer. i going to be graduating from school soon and looking to the future. i live in South Florida and i really love it here but im willing to do whats best for my career. my main concerns would probably be:
-most opportunities (growth)
-pay
-location (big cities)
toronto canada
I don’t know… Silicon Valley? After all, all the major tech companies are there, including hosting companies… and those are related to web design so…
California is bankrupt, remember…might not be such a great idea at the moment.
North Carolina is a significant tech hub, as are portions of Georgia, Texas, and Washington. And of course, NYC.
You’ll also have to take into account the cost of living. A high salary in NYC may seem like a lot compared to the living expenses and taxes in Florida, but NY is taxed pretty well and the cost of goods in the middle of Manhattan are usually almost double that of other areas. Salary isn’t everything.
New York def wasn’t one of my top prospects anyhow. Ive heard the same thing from Cali, I understand it must be more competitive as well. Id like to here more about what people have to say about Cali seeing as how that was on of my higher interest.
I guess what I’m finding is that you can get a good job anywhere. So the question becomes what areas are expressing a higher need for web developers?
That hasn’t done much to alter the tech field or make for one of the most competitive fields for developers on earth.
Of course it all depends on what you want in a job and in life. Silicon Valley and SF range from urban to mass-scale suburban and tend to demand a pretty focused work life. Moving to some of the newer sectors offers the chance to be in a more open area, closer to nature, with a different breed of companies.
My personal picks are California, Austin and the Pacific North West.
Force Flow also brings up a great point on the cost of living. 70k in NYC is barely commuting money while it’s a house down the street from your job NC or Utah.
I think Canada has a pretty big market for developers but I dont know the cost of living there.
I’m here in Atlanta, GA and you can live 20 minutes outside downtown for dirty cheap, and they’re tons of big companies here needing developers including a chapter of Google
Canada may only have 30 million people but it’s about as broad a market as saying “the US”. Vancouver and Toronto are major cities known for their web agencies and businesses. Cost of living isn’t cheap in either but if you like urban spaces both are great options… B.C. with the west coast vibe [it’s like an extension of seattle] and Toronto much like the north east.
As you are saying you are new in this field.Then I suggest you for Canada. Another city I want to mention is Bangalore great city to learn new things.
Any city in which you can find a job you love.
Tech isn’t the same as other industries. If you want to build a car you have to move to Detroit. If you want to get into energy and oil you move to Texas (or another field), etc. If you want to build the next great software idea, well, you can do that from everywhere and anywhere.
So many friends of mine are all about moving to the bay area or some other tech hub only to get there and realize that not only do they hate it, but they aren’t doing anything they couldn’t do anywhere else. The only real exception to this is networking but even this can be done darn near anywhere as long as you have access to an airport.
I don’t think you need a certain city to become a good developer, is just a matter of perception.
There are many cities are best for young developer. Like Houston,Washington,there are Good For developer.
I think that London is best city for young developer. `
So you want to be in a big city?
Pay is really going to depend on the city since it’s usually tied to the cost of living of that city (San Francisco isn’t a cheap place to live, but pay is usually higher).
There are a lot of start-ups in Atlanta, Austin, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and Chicago. Best for a developer? Well, that depends on whether you’re willing to deal with rain for four months a year (Portland/Seattle), rough winters (Chicago), heat (Austin/Atlanta), or earthquakes (San Francisco). If I were you, I would start researching different cities and the job opportunities in each.
There is no such thing as best city for a young developer. Continue where you are, I have actually heard of some new startup investing companies that have been launching in Florida recently. If you have the talent, it wouldn’t matter what city is the best because companies would be wanting to hire you. And you should work for the company that best suits you, then decide if you could live in that area where they’re based.
I have seen a lot of companies post for web developers on craigslist. You just need to have some experience and create a unique resume to make yourself standout from the rest. It worked for me. People who are not getting hired are not trying hard enough. And ultimately you determine your pay. If you want a $80,000 job, then have the skill set to go with it.
But on another note I always recommend to developers to build their own websites, work for themselves. You can make more money that way if you’re successful.
So why don’t you keep an open mind and follow the job? Once you graduate, start the search and go where the best opportunity leads you. Send your resume to the places you would like to live -and choose the best position. Simple, but logical.
My brother once asked me how to look up on the internet where the best place to live was. I told him to Google “the best places to live.” (I got the technical genes.) For a while, he was obsessed with living in Bend, Oregon (Google’s choice). He never made it there, actually married a nice lady and lives in New Jersey. My point is, sometimes the best laid plans happen differently. He is happy, btw.
Good luck!
Hmm… I never really took into consideration the location of the developer… You guys have posted some good information, thanks for this 
I’ve always heard good things about designer and developer jobs in Seattle, Washington though
i think that London, canada and US are the best for developers…!!
In terms of most opportunities and big cities, I suggest you go to Australia.