Cincinnati surges as an attractive destination for tech jobs, survey finds

A new survey from the Indianapolis-based group Powderkeg polled more than 150 tech CEOs, workers, and investors to get the scoop on Cincinnati’s tech and startup climate. The final result, the Cincinnati Tech Census, shows that the growing tech city is doing very well in attracting talented, college-educated workers to its burgeoning startups and companies. Most of those tech founders polled said that they decided to create their startup in Cincinnati because of its affordability in terms of both office space and cost of living, and because of their existing connections in the city. This would leave people to believe that most tech workers are coming from local universities like the University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University, and other prominent schools of higher education in the area. Although those schools certainly contribute their share of talent, a staggering 71 percent of graduates coming into the talent pool come from out-of-state colleges, the survey showed. Other top reasons included affordable worker talent and an established local tech culture. Cincinnati startups surveyed in the census averaged an impressive $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue, which gives additional credence to that last point. “Cincinnati is going through a renaissance,” said Bjorn Simmons, co-founder of local startup Wyzerr, in the survey. “This is no longer a flyover city and Ohio is no longer a flyover state when it comes to entrepreneurship and tech.” Some of the top startups to look out for in the coming years because of their great cultures or track records for innovation were Losant, Astronomer, and Lisnr, among others. “In Cincinnati, you have access to very large companies while maintaining the small town feel,” said Shwetha Pai, another CEO polled in the survey. “Before long you’re networking with huge companies and powerful people. That kind of B2B access is amazing.” Per the survey results, most employees in the tech sector make between $80,000 and $110,000 annually while having relatively minimal housing costs thanks to the reasonable rates in the area for living.