A Diverse and Qualified Talent Pool

Arlington is the place to be to attract the best and brightest talent. Tech companies in Northern Virginia and Arlington have easy access to the most highly-educated and specialized workforce anywhere in the country - many of which have specialized skills aimed at today's tech industry.

Arlington’s median age is just 35, and the county ranks as the fifth best city for young professionals and the second-best place to live in the United States (Niche.com).

According to CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2021 report, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) ranked in the top quartile of the diversity index for tech talent compared to other MSA’s in the United States. Arlington's talent pool is exceptionally diverse – 23% of residents are foreign-born and a total of 115 languages are spoken by Arlington Public School students.

The 2021 CBRE Scoring Tech Talent report ranked the Washington, D.C. metro region’s tech talent market third in North America after considering factors such as labor market conditions and cost and quality for highly skilled tech workers. More than 75% of adults in Arlington hold a bachelor's degree or higher, offering employers an abundance of educated professionals (ESMI, 2021).

Unparalleled Access to World-Class Universities

Arlington has unparalleled access to many high-quality colleges and universities in the Metro D.C. region. George Mason University, Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, The George Washington University and Marymount University each have campus locations in Arlington. 

Arlington also has immediate access to one of the largest community colleges in the United States, Northern Virginia Community College, serving more than 75,000 students with six campuses throughout Northern Virginia. Several universities maintain unique partnerships with the local tech industry, notably George Mason University’s Mason Enterprise Center and Virginia Tech’s. Just across the river in Washington, D.C. are Georgetown University, The American University, George Washington University, Catholic University and Howard University.

Historic Investments for the Future of Tech Talent

In 2019, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced it would produce 31,000 technology graduates over the next 20 years with agreements from 11 Virginia universities. Through its historic, innovative Tech Talent Investment Program, the Commonwealth of Virginia, donors and corporate partners are investing more than $2 billion to expand Virginia’s tech talent pipeline.

As part of the Tech Talent Innovation Program, George Mason University’s Arlington Campus will undergo a $250 million transformation to become its Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA), which will serve as a tech catalyst in Arlington and Northern Virginia. Further, Virginia Tech’s $1 billion, 1 million-square-foot graduate Innovation Campus in Alexandria will unite industry, government and academia in dynamic project-based learning and research. The campus will shape the way knowledge and emerging technologies influence society, driving a new era for the D.C. region’s innovation economy.

Fueling Arlington's Tech Ecosystem

Venture, merger and acquisition activity plays an important role in Arlington's start-up ecosystem and high-growth companies. Since 2015, Arlington-based companies have generated 250 venture capital and merger and acquisition deals totaling over $10 billion covering several industries including software, cybersecurity, fintech, big data, digital media and more.