A Diverse and Qualified Talent Pool

Arlington is the place to be to attract the best and brightest talent. Tech companies in Arlington have easy access to the most highly-educated and specialized workforce of anywhere in the country.

With a median age of just 35, Arlington ranks as the fifth-best city for young professionals and the best place to live in the United States (Niche.com).

According to CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2023 report, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) ranked fifth in its percentage of workforce tech. Additionally, the Washington D.C. metro region ranks 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 – 22% of residents are foreign-born and a total of 92 languages are spoken by Arlington Public School students.

The 2024 CBRE Scoring Tech Talent report ranked the Washington, D.C. metro region’s tech talent market fourth in North America after considering factors such as labor market conditions and cost and quality for highly skilled tech workers. More than 77% of adults in Arlington hold a bachelor's degree or higher, offering employers an abundance of educated professionals.

Unparalleled Access to World-Class Universities

Higher education is a key component making Arlington a premier location to live, work and locate your business. The Washington, D.C. metro region is home to more than 75 colleges and universities, offering unparalleled access to the nation's brightest minds. 

Graduates from Arlington higher education institutions hold a diverse set of in-demand competencies, including computer science, data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing and artificial intelligence specialties. Arlington's one-of-a-kind partnerships with regional universities paired with unprecedented investment in Virginia's tech talent pipeline have set the stage for strong industry growth and workforce development in the years to come.

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 Washington, D.C. metro region’s innovation economy. Both campuses are slated to open in 2025.

Fueling Arlington's Tech Ecosystem

Since 2018, Arlington-based companies have generated approximately 220 venture capital and merger and acquisition deals totaling over $17.9 billion spanning several industries including AI, software, cleantech, big data and cybersecurity.