NYC Tech Ecosystem

Powering New York: The Economic Force of NYC's Tech Ecosystem

Tech doesn't just power startups in New York City, it's the connective tissue that drives the city's economy. From finance, healthcare, media, and nearly every industry that defines the city, tech workers and companies are a source of high-wage jobs and the collective tech ecosystem generates substantial tax revenues for New York City and State. From tech's roots in New York's historic media sector to today's sprawling, cross-sector economy, the city has built a Tech Ecosystem embedded not just in tech companies, but across the full range of industries that make New York run — and that breadth is what sets it apart.

The spread of tech roles throughout New York City's economy has made the city a national tech leader that defies the conventional Silicon Valley narrative. More of New York City's tech workers are employed outside traditional tech industries than in rival cities like San Francisco or Austin. For roles like software developers or data scientists, there are more jobs in finance and professional services than in the tech sector itself.

Despite growing and generating real economic value for the city, the Tech Ecosystem is not insulated from New York City's broader challenges. Real wages have declined over five years as inflation outpaces earnings. And the data is clear: the benefits of tech's expansion are not reaching all New Yorkers equally. As city leaders work to translate economic growth into broad-based opportunity, understanding who is and who is not sharing in tech's gains is essential.

This report provides a data-driven foundation for that conversation.

NYC Tech Ecosystem: By the Numbers

452,000 jobs and growing. New York City's Tech Ecosystem employs 7% of the citywide workforce and has added 110,000 jobs over the past decade, accounting for roughly 10% of all citywide job growth. That share has held steady since 2021, a sign of durability, not stagnation.
25% of the city's entire economic output. The Tech Ecosystem's direct, indirect, and induced impacts account for 845,000 total jobs, $327 billion in economic output, or nearly 25% of all citywide output. This meaningful economic activity results in $4.7 billion in annual tax revenue for the city and state.
NYC is lapping San Francisco. Over the last 10 years, New York City's Tech Ecosystem grew 32%, more than double the Bay Area's growth of just 14%. And unlike San Francisco, 41% of NYC's tech jobs are embedded in non-tech industries, making the ecosystem more diversified, more resilient, and harder to disrupt.
Tech's growth is still not reaching all New Yorkers. Black and Latino/a workers make up just 22% of the Tech Ecosystem workforce, compared to 35% of the citywide workforce, and their median earnings of $111,000 trail those of White and Asian workers by $12,000 to $20,000 respectively. Women hold just 34% of Tech Ecosystem jobs, compared to 49% of citywide jobs, and earn a median of $116,000, compared to $131,000 for men.
Tech workers are New Yorkers. 83% of tech workers who work in the city choose to reside in the city as well. Despite earning well above the citywide average, tech workers aren't immune to New York's affordability crisis: Tech Ecosystem real wages have declined in real terms by 4% over the past five years as inflation outpaces earning growth.

Tech is delivering for New York City — 452,000 jobs, $327 billion in economic output, and a growth rate that's lapping San Francisco. The ecosystem is real, it's resilient, and it's woven into the fabric of the city's economy in ways that make it durable. There is a need to ensure that the civic and political community takes continued action to ensure growth continues and encompasses pathways for all New Yorkers, not just those already well-positioned to benefit. The question is no longer whether tech matters to New York City. It's whether New York City will do the work to ensure tech's next decade is as inclusive as it is powerful.

Section 1

The Ecosystem at a Glance

New York City's Tech Ecosystem employs 452,000 people across the five boroughs.

Ecosystem Composition

Diagram not to scale.

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Over the past 10 years, New York City's Tech Ecosystem grew by 32%.

NYC Tech Ecosystem Job Growth, 2016–2026

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

The Tech Ecosystem generates $327B in economic activity, which in turn produces $4.7B in fiscal revenue for the city and state.

Economic + Fiscal Impact Summary

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Section 2

Industries & Occupations

Over the past five years, web-based infrastructure and software publishing are among the Tech Ecosystem's fastest growing subsectors, demonstrating the growing demand for software and data solutions.

Fastest Growing Tech Industries in NYC, 2016–2026

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Today more software developers and data scientists work in professional services than in information, a sector traditionally used as a proxy for tech industries.

And more data scientists work in finance, insurance, and real estate than they do in information. The majority of web and digital designers work in non-tech sectors.

Composition by Industry, 2026

Top 10 NYC Tech Ecosystem Occupations

InformationIndustrialFIREProfessional ServicesOther

Industrial includes NAICS 11, 21, 23, 31, 32, 33, 48, 49, and 56; Information includes NAICS 51; FIRE includes NAICS 52, 53; Professional Services includes NAICS 54; Other includes NAICS 42, 44, 45, 55, 61, 62, 71, 72, 81, and 92. All figures rounded.

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Section 3

Wages

Wages in the NYC Tech Ecosystem continue to remain meaningfully higher than the citywide average.

Nominal wages grew by 18% in the Ecosystem while growing by 12% citywide.

Nominal Median Hourly Wage in NYC by Cohort, 2026

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Similar to the overall economy, because of inflation, real wages have declined across the New York City Tech Ecosystem over the past 5 years.

Inflation Adjusted Median Hourly Wage in NYC, 2021-2026

2021 Inflation Adjusted Wages2026 Wages

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data. Wages are inflated to 2026 dollars using the Consumer Price Index.

Except for a handful of high-demand occupations, wages have declined in real terms for key occupations in the Tech Ecosystem over the past 5 years.

Inflation Adj. Wages Growth Rate in NYC, 2021-2026

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data. Wages are inflated to 2026 dollars using the Consumer Price Index.

Section 4

Demographics

The Tech Ecosystem does not fully reflect New York City's racial diversity.

Despite a relative decline in the share of white workers over the past five years, Black and Latino/a workers continue to face a large representation gap, particularly in the three fastest growing tech occupations.

Racial Representation by Cohort

Black
Latino/a
Asian
Other
White

Each bar shows a cohort's racial composition; segments sum to 100%. Compared with the NYC working-age population and all NYC jobs, the Tech Ecosystem (and especially tech jobs in tech industries) under-represents Black and Latino/a workers and over-represents Asian and White workers.

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Pay gaps across race continue to impact Black and Latino/a workers, who earn approximately $30K and $25K less than their Asian and white counterparts, respectively.

The pay gap has widened over the past 5 years.

Average Median Annual Nominal Earnings, By Race

NYC Tech Ecosystem

20212026

Median annual nominal earnings, rounded to the nearest $1,000.

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Across the largest Tech Ecosystem occupations, Black or Latino/a workers do not represent a majority in any of the top 10 largest Tech Ecosystem occupations.

Black and Latino/a workers constitute a larger share of low-wage roles, like clinical laboratory technologists, than higher-wage roles like software developers. The share of Black or Latino/a workers has not shifted by more than 1% in any of the top 10 occupations over the past 5 years (2021–2026).

Share of Black or Latino/a Workers by Occupation, 2026

Top 10 Largest Tech Ecosystem Occupations in NYC

Average Educational Attainment

Above Bachelor’sBelow Bachelor’s

Average educational attainment refers to the typical education level required to enter an occupation as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Although the share of women in the Tech Ecosystem has grown modestly over the past 5 years, they earn roughly $15K less than men on average, with the pay gap increasing over time.

Gender Representation by Cohort and Pay Gap by Gender, 2021 vs. 2026

Pay gap year

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Across the largest Tech Ecosystem occupations, the share of women in high-wage roles, such as software developers, is significantly below the share of women in all jobs citywide.

Only web designers (+3%) and Computer Occupations, All Other (+2%) modestly increased the share of women in the occupation over the past 5 years (2021–2026).

Share of Women in Top 10 Largest Tech Ecosystem Occupations in NYC, 2026

Average Educational Attainment

Above Bachelor’sBelow Bachelor’s

Average educational attainment refers to the typical education level required to enter an occupation as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

Section 5

Competitiveness

New York didn't just survive the post-pandemic shakeout — it thrived.

While the Bay Area shed jobs, NYC's Tech Ecosystem kept growing, outpacing every major competitor.

Tech Ecosystem Job Growth in National Leading Cities, 2016-2026

The San Francisco Bay Area is defined as Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties.

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

New York City's Tech Ecosystem is more diversified and therefore resilient than San Francisco's, with the share of tech jobs in non-tech industries more than double that of the Bay Area.

New York City's Tech Ecosystem is more diverse and resilient than San Francisco's, with the share of tech jobs in non-tech industries more than double that of the Bay Area.

The San Francisco Bay Area is defined as Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. Bar totals are metro job counts rounded to the nearest thousand.

Source: HR&A analysis of Lightcast data

NYC Tech Ecosystem: By the Numbers

452,000 jobs and growing. New York City's Tech Ecosystem employs 7% of the citywide workforce and has added 110,000 jobs over the past decade, accounting for roughly 10% of all citywide job growth. That share has held steady since 2021, a sign of durability, not stagnation.

25% of the city's entire economic output. The Tech Ecosystem's direct, indirect, and induced impacts account for 845,000 total jobs, $327 billion in economic output, or nearly 25% of all citywide output. This meaningful economic activity results in $4.7 billion in annual tax revenue for the city and state.

NYC is lapping San Francisco. Over the last 10 years, New York City's Tech Ecosystem grew 32%, more than double the Bay Area's growth of just 14%. And unlike San Francisco, 41% of NYC's tech jobs are embedded in non-tech industries, making the ecosystem more diversified, more resilient, and harder to disrupt.

Tech's growth is still not reaching all New Yorkers. Black and Latino/a workers make up just 22% of the Tech Ecosystem workforce, compared to 35% of the citywide workforce, and their median earnings of $111,000 trail those of White and Asian workers by $12,000 to $20,000 respectively. Women hold just 34% of Tech Ecosystem jobs, compared to 49% of citywide jobs, and earn a median of $116,000, compared to $131,000 for men.

Tech workers are New Yorkers. 83% of tech workers who work in the city choose to reside in the city as well. Despite earning well above the citywide average, tech workers aren't immune to New York's affordability crisis: Tech Ecosystem real wages have declined in real terms by 4% over the past five years as inflation outpaces earning growth.