If you are lucky enough to be born and raised in Pittsburgh, it won’t take much convincing to tell you how great our city is. Those who enter Pittsburgh through the city’s famed Fort Pitt Tunnel are treated to one of the most spectacular views of the city and it’s three majestic rivers. It’s easy to see why Pittsburgh is an up and coming city when you take this approach, and world-class companies have begun to take notice as they expand beyond their traditional locales.
With direct access to new talent, great sports teams, culture, and affordable housing, Pittsburgh has a lot to offer. Here’s a few things we’ll take a look at in this article:
- Why companies are choosing Pittsburgh
- The increased talent pool
- How the city offers a higher quality of life
- What companies are already present in Pittsburgh
World-Class Companies Choosing Pittsburgh
Many of the top rated companies are expanding into Pittsburgh. Companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, SAP, and more are hiring thousands of people in the Pittsburgh area. But, why are these companies investing in Pittsburgh, the city that is known for its steel mills?
Well, in recent years, the city has been reinvigorated. It now not only has highly ranked hospitals and health-care systems, it also offers computer science programs because of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Something that is appealing to these companies who are looking for top talent
So, Why Pittsburgh?
There has been an influx of companies expanding into the Pittsburgh area in the last few years. We could see this spike because it was ranked as one of the most livable cities in America, or because people are realizing there are endless career opportunities and it’s more affordable than San Francisco.
We are going to dive into some of the statistics of why world-class companies continue to invest in building new facilities and hiring Pittsburghers.
Pittsburgh is a beautiful city with tons of bridges. With more bridges than any city in the world (including Venice), you’re likely going to have to drive over one on your way to work every day.
Professional Talent Pool
As mentioned, Pittsburgh is reinventing itself as a tech hub. With some of the top computer science programs, companies are realizing that the talent pool coming out of the city of Pittsburgh is growing. Embedding their companies into the city allows them to easily tap into that talent pool.
In Pittsburgh alone, there are 45,000 degrees conferred annually in the region with 12,000 being tech degrees and certifications. It has been a trend that many of these graduates stay in the city after graduation for career opportunities and the quality of life — making it vital for these top companies to be present in the city.
Outside of just those who pursue technical education, there are over 45,000 students graduating from 88 regional colleges and universities. This provides even more opportunity for companies to grow outside of just the technical aspect.
High Quality of Life Scores
Pittsburgh is one of the best cities for a high quality of life. From the benefits of green space and excellent sports teams to affordability, everyone can find something to do in this city.
Do you like to spend your time outdoors? Here is what Pittsburgh has to offer you:
- 400 miles of trails
- 15,000 acres of public parks
- 24 state parks within 100 miles
Are you more of a sports fanatic? With stats like this, Pittsburgh is definitely the place for you.
- 3 world-class teams
- 5 Stanley Cups
- 6 Superbowl rings
- 5 World Series titles
Going to a Pirates baseball game is a great night out on the town. And to top it off, look at that beautiful view of the city! The ballpark offers some of the best views in town.
Lastly, Pittsburgh is a very affordable city compared to U.S. standards.
- Average apartment rent $1,000
- Median house price $135K
- Average salary $53,918
Companies are realizing that to appeal to younger generations and bring in new talent, they need to plant routes where people want to be. Pittsburgh is definitely one of those cities. According to Zagat in 2015, Pittsburgh was named the number one food city in the U.S. and since then, has only continued to grow in the restaurant scene, with entire neighborhoods exploding in new cultural cuisine.
Even more, the beer scene in the ‘Burgh is booming and growing by the day; it’s estimated that a total of 52 breweries exist in the area, creating a large-scale appeal to those that might be looking to explore the city via their beer glass.
Companies Investing in Pittsburgh
There are many top companies that are investing in Pittsburgh for a variety of reasons. The current city population is around 300K, but it offers a 650K build capacity when considering the room to grow — that’s a lot of opportunities. Here are a few of the top company names you’ll hear around Pittsburgh as it becomes one of the fastest growing cities in the US.
Google is one of the world-class companies who has moved into Pittsburgh. They have an office that is 160k square feet and employ over 500 employees in the area.
Amazon is another big player in the Pittsburgh market. Although Pittsburgh didn’t win the HQ2 bids, Amazon still hires over 100 employees in the area, specifically focusing on web services, machine translation, and Alexa.
Facebook has an office in the area dedicated specifically to their Oculus virtual reality product. It is designed to be a virtual reality research center.
Uber is partnering with Carnegie Mellon on the research and development of driverless cars. The company’s self-driving car unit was recently acquired by Aurora Innovation, but Uber is still a big name in Pittsburgh. Once you take your first trip in a self-driving Uber car, you’ll know this city is at the forefront of technology advancements.
Bosch has expanded its advanced technology center in the Strip District and continues to hire more and more Pittsburgh talent.
Shell has been a huge employer in the Pittsburgh area. Although the facility is still under construction, they have created 600 permanent jobs around the completed petrochemical complex.
Although this is not the entire list, these are just a few of the top companies investing and laying roots in Pittsburgh. The benefits the city has to offer let’s us only assume that more and more companies will find their way to this city.
Visit PittsburghRegion.org for more up-to-date information on all things Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh’s a World-Class City
As you can see, Pittsburgh is a world-class city all on its own. With over 80 regional universities, some of the top rated computer science programs, great sports teams and overall high quality of life — it’s definitely a city to consider when looking for a career change. Reach out to the team at One America Works if you want to learn more about what this city has to offer!
