Information Technology

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE NRV

Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit” for companies in software development, cybersecurity, IT support, digital creative, and other sectors in the Information Technology industry. With exceptional education programs from local universities, the NRV is producing some of the best IT workforce in the country who can flourish here, in a region with excellent quality of life and low cost of living.

INDUSTRY STATS

90 COMPANIES

1,562 IT-RELATED JOBS

5% JOB GROWTH

OVER 5 YEARS

TECH INDUSTRY VIDEOS

IT Industry Hub in the NRV

Tech Jobs in the NRV: Find Your Career

Tech Jobs in the NRV: Work Hard. Play Hard.

Virginia’s New River Valley

PRIMARY SUB-SECTORS

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

CYBERSECURITY

IT SUPPORT SERVICES

DIGITAL CREATIVE

EXPLORE IT IN THE NRV

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MAJOR EMPLOYERS

ACCESS TO TECH TALENT

The strength of higher education in the NRV generates a talented workforce and supportive ecosystem. Virginia Tech (VT), Radford University (RU), and New River Community College (NRCC) produce a steady supply of IT talent with degrees in Computer & Information Sciences and Computer Engineering.

Companies in the region also have success recruiting alumni from these universities back to the area to fill mid- and senior-level positions. Entry-level and highly educated professionals remain in the NRV because of the region’s vast and beautiful outdoor amenities, cultural events, and little perks (like incredibly low traffic).

New River Community College

NRCC offers a number of information technology degrees and non-degree programs. Students can specialize in cybersecurity and other IT-related areas. NRCC has built partnerships with companies in several different IT-related industries to ensure students are ready to enter the workforce when they complete their programs.

Radford University

RU has the only Data & Information Management program in Virginia and is named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the NSA & U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. RU’s Applied Research Center is an industry consortium designed to attract, develop, and retain IT talent for corporate partners.

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech is designated a National Center of Academic Excellence by the NSA & U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security for cybersecurity. The Hume Center for National Security and Technology is consistently nationally recognized for their research on defense and cyber-attack intelligence applications.

“The universities here have great programs, and the area is such that you get people who want to stay or come back after a few years because it’s a nice community. People come to school, fall in love with the area, and want to stay.”

Matt McHugh, Exelaration VP of Mentoring & Growth

FEATURED SITES & BUILDINGS

IT CULTURE IN THE NRV

The IT culture in Virginia’s New River Valley is like no other. The industry thrives here with our collection of unique downtown areas and a large presence of grassroots community groups. There are a variety of groups to choose from and get involved with, each with a specific and passionate industry focus. Explore a sample of these groups from the list below.

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ADVANTAGES OF WORKING IN THE NRV

Information Technology Less is More in the NRV

Not only do IT professionals in Virginia’s New River Valley have competitive salaries, they also have more buying power than their peers in larger tech hubs like San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Use the chart above to compare the average salary of a software developer working in the NRV adjusted for the cost of living in other metros.

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Information Technology