Toronto has secured the third-highest ranking for technology talent in North America, trailing only Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. a recent analysis highlights the city's massive employment growth and its competitive standing in the artificial intelligence sector.
The 72.73 Score That Puts Toronto Behind Seattle and San Francisco
According to the latest annual ranking from commercial real estate firm CBRE, Toronto earned a score of 72.73, cementing its position as a premier hub for high-quality tech professionals.. this puts the city just behind Seattle,which scored 74.37, and the San Francisco Bay Area, which led the pack with 81.98. The report indicates that the top six metropolitan areas—which also include New York and Austin—have maintained their relative positions since the previous year.
The CBRE assessment evaluated 50 North American markets across 13 distinct metrics. These measures included research and development capacity, the strength of the local talent pipeline, and the concentration of spceialized workers. By defining technology talent broadly to include over 20 occupations—ranging from hardware engineers to information systems managers—the study captures both the current workforce size and the infrastructure supporting future innovation.
How 75,000 New Tech Jobs Fueled the Largest Growth in North America
A primary driver of Toronto's high ranking was its unprecedented expansion in employment. Between 2022 and 2025, the Toronto metropolitan area added 75,000 technology jobs, which as reported by CBRE, represents the largest increase of any North American market during that timeframe.
This surge suggests that Toronto is not merely maintaining its status but is aggressively expanding its capacity to attract and train workers. This growth is part of a wider trend where secondary hubs are challenging traditional Silicon Valley dominance by offering robust ecosystems that combine academic research with commercial application.
Beating Boston and LA with 33,419 AI Specialists
Toronto has also emerged as a global leader in the race for artificial intelligence dominance, ranking fifth for AI employment. As of June 2026, the city was home to 33,419 workers in AI-focused roles. This figure is particularly significant because it exceeds the AI workforce totals in several major American cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta.
The concentration of AI talent is often seen as the most critical currency in the current tech economy. Toronto's ability to outpace established US hubs in this specific vertical indicates that the city is successfully pivoting toward the most high-value, competitive segments of the industry.
Vancouver and Waterloo's Presence in the Top 15
The strength of the Canadian tech sector extends beyond Toronto, with six Canadian markets appearing in the top 15 of the CBRE report. Vancouver ranked ninth with a score of 60.52, followed closely by the Waterloo Region in tenth with 60.00. Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary also made the list, ranking 11th, 14th, and 15th, respectively.
Julia Konafal, a founding partner of Toronto Tech Week and head of platform and operations at Golden Ventures, attributes this success to the tight integration of universities, research institutions, and startup founders. This interconnected ecosystem allows local firms to scale more effectively and attract the capital necessary to compete on a global stage.
The Missing Data on Labor Costs and Retention
While the report celebrates Toronto's growth, several specific details remain unverified. Although CBRE lists "labor costs" as one of its 13 evaluation measures, the report does not explicitly state whether Toronto's cost of talent is lower or higher than that of Seattle or San Francisco.. Furthermore, while the report mentions the city's "ability" to retain workers, it provides no specific retention percentages to prove that talent is staying in Toronto rather than migrating to the higher-scoring US markets.
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