YoungBusiness

With new technology companies starting almost every day, it seems like everyone wants to get a piece of the technology pie. Millionaires are being made overnight and many new graduates of Generation Y (ages 20-30) have dreams of striking it rich with a new technology start-up. However, if you are from a town like Atlanta or Omaha, you may not have the best luck. It may be time for you to use an Atlanta self storage company to store all of your items while you try your luck in one of these top six cities where technology start-ups seem to thrive.

Seattle, Washington

According to Forbes, Seattle recently took the top place for Gen Y workers in a study conducted by PayScale. This study ranked several cities based on the median pay received, the amount of wage growth and average commute times. Seattle ranked top on the list because it maintained a 4.4 percent wage increase in the past three years and offers Gen Y workers a median pay of $44,000. The average commute is only a mere 24 minutes. Seattle is currently home to some big tech companies, such as Amazon, Microsoft and Boeing, so there is definitely a strong basis for a new tech start-up to thrive in.

Houston, Texas

Smart Planet states that Houston comes in a close second to Seattle. However, unlike Seattle’s high tech market, Houston is more successful for its oil and gas businesses. So if you want to try your hand in a different industry, Houston may be the perfect option. Plus, the cheap housing market in Houston makes it affordable if you are just starting out.

Boston, Massachusetts

As the home to Harvard and MIT, Boston is definitely not short on the brains. Many new graduates want to start their own companies, but don’t want to travel far. For that reason, Boston is home to several large start-ups, such as the free travel guide and research website Trip Advisor. Plus, the median salary for Gen Y workers in “The City on a Hill” is $46,200. Not too shabby.

San Francisco, California

San Francisco is home to some of the biggest tech companies in the world, such as Facebook, Yahoo, Apple and Google. For that reason, it is a great place for you to consider starting your own start-up. San Francisco offers the highest median salary for Gen Y workers, coming in at $51,000. USA Today ranks San Francisco at the top of the list because it is home to 3,442 startups and had $11.8 billion invested in start-ups last year.

New York City, New York

While New York City may be one of the most expensive cities to live in, it is also one of the easiest to make money in. New York is the perfect place if your start-up is somewhat design related. Plus, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is all behind new start-ups. He just approved a $22 million fund for new tech start-ups. Wouldn’t you like to have a piece of that pie?

Boulder/Denver, Colorado

If you want to go to a smaller city, Boulder may be just the option for you. The city is home to big tech companies such as Mapquest and Photobucket. Plus, there are several large companies located there looking for new start-ups to invest in. TechStars has an $80 million fund for up to 50 start-ups, while the Foundry Group invests up to $225 million. Considering the city only has about 100,000 people, that is pretty good odds of making some money.

By Allan Ory and David Berkowitz