Here is why Las Vegas might be the next big tech hub in the US

The best skills and locations for tech workers in 2018 Where you work can impact your salary, quality of life, and future employment opportunities. TechRepublic's Olivia Krauth shares the top cities in the US for technology professionals.

Building a slide deck, pitch, or presentation? Here are the big takeaways:

• Las Vegas may be the next US tech hub, with the number of new workers and the desire for tech skills in the city growing.
• The growth may give tech workers and companies a new place to operate and start-ups a new spot to develop.

Las Vegas may be the next US tech hub, as more workers are moving into the city and tech skills are the most in-demand, according to LinkedIn's February 2018 Workforce Report.

The city has seen a 44% increase in LinkedIn members moving there in the past year, the report found. The growth, coupled with an increased demand for tech skills in the area, suggest more tech workers and companies are considering the Nevada city a tech hub.

SEE: Telecommuting policy (Tech Pro Research)

Las Vegas is ranked fourth of US cities gaining the most workers, the report said. Denver, Seattle, and Austin make the top three, respectively. This represents a large jump from February 2017, when the city ranked ninth on the list.

LinkedIn named four reasons why the city is expanding so rapidly: A fast-growing local economy, good weather, a low cost of living, and no state income tax.

Out of the five most in-demand skills in the city, only two lie in tech industry: Software modeling and process design, and electronic and electrical engineering. However, all of the most in supply skills are tech-based: Software code debugging, cloud computing, data presentation, and scripting.

The findings suggest the city's economy is moving away from its longstanding focus on the entertainment industry, and toward the tech industry instead. Tech companies aren't the only ones hiring people with technical skills, as airlines and casinos are also looking for that expertise, the report said.

Though it may be growing, Las Vegas still has a ways to go before truly becoming a tech hub. The city ranked 84th out of 100 on WalletHub's list of best and worst areas for STEM professionals. In terms of STEM friendliness, the city fared even worse, ranking second to last and only beating out Jackson, MS.

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Also see

• Special report: IT jobs in 2020: A leader's guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
• The top 15 skills found in tech job searches (TechRepublic)
• Cheat sheet: How to become a data scientist (TechRepublic)
• Forget hard skills, it's soft skills that are hard to come by (ZDNet)
• Here are the best and worst US cities for tech professionals to live in 2018 (TechRepublic)