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Although often known for being part of the NYC metropolitan area, Jersey City is undoubtedly a city with a unique feel and flavor. Located at the other end of the Holland Tunnel from Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, its economy and urban infrastructure are closely entwined with those of New York City. Many people live in Jersey City and commute to Manhattan or the other way around. Like New York City, Jersey City is just a short ferry away from Ellis Island and has historically been a major destination for immigrants to the United States.
While all of the perks of New York City are easily accessible from Jersey City, living there is significantly more affordable. According to Niche, homes in Jersey City cost less than half the price of those in Manhattan! Meanwhile, rents are, on average, $300 cheaper a month. Since 1980, the population of Jersey City has increased by about 16%, indicating a desire for people to seek opportunities there.
As a significantly business-focused urban area, Jersey City has an abundance of job opportunities, especially for skilled tech workers. Because of the city’s popularity among financial companies, it has earned the nickname “Wall Street West” and acts as a kind of overflow area of Manhattan’s primary Wall Street district. Fully one-third of private sector jobs in Jersey City are in financial services. Notably, Jersey City holds the record for the tallest skyscraper in the state with the 42-story Goldman Sachs Tower on the waterfront. Because of its location on the water, Jersey City’s economy also thrives off of port activity and many of its workers are in the business of transportation and warehousing. Along with professional and financial services that make up a significant chunk of the economy, there comes a need for information and technology services.
At the confluence of these two fields is the emerging field of fintech, or Financial Technology. FinLedger, a fintech publication, ranked Jersey City one of the top ten cities for fintech jobs in the U.S. Roles in fintech include Legal Operations Manager, Software Engineer, Software Developer, Sales Analyst, Compliance Analyst, Investment Analyst, Technical Product Manager, and Financial Analyst.
Other popular tech jobs in Jersey City and the surrounding metro areas include graphic designers, web developers, information systems managers, data scientists, computer programmers, network administrators, systems analysts, and database administrators.
Because of its proximity to New York City and its productive business sector, Jersey City has an average yearly salary that is significantly higher than the national average. Furthermore, high-skill jobs in tech tend to pay well above the going wage in any given region. Below we’ve provided a breakdown of the average salary one can expect to earn in Jersey City after finding a post-bootcamp job there.
| Occupation | Average Yearly Salary (May 2020) |
|---|---|
| Graphic Designer | $70,390 |
| Web Developer | $91,290 |
| Information Systems Analyst | $201,320 |
| Data Scientist | $129,250 |
| Computer Programmer | $96,270 |
| Network Administrator | $106,060 |
| Systems Analyst | $114,500 |
| Database Administrator | $119,320 |
| Software Developer | $123,600 |
| Legal Operations Manager | $75,617 |
| Sales Analyst | $72,195 |
| Compliance Analyst | $76,117 |
| Investment Analyst | $102,290 |
| Technical Product Manager | $117,649 |
| Financial Analyst | $80,743 |
| Software Engineer | $107,380 |
Now that you’ve got an idea of the opportunities available for tech pros in Jersey City, browse bootcamps to help you get started on your tech journey.
