Where are the IT jobs located? (Denver, Colorado Springs: tech jobs, school district, places to live)

[Oakley7677]

My wife and I are thinking about moving to the Front Range (roughly FoCo to the northern part of Colorado Springs). I have a job already, but she works in IT and would need a new one. What are some areas that have a higher concentration of IT related jobs? We're planning a trip out there in a few months to check out places to live, and want to narrow our search a little.

She is currently a IT manager for a small non profit, and is sort of a jack of all trades, so she doesn't really have a specific specialty, in case anyone is going to ask.

[bluescreen73]

Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs roughly in that order. I would not count on trying to get an on-site gig in Fort Collins, Loveland, or Greeley, nor would I want to commute to Denver from Northern Colorado on a daily basis. It's just too far. Denver to Boulder is a painful commute as well.

If you choose Denver, your best bet is going to be finding a job and then finding a place nearby unless the job is near an RTD rail line. Then you can find a place along the line further out.

[Oakley7677]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs roughly in that order. I would not count on trying to get an on-site gig in Fort Collins, Loveland, or Greeley, nor would I want to commute to Denver from Northern Colorado on a daily basis. It's just too far. Denver to Boulder is a painful commute as well.

If you choose Denver, your best bet is going to be finding a job and then finding a place nearby unless the job is near an RTD rail line. Then you can find a place along the line further out.

OK, thanks.

What would a commute from lets say Castle Rock to Colorado Springs be like?

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Oakley7677

OK, thanks.

What would a commute from lets say Castle Rock to Colorado Springs be like?

Better than it was a few years ago thanks to the expansion project they just finished a couple years ago, but Monument Hill can still be a PITA in the winter. That area gets a LOT of snow. Monument averages around 100" per year. Traffic is also messy from Monument down into the Springs at times.

[Oakley7677]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Better than it was a few years ago thanks to the expansion project they just finished a couple years ago, but Monument Hill can still be a PITA in the winter. That area gets a LOT of snow. Monument averages around 100" per year. Traffic is also messy from Monument down into the Springs at times.

OK, thanks for the info.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Oakley7677

OK, thanks for the info.

You're welcome. Before I went all-remote, my last three jobs were in the southern part of the Denver Tech Center, and every job I've had since we moved back to the Front Range in 2011 has been on the south side of the metro - in Lone Tree, Greenwood Village, and the Meridian area.

Do you have any kiddos that you'll need school district recommendations for?

Pro tip - do not take a job with DISH Network/EchoStar. I personally have not worked there, but everyone I know who has says it's awful. DISH was once rated the worst company to work for in America. They treat their employees horribly.

[Mike from back east]

I recall a thread in the Denver forum about worst places to work in Denver and Dish was hands-down the worst. IIRC people weren't even allowed to take restroom breaks.

A lot of IT jobs in COLO SPGS are defense-related and usually require a federal security clearance which can take months to obtain. If the person has a current security clearance it's a leg up in the job hunt, and even having had a clearance in the past helps a lot to get in the door.

In the Denver area there are many jobs in the Denver Tech Center, to find those prior postings search on DTC.

[history nerd]

Originally Posted by Oakley7677

OK, thanks.

What would a commute from lets say Castle Rock to Colorado Springs be like?

Castle Rock to Denver Tech Center is not bad. Castle Rock to downtown Denver is more bad. Colorado Springs to either is my personal vision of hell.

Edit: misunderstood your question Castle Rock to the Springs isn't awful but could be tough in the winter. The biggest area for tech jobs is DTC, second is probably downtown Denver. There are many defense related tech jobs up and down the front range.

[CalWorth]

There is a big tech area in Boulder, also tech in Golden & Wheat Ridge. A lot of those employees WFH at least part of the time.

[2bindenver]

IT jobs can be anywhere there is a business. There are business centers in the DTC, downtown Denver, Interlocken, Boulder, Thornton.