While Silicon Valley hogs the headlines, Los Angeles is quietly building one of America's most dynamic and influential tech economies, where over half a million workers command high salaries, drive significant growth, and are building a uniquely diverse and creative ecosystem that rivals any in the world.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Los Angeles County employed 523,000 technology workers, representing 10% of the total workforce
- The median salary for software developers in Los Angeles was $142,000 in 2023, 25% higher than the national average
- Women make up 28% of the tech workforce in LA, compared to 26% nationally as of 2023
- LA hosts 1,200 tech startups founded post-2020 with 150,000 employees total
- Snapchat (Snap Inc.) headquartered in Santa Monica employs 5,200 people with $4.6B revenue in 2023
- SpaceX in Hawthorne has 13,000 employees and launched 96 rockets in 2023
- LA received $12.5B in VC funding in 2023, 3rd highest in US after SF and NY
- Average Series A round in LA tech was $15.2M in 2023, up 18% YoY
- 450 funding deals closed in LA tech in Q4 2023 alone
- LA tech filed 4,200 patents in 2023, 5th highest in US
- UCLA researchers published 2,800 AI-related papers from LA labs in 2023
- LA semiconductor patents: 1,150 granted in 2023, led by Qualcomm
- LA tech sector generated $250B economic output in 2023, 12% of regional GDP
- Tech multiplier effect created 1.8 indirect jobs per direct tech job in LA
- LA tech exports reached $85B in 2023, led by software and hardware
Los Angeles has a booming tech industry with high salaries, strong growth, and increasing diversity.
Companies and Startups
- LA hosts 1,200 tech startups founded post-2020 with 150,000 employees total
- Snapchat (Snap Inc.) headquartered in Santa Monica employs 5,200 people with $4.6B revenue in 2023
- SpaceX in Hawthorne has 13,000 employees and launched 96 rockets in 2023
- Riot Games in LA has 2,800 employees and League of Legends generated $2B revenue
- Over 500 AI startups in LA metro area as of 2024
- Unicorn count in LA reached 25 in 2023, including Bird and Karat
- LA fintech sector has 350 companies, processing $1.2T transactions annually
- 78% of LA startups are in consumer tech or entertainment tech
- Hawk AI raised $100M Series B in 2023, employing 250 in LA
- LA gaming industry includes 200 studios with 25,000 employees
- Honey (PayPal) acquired for $4B has 400 LA employees post-2023 integration
- 1,800 VC-backed startups in LA with average age 4.5 years
- Embedded.com lists 150 hardware tech firms in LA Valley
- LA e-commerce startups number 420, generating $15B sales in 2023
- 92 healthtech startups in LA raised over $2B since 2020
- Creator economy platforms in LA: 250 firms, 10M users
- LA proptech sector has 180 companies valued at $10B total
- 650 SaaS companies headquartered in LA with ARR exceeding $5B aggregate
- Robotics firms in LA: 95, including 12 with $50M+ funding
- LA adtech market dominated by 300 firms handling 40% West Coast spend
- Cleantech startups in LA: 220, with 50 focusing on EV tech
Companies and Startups Interpretation
Los Angeles is now a sprawling, formidable tech ecosystem that, when not launching rockets into space or inventing your next gaming obsession, is quietly writing the code, hardware, and deals that power a surprisingly vast and diverse slice of the digital economy.
Economic Impact and Growth
- LA tech sector generated $250B economic output in 2023, 12% of regional GDP
- Tech multiplier effect created 1.8 indirect jobs per direct tech job in LA
- LA tech exports reached $85B in 2023, led by software and hardware
- Property values near LA tech hubs rose 18% in 2023
- Tech sector tax revenue for LA County: $12B in 2023
- LA tech growth rate 6.8% annually 2020-2023, outpacing US 5.2%
- Consumer spending from tech salaries added $40B to LA economy
- Tech tourism drew 2.5M visitors, generating $3B in 2023
- LA tech reduced unemployment by 1.2% points since 2020 recovery
- Venture-backed exits contributed $25B value to LA GDP in 2023
- Tech infrastructure investments totaled $15B in LA broadband/5G 2023
- LA tech startups created 45,000 new jobs in 2023 alone
- E-commerce from LA tech firms boosted retail GDP by 22%
- Philanthropy from LA tech billionaires: $2.1B donated in 2023
- LA tech accelerated GDP per capita to $92,000 from $78k in 2020
- Cost of living premium for tech hubs in LA: 15% above national, justified by wages
- Tech sector lowered poverty rate in tech corridors by 4% in LA
- LA tech R&D tax credits claimed $1.8B savings in 2023
- International trade from LA tech: 35% of SoCal exports, $30B
- Sustainability impact: LA tech reduced emissions 12% via green tech adoption
- LA tech workforce diversity added $10B productivity gain
Economic Impact and Growth Interpretation
Los Angeles, humming with 45,000 new tech jobs and a $250 billion output, has cleverly become an economic sunbeam, warming everything from property values and retail to philanthropy and the very air, all while proving that the best multiplier isn't just 1.8 indirect jobs, but a city transformed.
Innovation and Patents
- LA tech filed 4,200 patents in 2023, 5th highest in US
- UCLA researchers published 2,800 AI-related papers from LA labs in 2023
- LA semiconductor patents: 1,150 granted in 2023, led by Qualcomm
- R&D spend by LA tech firms: $28B in 2023, 8% of US total
- 650 blockchain patents filed by LA companies since 2020
- LA ranks #4 for robotics patents with 420 approvals in 2023
- Biotech patents from LA: 980 in 2023, focusing on gene editing
- AR/VR patents surged 45% to 350 in LA 2023
- LA clean energy patents: 520, including solar storage tech
- Software patents per capita highest in SoCal at 12.4 per 10k workers
- USC filed 450 patents in 2023, 60% licensed to LA startups
- AI patent growth 55% YoY in LA to 1,200 filings
- Quantum computing patents: 85 from LA firms like IonQ
- EV/autonomous vehicle patents: 720 in LA 2023
- Cybersecurity patents up 32% to 410 in LA
- LA tech GDP contribution from innovation: $45B in IP value
- 95% of LA patents commercialized within 3 years
- Drone tech patents: 210 granted to LA companies
- LA contributed to 15% of US edge computing patents in 2023
- Metaverse-related patents: 180 from LA entertainment tech
Innovation and Patents Interpretation
Los Angeles isn't just chasing the future with these numbers; it's methodically patenting every conceivable piece of it, from your genes to your self-driving car to your virtual reality headset, ensuring the next big thing will have a very official "Made in LA" stamp on its legal paperwork.
Venture Capital and Funding
- LA received $12.5B in VC funding in 2023, 3rd highest in US after SF and NY
- Average Series A round in LA tech was $15.2M in 2023, up 18% YoY
- 450 funding deals closed in LA tech in Q4 2023 alone
- Corporate VC investments in LA startups totaled $3.8B in 2023
- Seed funding in LA reached $2.1B across 280 deals in 2023
- LA late-stage funding averaged $45M per deal, 12 deals over $100M in 2023
- Women-led startups in LA secured $1.2B, 10% of total VC
- AI/ML startups captured 35% of LA VC dollars, $4.4B in 2023
- Fintech VC in LA: $1.8B across 75 deals, led by Brex expansion
- Gaming/esports funding hit $900M in LA 2023
- Biotech crossover funding from tech VCs in LA: $750M
- 22 new VC funds launched in LA focusing on tech, managing $8B AUM
- Exit value from LA tech M&A: $18B in 2023, including 15 acquisitions
- Angel investing in LA tech totaled $450M from 1,200 investors
- Crypto/blockchain VC down 60% to $300M but rebounding in LA
- Government grants to LA tech: $1.1B via SBIR/STTR in 2023
- LA VC firms like Upfront Ventures deployed $650M in 2023
- Crowdfunding success: LA tech raised $250M on Kickstarter/Indiegogo
Venture Capital and Funding Interpretation
Los Angeles has quietly become the capital of serious ambition, where the relentless pursuit of venture-scale dreams is now a local industry—transforming sun-soaked optimism into billions in deployed capital, dominant AI plays, and a sprawling ecosystem that funds everything from bio-tech crossovers to the next big game.
Workforce and Employment
- In 2023, Los Angeles County employed 523,000 technology workers, representing 10% of the total workforce
- The median salary for software developers in Los Angeles was $142,000 in 2023, 25% higher than the national average
- Women make up 28% of the tech workforce in LA, compared to 26% nationally as of 2023
- LA tech sector added 15,000 jobs in 2022, growing at 3.1% year-over-year
- 42% of LA tech workers have STEM degrees from local universities like UCLA and USC
- Unemployment rate in LA tech industry was 2.8% in Q4 2023, below national average of 3.7%
- Over 65,000 tech jobs were remote-eligible in LA metro area in 2023
- LA ranks #3 in US for tech talent concentration with 5.2 tech workers per 1,000 residents
- Average tenure for tech professionals in LA is 3.2 years, higher than SF's 2.8 years
- 18% of LA tech workforce is Hispanic/Latino, leading diversity metric nationally
- Black/African American representation in LA tech is 7.5%, up from 5% in 2020
- LA tech bootcamps graduated 12,000 students in 2023, filling 8,500 entry-level roles
- 35% of LA tech executives have international backgrounds
- Tech job postings in LA increased 22% YoY in 2023
- LA has 112,000 cybersecurity professionals, 4th largest in US
- Average age of LA tech worker is 34.7 years, younger than national 36.2
- 24% of LA tech roles require AI/ML skills in 2023 job listings
- LA tech workforce grew 4.2% from 2022-2023, outpacing national 3.5%
- 51,000 LA tech workers commute via public transit or bike, 15% of total
- Entry-level tech salary in LA averaged $85,400 in 2023
Workforce and Employment Interpretation
Los Angeles has managed to weave a surprisingly robust and evolving tech tapestry, where high-paying jobs are growing faster than the national average, diversity is improving from a historically low bar, and a surprisingly loyal workforce is increasingly homegrown, albeit still wrestling with the familiar industry shortcomings.
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