In North Carolina, our business-friendly atmosphere, low taxes, pro-tech environment and exceptional quality of life make the state a destination in and of itself for IT companies big and small. 

Meet some of the information technology companies doing business in North Carolina:

CiscoCitrixEMC2Google

HCLIBMLenovoMicrosoft

NetAppOracleRedhatRedhat

When it comes to success, North Carolina and IT businesses speak the same language.

Our low tax burden and highly educated workforce attract everything from major IT companies to promising startups. In addition to these benefits, there are a number of reasons the information technology industry feels right at home in North Carolina, such as:

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  • The lowest corporate income tax rate in the U.S.
    • 2.5% corporate tax rate
    • NC is ranked No. 1 for lowest state and local tax burden in the United States by Ernst & Young and the Council on State Taxation
  • Business-friendly environment
    • North Carolina has ranked in Forbes’ top Five Best States for Business for the last 12 years—coming in as No. 1 again in 2018
    • The state receives a variety of accolades making many different lists due to our strong labor force, central location and low taxes
  • The largest research park in the U.S. 
    • Research Triangle Park (RTP) includes:
      • 200+ companies
      • 50,000+ employees 
      • World-leading industry clusters in IT, cleantech and life sciences
  • Reliable, low-cost electricity
    • NC’s average industrial electricity rate is more than 8% lower than the national average

  • The highest concentration of Tier 1 research universities
    • Three within 25 miles of one another:
      • Duke University
      • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
      • North Carolina State University
    • All three contribute to local businesses by:
      • Feeding the workforce pipeline
      • Creating and maintaining industry partnerships
      • Fueling an innovative business environment
  • Large and growing tech workforce
    • 126,000+ IT industry workers in the state
    • NC ranks No.2 for STEM program completions in the Southeast
    • NC is a leading state when it comes to STEM job growth
  • Fast-track coding program graduates
  • The North Carolina Community College System
    • North Carolina is home to a 58-campus, nationally recognized community college system
    • Offers a variety of industry-relevant programs to educate the state’s IT workforce, including:
      • Data science and programming
      • Mobile app development
      • Computer programming
      • Android or iOS app development
  • Customized training programs
    • NCWorks, the state’s comprehensive workforce development platform, offers customizable training for new and existing businesses in the state

 

    • North Carolina Technology Association
      • 750+ member non-profit organization created to advance the state’s tech industry
      • Represents more than 150,000 NC-based technology companies
    • Institute for Advanced Analytics at N.C. State University
      • The nation’s first Master of Science in Analytics program
      • An intensive, 10-month, full-time immersive learning experience designed around an innovative curriculum
    • Centennial Campus at N.C. State University
      • 1,334-acre campus where university, industry and government partners work in multidisciplinary programs solving contemporary problems
      • including labs, offices and technology incubator space for 1,600+ government and corporate employees
      • Areas of focus include open source networking, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, green grid technology, advanced analytics and biomanufacturing
    • NC IDEA
      • A private foundation aimed at supporting and promoting high-growth tech companies and startups focusing on IT, medical diagnostics and devices, green technologies and material sciences

    If you have an economic development project and you'd like assistance, contact a state economic developer using the webform below.

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