How is the IT job market in Balto/MD? (Baltimore: rent, home)

[ProgShred]

I have been living in So Cal most of my life and never thought of leaving before, but there are just too many people here now and it's just not what it used to be. I want to move somewhere less stressful. I'd love to stay in a warm climate area, but I was born in Baltimore and have family there that can help me get started. I just need to find out what the jobs are like. I have about 6 years experience working in Desktop Support. What are my chances of finding a decent job out there?

[ProgShred]

Wow! The silence if deafening.

How about Southern MD, near DC?

[Michael21214]

I would check monster.com and dice.com to get a good feel for the demand in your specialty. You might have to do temp/contract for a while.

There are regular IT job fairs in the Linthicum area for people who have or can get security clearances.

It's probably better here than most of the rest of the country, especially if you're willing to work closer to DC.

[subwayfan]

I cant say for sure, but I think there maybe more IT related jobs in the edge city regions like Towson, Hunt Valley, Owings Mills and Columbia than in Baltimore City itself. These are nice areas. And many IT jobs don't need to be in downtown itself where parking is an issue for the employee (though there is transit), and rent is higher for the employer. And, closer to DC there is more opportunity.

[subwayfan]

In addition, Kforce, Robert Half, etc. have downtown Baltimore offices (more for show), but from what I felt is that they function more as a satellite to the DC branch offices, so as a candidate you may hear about opportunities closer to DC also. This is a stark difference to say Philadelphia, that is independent and one would need to look up listings or be in contact with both Baltimore and Philadelphia offices.

[trickymost]

I work in IT.

The market is much weaker in Baltimore than it is in DC metro. If I was moving to the area, I would think strongly about looking for work there. The government is there, the technology VCs are there, and the startups are there.

Additionally, when organizations look to open offices in the mid-atlantic, the tax laws are much more favorable in VA, so jobs are more heavily skewed there than in DC proper or MD.

Also, salaries/wages/benefits are far higher in DC metro, as are the companies more interesting and diverse. In my experience when I've looked for jobs in the past - positions which pay 100k+ in DC metro will pay somewhere between 50-75k in Baltimore. The commute between Baltimore and DC is an absolute nightmare, so if you're moving here, don't think about living in one city and commuting to work in the other.

Some will tell you the BRAC (military base realignment) will bring lots of high paid jobs to the area. This is true, but it will take a while, be highly specialized (example - software developers who have high security clearances) and may not actually be anywhere near Baltimore proper.

[taramasu]

I know a LOT about this, because I work in this very field. The company I work for is a government contractor that deals with computer network security/other IT issues. I started out as a recruiter and did that for a good while before getting promoted to in-house HR. So I have seen how the market has changed, job-wise, in the IT realm. What I can say is that if you have a security clearance and at least some software development skills, you will pretty much be wooed and courted by every IT company in Baltimore, DC, and Maryland - even the suburbs. The company I work for is in Columbia, and there are many others in places like Linthicum, Annapolis Junction, and suburbs near Fort Meade (near the NSA, which is the main artery/beating heart of this industry). I can only speak for government defense contracting, of course. When you say desktop support, I can't discern whether or not you have a current security clearance, but I'm guessing you don't. No problem, just it's highly encouraged that you do eventually get one, in order to increase your marketability. I will say that this field pays exceptionally well and the job security is pretty good, even in the current economy. Good luck!

[diamondeye]

I work in the IT field as well, and I live in Baltimore City and commute to DC. I must take issue with the previous poster about the commute. It is very doable, and many people run that commute daily either driving or on the MARC train. It's not so bad. I routinely spend less time on the road commuting then my NoVa/270 counterparts. It is kind of ironic that I am considered to live in a different city and yet I get to DC faster than many people who go home at night and watch the local DC newscast. Go figure. The only horrible part about the commute is coming in via New York Ave., from which was borne the phrase "9 miles of bad road."

Further, you may not have to go that far outside of Baltimore at all, as Taramasu alluded to. There are countless numbers of IT-related government contractors... known as "Beltway Bandits" They are in Columbia, Ft. Meade, and Prince Georges county. If you have the trifecta of degree, software development, and security clearance you'll be able to name your price. And the wonderful thing is that the greater Washington area is somewhat recession-proof, because the government is the original "too big to fail."

They are right about the salary comparison between DC and Baltimore; I am currently applying my DC wages to a Baltimore economy; and I must say the exchange rate works out for me more than favorably...

[trickymost]

Originally Posted by diamondeye

I work in the IT field as well, and I live in Baltimore City and commute to DC. I must take issue with the previous poster about the commute. It is very doable, and many people run that commute daily either driving or on the MARC train. It's not so bad. I routinely spend less time on the road commuting then my NoVa/270 counterparts. It is kind of ironic that I am considered to live in a different city and yet I get to DC faster than many people who go home at night and watch the local DC newscast. Go figure. The only horrible part about the commute is coming in via New York Ave., from which was borne the phrase "9 miles of bad road."

Further, you may not have to go that far outside of Baltimore at all, as Taramasu alluded to. There are countless numbers of IT-related government contractors... known as "Beltway Bandits" They are in Columbia, Ft. Meade, and Prince Georges county. If you have the trifecta of degree, software development, and security clearance you'll be able to name your price. And the wonderful thing is that the greater Washington area is somewhat recession-proof, because the government is the original "too big to fail."

They are right about the salary comparison between DC and Baltimore; I am currently applying my DC wages to a Baltimore economy; and I must say the exchange rate works out for me more than favorably...

It is the rare exception one can be close to the MARC in Baltimore and a reasonable Metro ride to work in DC. Nice to see someone is having their cake and eating it too!

Most folks I know have a drive to the MARC, must pay for parking there, and then have a long metro ride usually involving changing lines, and often a shuttle bus from the metro (specifically - those going to work at the Pentagon or around Crystal City). If you don't live within walking distance to the MARC, it's easily a 2 hour commute each way to these places.

And if you're unlucky enough (like me) to have a job which is nowhere near a Metro stop, god bless your patience.

I will say, though, people often take a one dimensional look at commutes around DC. People look at me like I'm a mutant when I tell them from where I commute, but the reality is there are plenty of people who have equally awful commutes who are much closer...like going from Manassas into DC, Manassas area to the 270 corridor/Bethesda. Folks I know from Leesburg who commute to DC proper spend 1.5-2 hours driving to West Falls Church and getting on the Metro there.

Also over time you'll probably have roles where your commute is great and those when you'll be spending a lot of time in your car or on the train.

[tercel95]

As far as I know most of the IT jobs are in DC, or parts of Virginia like Reston. There are a lot of IT jobs out here in Southern MD due to PAX River NAS...