Technology
Billings Tech Sector Booms: $500M Industry Offers Summer Opportunities
With the sector growing seven times faster than the state economy and generating over $500 million annually, a packed calendar of meetups and conferences offers networking and career opportunities.
How we reported this
The calendar for Billings’ tech scene is filling up fast. From the monthly Billings Tech Meetup to the upcoming INTERFACE conference on August 11 at the Northern Hotel, the city’s growing slate of events offers workers, job seekers, and seasoned professionals plenty of reasons to show up, according to the Montana High Tech Business Alliance and other organizers.
Why this matters now
Billings is emerging as a legitimate tech hub. The sector generates an estimated $500 million annually and is growing seven times faster than Montana’s overall economy, according to local industry data compiled by Nucamp. The city already supports more than 2,000 high-paying tech jobs, and major companies including Workiva, Oracle, Fiserv, and PatientOne have a presence here. For anyone looking to break in, move up, or simply connect with the people driving that growth, the events calendar is the place to start.
The local tech ecosystem also benefits from a recent $41 million federal grant aimed at AI and digital innovation, which is expected to fuel further hiring and startup activity. That grant directly supports the upcoming Billings Tech Hackathon, which will focus on AI and digital innovation.
Key events and venues
One of the most consistent gatherings is Bigskynet, Montana’s AI Development Consortium, which meets every Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Rock31, the entrepreneurship center that anchors much of the city’s startup activity. The Billings Tech Meetup happens monthly, and the quarterly Behind the Build events take professionals inside local companies like Weave Industries for a close look at how tech products are actually built.
The INTERFACE conference, scheduled for Thursday, August 11 at the Northern Hotel Grand Ballroom, will focus on Information Security and Business Continuity, a hot area given that cybersecurity roles in Billings are growing 18 to 36 percent, according to CompTIA rankings and local job data. The Billings High Tech Happy Hour, also at Rock31, offers a more informal networking option.
The Montana High Tech Business Alliance (MHTBA) runs a local chapter that hosts happy hours, webinars, and the Montana Innovation Exchange quarterly series at Big Sky Economic Development on North Broadway. That series highlights local technology innovators.
Annual events that draw larger crowds include the Billings AI Symposium, the Montana Blockchain Conference, and Big Sky DevCon. In September, the 2025 Billings Tech Career Expo will give job seekers direct access to hiring managers.
For those who prefer a lighter approach, Tech Cafe with Billings Bike Library offers alternating Friday summer sessions to explore library technology; the next one is July 25 at 105 Brewing.
What’s next
For workers and job seekers, the message is simple: bring a business card, bring questions, and bring an open mind. The weekly Bigskynet meetings are a low-commitment way to start. The INTERFACE conference in August is a dedicated day for security professionals and business continuity planners. And the Tech Career Expo in September will be the year’s best chance for face-to-face interviews with local employers.
Billings’ tech scene is no longer a side story. With a $500 million annual economic impact, a seven-times-faster growth rate than the rest of the state, and a packed events calendar, it’s becoming a primary driver of the local economy. The only question is whether you’ll be in the room when it happens.