Fortune 500 firm to open new IT center in Charlotte, add 500 jobs statewide

IT consulting firm Cognizant Technology Solutions has been awarded an incentive grant from North Carolina to expand its workforce across the state adding another 500 high-paying jobs to the state's payroll.

Plus, the company plans to open a new IT delivery and operations center in Charlotte representing a $1.4 million investment through 2018.

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) already employs 1,487 people in Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro and Wilson, and the state's incentives would require that Cognizant also retain all of those jobs in the state.

The average salary for the new jobs is expected to be about $80,000, plus benefits.

North Carolina edged out potential sites in Florida, Texas and Virginia to win the project, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

"North Carolina and the Charlotte area are home to some of our largest current and prospective clients. This combined with the state's strong educational institutions and technology base makes the Charlotte area an attractive location for our newest IT delivery and operations center," says Gordon Coburn, Cognizant's president.

Cognizant did not break out how many of the new jobs will be stationed in which regions of the state, but economic development recruiters with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and Wake County Economic Development were involved in the deal.

The state's Economic Investment Committee approved a Jobs Development Investment Grant award to Cognizant at its meeting Nov. 12 that could be worth $5.88 million over the 12-year life of the grant. According to N.C. commerce officials, the state is almost out of JDIG money, and will soon be pushing legislators to replenish the incentive kitty next year.

Amanda Jones Hoyle covers commercial and residential real estate. Follow her on Twitter @TBJrealestate