Pandora, the largest music streaming service in the U.S., has announced plans to add 250 jobs in Atlanta during the next three years.
The company, which is based in California, has about 40 employees now and at the start of next month will expand its Atlantic Station presence to accommodate 110 more, according to Pandora spokeswoman Jette Speights.
Pandora, which offers customized music on computers and mobile devices, will need a larger space when it fills that one, she said, and the company is shopping around for a site, she said.
Pandora likely will receive a tax credit of $1,750 for every job created – and possibly up to $5,000 per job, if they meet the criteria for "quality" positions that has been set by the state, said Stefanie Paupeck Harper, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
“The exact value of each … credit depends on the wages of the new employees compared to the average wage of the county where the jobs are located,” she said.
The company already lists several dozen job openings for Atlanta. The hiring includes various engineering jobs, as well as legal, sales, recruiting and other human resources positions.
Gov. Nathan Deal said the region is already home to many musicians, a thriving film industry and a large tech. He called Pandora’s investment “a testament to the value of our highly skilled workforce and business-friendly environment for attracting innovative companies.”
Atlanta job growth has been strong, with the region accounting for most of the state's hiring.
The latest metro Atlanta jobs report from the Georgia Labor Department is due Thursday.
In a statement, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms compared the city and the company. “Like Pandora, Atlanta sits at the nexus of music and technology,” she said.
