Tech-related employment across the United States increased by more than 260,000 jobs in 2018 and the tech sector raised its contribution to the nation’s economy, according to Cyberstates 2019™, the definitive guide to national, state and metropolitan area tech sector and tech workforce analytics published annually by CompTIA, the leading technology industry association.
Net tech employment grew by an estimated 260,865 jobs in 2018, a 2.3 percent increase over 2017.1 With 11.8 million workers across the country, net tech employment accounts for approximately 7.6 percent of the nation’s workforce. Since 2010 the industry has added an estimated 1.9 million new jobs.
The tech sector has an estimated direct economic impact of $1.8 trillion, or about 10 percent of the total U.S. economy, making it one of the largest industries in the economy.
“Clearly the broad-based impact of the tech industry touches virtually every community, industry and market across the country, especially when you consider the tens of millions of knowledge workers who rely on technology to do their jobs,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO, CompTIA.
“Cyberstates confirms a healthy and promising future, but we can’t take it for granted,” Thibodeaux continued. “Industry, government and stakeholders across the tech landscape must continue to work together to ensure an environment where innovation can flourish and the opportunities and benefits made possible by technology are available to all.”
The outlook for future employment growth remains positive. Cyberstates projects the base of tech occupation employment – a subset of net tech employment – will grow to 8.6 million by 2026. Retirements will put even more pressure to meet the need for tech talent.
“The findings attest to a tech labor market that will remain tight as employers balance short-term needs with an eye towards the future,” said Tim Herbert, senior vice president for research and market intelligence at CompTIA. “As digital-human models begin to unfold, employers and employees alike will face new challenges – and opportunities, in shaping the workforce of tomorrow.”
More from Cyberstates
The top five states for net tech employment gains in 2018 were California (51,567), Florida (18,147), Texas (17,855), North Carolina (13,773) and New York (13,732).
On a percentage change basis job growth was strongest in Utah (4.3 percent), New Hampshire (4.2 percent), North Carolina (4 percent), Nevada (4 percent) and Washington (3.5 percent).
Massachusetts has the highest concentration of tech workers within its workforce (11.3 percent). Virginia (10.7 percent), Washington 10.6 percent), Colorado (10.3 percent), the District of Columbia (10.3 percent) and Maryland (10.2 percent) are next on the list.
The median tech occupation wage was $81,907. That’s 92 percent higher than the median national wage for all occupations.
Employer job postings for workers with skills in emerging technologies increased by 74 percent from 2017 to 2018, a signal that many companies are preparing now for the innovations that will shape their future.
Cyberstates 2019 (#cyberstates) is based on CompTIA’s analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, EMSI, Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights, and other sources. Estimates for 2018 are subject to change as government data is revised and updated. The full report, with complete national, state and metropolitan level data, is available at https://www.cyberstates.org/.
About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the more than 50 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. To learn more visit https://www.comptia.org/.