Colorado tech workforce grows in depth and breadth: CompTIA releases year in review State of the Tech Workforce report

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Mar 30, 2023, 10:20 ET

10,000-plus net new jobs added in 2022, more growth projected for this year

DENVER, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Against the backdrop of an eventful year tech employment in Colorado added new jobs and grew in depth and breadth, according to today's release of new research from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.

CompTIA's annual "State of the Tech Workforce" reveals that net tech employment[1] in Colorado increased by 10,174 net new jobs in 2022, a 4.3% growth rate that surpassed the 3.2% national figure.[2] Colorado ranked seventh among all states in tech job growth.

CompTIA forecasts a 3.6% increase in tech employment for Colorado this year – an estimated 8,960 net new jobs, the highest total nationally. Positions in software development, programming, web development and quality assurance; database, data science and analytics; cybersecurity and systems analysts; and emerging tech, IT project management and related occupations are projected to see the most growth.

"In a year of even more uncertainty than usual, the tech labor market routinely defied expectations," said Tim Herbert, chief research officer for CompTIA. "The data continues to confirm the degree to which technology underpins so many facets of business activity across the economy and the breadth of employers reliant on technical and digital skills."

More than 248,000 people work in tech jobs in Colorado, spanning both technical and non-technical workers employed by tech companies and tech professionals who work in other industries. That represents 8.3% of the state's workforce, the fifth highest concentration nationally of tech workers relative to the overall labor force and the 14^th largest by total number. The estimated median wage of $103,946 for a tech worker in Colorado is 118% higher than median wages for all occupations in the state.

Colorado is in the third quartile in the report's diversity index, a measurement of the depth and breadth of diversity in the tech workforce for seven primary race and ethnicity groups, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women account for 24% of the state's tech workforce; Hispanic or Latino workers, 8%; and Black or African American workers, 3%.

Colorado's tech industry has an economic impact of $52.6 billion, or 12.2% of the state economy, fifth highest among all states. There are 19,669 tech business establishments in the state, including 1,622 that opened in 2022 – the fifth highest total in the country.

CompTIA's "State of the Tech Workforce" is the most comprehensive source of data on the size and scope of the U.S. technology industry and workforce. The report includes data on employment, wages, business establishments, job postings, workforce diversity, emerging tech metrics and more. Among other highlights from the new report:

Access the full report at https://www.cyberstates.org/.

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Each year CompTIA, directly and through its global network of partners, provides millions of people with training, education and certification opportunities designed to help them build career-ready IT skills. To learn more visit https://www.comptia.org/

Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
[email protected]
630.678.8468

[1] The tech workforce consists of two primary components – technology professionals working in technical positions (IT support, network engineering, software development, data science, etc.) and business professionals employed by technology companies. Combined they are represented by the "net tech employment" designation.

[2] The 2022 employment estimates and 2023 projections represent the most up-to-date data at the time of publication. As with any labor market data source there is a lag effect, recent developments during late 2022 and early 2023 will likely not be fully reflected in the data.

SOURCE CompTIA