Technology Employment Expands its Presence in Idaho's Workforce

1,500-plus jobs in 2018 coupled with growing economic impact, according to CompTIA Cyberstates 2019™ report

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Mar 26, 2019, 12:37 ET

BOISE, Idaho, March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology-related employment in Idaho grew by more than 1,500 new jobs in 2018 and the tech sector increased its contribution to the state'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 1,530 jobs in 2018, a 3 percent increase over 2017¹. Since 2010 net tech employment has grown by nearly 7,500 new jobs. With nearly 53,000 workers, tech accounts for approximately 6.8 percent of Idaho's workforce.

The tech sector has an estimated direct economic impact of $6.9 billion, or about 10.1 percent of Idaho's total economy.

"Clearly the broad-based impact of the tech industry touches virtually every community, industry and market across Idaho, especially when you consider the thousands of knowledge workers who rely on technology to do their jobs," said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO, CompTIA.

The outlook for future employment growth remains positive. Cyberstates projects the base of tech occupation employment – a subset of net tech employment will grow by 13.1 percent in Idaho by 2026. Retirements will add 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."

Tech occupations with year over year growth in Idaho included software and web developers (+ 4.6 percent) and computer support specialists (+ 4.4 percent).

The median tech occupation wage in Idaho is $68,884; 89 percent higher than the median wage for all occupations in the state.

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/.

Contact:

Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
+1 (630) 678-8468
[email protected]

¹ Net tech employment includes tech company workers in technical and non-technical positions, technical workers in other industries and self-employed technology workers.

SOURCE CompTIA