Minnesota’s technology industry added an estimated 2,226 new jobs in 2016, according to Cyberstates 2017, the annual technology-industry analysis of the nation’s tech industry released Monday by CompTIA, the industry trade group.
With an estimated 140,970 workers, Minnesota ranks 17th among the 50 states in tech-industry employment, CompTIA said.
Technology occupations across all other industries in Minnesota – the second component of the tech workforce – reached an estimated 170,300 in 2016.
The tech sector accounts for an estimated 7.4 percent ($24.4 billion) of the overall Minnesota economy.
The annualized average wage for a Minnesota tech industry worker was an estimated $95,900 in 2016, 79 percent higher than the average state wage of $53,600.
“The Cyberstates data affirms the strength and vitality of Minnesota’s tech industry, and attests to its essential standing in the economy,” said CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux said in a statement. “Technology enables innovation and generates growth for companies, regardless of their size, locale or markets served.”
CompTIA said other findings of the annual study include that:
- Minnesota is home to about 9,165 tech businesses, half of which are in the Twin Cities area.
- The tech industry employs an estimated 5 percent of the overall state workforce.
- Employers posted 15,235 job openings for tech occupations in the fourth quarter of 2016; mostly in the Twin Cities.
- Leading tech occupations include computer systems analysts (15,340), computer user support specialists (14,190) and application software developers (13,140).
- The strongest year-over-year job growth occurred in the categories of engineering services (+ 5.9 percent) and computer systems design and IT services (+ 5.7 percent).
