WASHINGTON — The U.S. technology industry now employs more than 6.7 million people, adding about 200,000 jobs in 2015, and those jobs tend to pay well.
The Computing Technology Industry Association says the average tech industry wage last year was $105,400, more than double the average private sector wage of $51,600.
The technology industry now accounts for about 7.1 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product, and 11.6 percent of total private sector payrolls, the Washington-based nonprofit association says.
Growth last year was led by the IT services sector, which added more than 105,000 jobs in 2015.
“Much of that growth can be attributed to the current trends in cloud computing, mobility, automation and social technologies that area reshaping businesses large and small,” said Tim Herbert, senior vice president of research and market intelligence for CompTIA.
“Momentum behind the Internet of Things continues to grow, while the critical importance of cybersecurity shows no signs of abating.”
Virginia and Maryland are among states with the highest concentration of tech workers.
About 9.5 percent of Virginia’s private sector employment is technology related. It’s 8.6 percent in Maryland. Only Massachusetts has a higher concentration of tech workers in the private sector.
The association says there are plenty of technology jobs available, with 938,500 tech occupational job openings in the fourth quarter of 2015.
