The median tech occupation wage in Virginia in 2018 was almost $94,500, 103 percent higher than the median wage of all occupations in the state, according to D.C. trade group CompTIA.
And the future for employment growth remains positive, with the best opportunities in jobs related to emerging technologies.
CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2019 Report says technology-related jobs in Virginia grew by more than 6,400 in 2018. Net tech employment has grown by more than 27,700 jobs since 2010, and the technology industry now accounts for 436,500 jobs in Virginia, or 10.7 percent of Virginia’s total workforce.
The tech sector, according to the report, has an estimated direct economic impact of $62.7 billion, or 13.5 percent of Virginia’s total economy.
“Clearly the broad-based impact of the tech industry touches virtually every community, industry and market across Virginia, especially when you consider the hundreds of thousands of knowledge workers who rely on technology to do their jobs,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA.
Virginia saw a 32 percent increase last year in the number of job postings related to emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, start cities, drones, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality and blockchain.
Virginia now ranks sixth nationwide in net tech employment, 12th in net tech jobs added last year and 10th in the Cyberstates Innovation Score, which is based on venture capital investments, startups and new businesses.
