The tech workforce could add 178,000 new jobs in 2022, according to a new analysis by CompTIA. These increases aren’t limited to established tech hubs such as New York City and Silicon Valley; some 48 states could add tech workers.
CompTIA’s new State of the Tech Workforce report also suggests that technology-related employment is enjoying a significant year-over-year increase; in 2021, the sector added roughly 80,000 workers. Some 8.7 million people currently work in tech-related occupations in the United States.
“The data speaks to the ever-evolving tech workforce and its far-reaching impact across the national, state and metro area economies,” Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA, wrote in a statement accompanying the data. “As always the results are impressive but also a reminder of the collective effort of workers, employers, educators and industry and government organizations to build and sustain a healthy, dynamic tech workforce.”
This year, organizations are on the hunt for highly specialized technologists in the following areas:
Other sources indicate that the demand for data scientists is growing fast. Jobs within the data-science field are projected to grow 22 percent by 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to Emsi Burning Glass, which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country, the median salary for a data scientist currently stands at $112,359, significantly above the average tech salary of $104,566 (as determined by the most recent Dice Tech Salary Report).
Cybersecurity is also having a moment, with the field still struggling to attract enough candidates to fill all open job positions. “Over the last year or so it’s become clear that this is a seller’s market. The great resignation has exacerbated the already short supply of practitioners, and quality of life issues such as remote work and limited travel have been elevated in importance,” Mike Hamilton, a former CISO for the City of Seattle who is now the founder and CISO at security firm Critical Insight, recently told Dice.
Whatever your specialization, there’s clearly a good deal of hunger out there for tech talent. However, employers aren’t just looking for anyone; in a “hot” job market, mastering key tools and focusing on certain technologies can boost your chances of landing a position you truly love.
