TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 27, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Technology-related employment in Florida grew by an estimated 12,020 jobs in 2017 and the industry contributed $63.5 billion to the state’s economy, according to Cyberstates™ 2018, the definitive annual analysis of the nation’s tech industry published today by CompTIA, the world’s leading technology industry association.

Florida also made a big jump in its Cyberstates Innovation Score, placing 2^nd this year, up from 23^rd a year ago. This ranking is based on a state-by-state per capita analysis of new tech patents awarded, tech startups and new tech business establishments.

With 539,100 workers, Florida ranks 4^th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in net tech employment.¹ The Florida tech workforce makes up 5.7 percent of the state’s total workforce. The average tech industry wage in Florida is $89,660; 87 percent higher than the state’s average private sector annual wage of $47,880.

The tech sector is responsible for an estimated 7.4 percent ($63.5 billion) of the overall economy in Florida. The number of tech business establishments in the state grew by 3.6 percent in 2017, and now totals an estimated 31,835.

Florida saw a 64.5 percent increase from 2016 to 2017 in the number of job postings related to emerging technologies – such as the Internet of Things, smart cities, drones, artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality and augmented reality, and blockchain. While these positions accounted for a small percentage of total tech job postings, it’s an indication of where organizations are headed with the technology investments.

The strongest year-over-year job growth occurred in the category of packaged software (+ 6.6 percent); IT services and custom software services (+ 4.4 percent); and R&D, testing and engineering services (3 percent).

Cyberstates 2018 (#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 2017 are subject to change as government data is revised and updated. The complete Cyberstates 2018 report, with complete national, state and metropolitan level data, is available at http://www.cyberstates.org/

About CompTIA 
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $4.8 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the technology professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the global economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

Contact:
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA         
sostrowski@comptia.org­      
630-678-8468

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

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SOURCE CompTIA