Tech workforce growth of 1.9% and 185,000 new positions forecast for this year

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Technology employment across the United States is forecast to grow at a moderate rate this year, according to the “State of the Tech Workforce 2026” report published by CompTIA, the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certifications.

CompTIA estimates net tech employment will grow by 1.9% in 2026, creating 185,499 new jobs, which would increase the size of the nation’s tech labor force to nearly 9.8 million workers.^[1] In 2025, net tech employment decreased 0.3%, resulting in approximately 33,624 fewer jobs.

“While our forecast reflects the most up-to-date data available at this time, we acknowledge that many factors, domestic and international, known and unknown, may impact economic conditions and labor markets,” said Seth Robinson, vice president, industry research, CompTIA. “Still, the fundamentals of tech employment remain on solid footing. As companies continue to invest in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, infrastructure and other areas, they will also need skilled tech professionals to make those investments pay off.”

Over the next 10 years tech occupation employment is expected to grow at about twice the rate of overall U.S. employment. Several occupations are projected to grow at even higher rates, including data scientists and analysts (420%), cybersecurity analysts and engineers (346%) and software developers and engineers (188%).

All 50 states and the District of Columbia are projected to experience tech employment job gains in 2026, with 25 states expected to surpass or match the projected national growth rate of 1.9%.

The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the tech job market continues to evolve. Employer hiring activity as measured by job postings reveals a market increasingly dominated by AI skills hiring. In January 2026, more than 275,000 active job postings referenced a need for some level of AI skills. This included dedicated AI positions, such as AI engineers or AI architects, and jobs that required AI fluency and the ability to utilize and optimize AI tools to perform tasks and boost productivity.

At nearly 150 pages, CompTIA’s “State of the Tech Workforce 2026” is the most comprehensive source of data on the size and scope of the U.S. technology industry and workforce. The report is available at https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/research/state-of-the-tech-workforce-2026/.

About CompTIA
CompTIA, Inc. is the world’s leading provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products. CompTIA unlocks potential in millions of aspiring technology professionals and careers changers. Working in partnership with thousands of academic institutions and training providers, CompTIA helps students build career-ready skills through best-in-class learning solutions, industry-recognized certifications and career resources. Learn more at https://www.comptia.org/.

Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
[email protected]
630-678-8468

¹ CompTIA’s net tech employment designation includes two primary components: technology professionals working in technical positions across every industry sector in the U.S. economy; and business professionals employed by technology companies. For further explanation, see page 5 of the report.

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SOURCE CompTIA