DENVER, March 27, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Employment in Colorado’s technology industry increased by an estimated 6,530 jobs in 2017 and the industry’s contribution to the state’s economy climbed to more than $43 billion, 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.

In 2017 tech employment in Colorado grew by 2.3 percent, the 10^th highest rate in the country. With 285,300 workers, Colorado ranks 15^th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in net tech employment.¹

The tech sector is responsible for an estimated 14 percent ($43.4 billion) of the overall economy in Colorado, which is home to some 16,563 tech business establishments.

“Colorado’s collaborative, innovative tech community continues to propel the state’s economy,” said Monica Coughlin, Interim President and CEO at Colorado Technology Association. “We see it every day working with partners and leaders, and CompTIA’s research highlights the immense impact tech has on Colorado’s success.”

The Colorado tech workforce makes up 9.7 percent of the state’s total workforce. The average tech industry wage in Colorado is $110,550; 98 percent higher than the state’s average private sector annual wage of $55,710.

Colorado’s Cyberstates Innovation Score places the state 9^th, down from its 4^th place ranking last year. This ranking is based on a state-by-state per capita analysis of new tech patents awarded, tech startups and new tech business establishments.

Colorado saw a 44.3 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 indicates where organizations are headed with the technology investments.

The strongest year-over-year job growth occurred in the category of IT services and custom software services (+ 4.8 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/

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

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:
Preston Grisham
CompTIA
pgrisham@comptia.org
202-682-4458

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SOURCE CompTIA