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New Report Offers Insights into Montana Technology Industry

Mar 27, 2018

CompTIA Cyberstates 2018 report shows growth in tech employment; $2 billion contribution to state’s economy

Helena, Montana – Technology-related employment in Montana grew by 2.6 percent in 2017, 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.

The tech sector is responsible for an estimated 4.4 percent ($2 billion) of the overall economy in Montana, which is home to an estimated 2,100 tech business establishments.

With an estimated 22,600 tech workers, Montana ranks 47th in net tech employment.[1] Tech workers make up 4.2 percent of the state’s total workforce. The average tech industry wage in Montana is $70,850; 71 percent higher than the state’s average annual private sector wage of $41,370.

Montana saw a 21.3 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 categories of packaged software (+ 20.1 percent) and IT services and custom software services (+ 6.7 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
[email protected]­
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.