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U.S. Tech Workers By the Numbers
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The percentage of tech workers in the American workforce stayed constant from 2010 to 2011 at 5.2%, according to a new survey on demographics, occupation, and earnings. The Computerworld IT Salary Survey 2012 defined "tech worker" as anyone in computer, engineering, and science occupations. Washington, D.C. had the highest proportion of techies in its workforce at 10.3%, followed by Maryland (8.6%) and Virginia (7.8%), due in large part to their proximity to the federal government. Massachusetts had the highest percent of tech workers outside the D.C. area at 7.5%, followed by Washington state and Colorado, each at 7.4%.
Median earnings for computer and math jobs rose 2.8% between 2010 and 2011 to $70,594, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data includes salaries for occupations like math teachers and statisticians as well as those working in IT. While that may sound somewhat limited, it's a larger increase than the 1.7% for all computer, engineering, and science occupations and 1.2% for U.S. jobs across all sectors.
Women holding computer and math jobs earned 85% of what their male counterparts did, with median earnings of $62,155 vs. $70,594. That's down from 89% in 2010. However, it's not clear from this data whether that's because more women tend to hold lower-paying jobs within those fields; whether they have fewer average years in the workforce; or whether there is unequal pay for similar work.
From CIO
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