Top 10 States for IT Jobs

Despite disappointing employment growth in the U.S. as a whole — the unemployment rate is at 6.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — the IT job market is faring better with an unemployment rate of only 3.3 percent. Where are these jobs? Based on CompTIA’s IT Industry Outlook 2014 report, BLS data and reports from Payscale.com, we’ve ranked the top 10 states for IT job seekers.

We also include each state’s median salary based on data from Payscale and Computer and Mathematical Occupations as listed by the BLS (occupations include computer and information research scientists, systems analysts, information security analysts, computer programmer, software developers, Web developers, database administrators, network and systems administrators, network architects, user support specialists, and network support specialists).

Not surprising, considering the prominence of Silicon Valley in the IT market, California takes the top spot. CompTIA reports that California is home to the largest number of IT firms, with more than 34,000. And, according to Payscale data, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara corridor offers some of the top salaries in the field with a median income of $109,000.

[ Top 10 Silicon Valley Tech Job Trends ]

With Dell headquartered in Round Rock, it’s not surprising to find Texas near the top of the list. But there are 24,121 other IT firms in the Lone Star State with the median income reported by Payscale at $77,900 for the Dallas-Ft. Worth-Arlington metro area and $77,200 for the Round Rock area.

Though best-known for a certain mouse and associated tourist attractions, Florida’s also becoming a technology hot spot. Technology distributor Tech Data is headquartered in Tampa, and CompTIA reports an additional 21,517 IT firms in the Sunshine State. The median income is $70,930 based on data listed by the BLS for Computer and Mathematical Occupations.

There are 19,856 IT firms in Illinois, most located along Interstate 88 that winds through suburban Chicago. Home to Alcatel-Lucent as well as a Microsoft regional office, the median income for the region is approximately $79,800 based on data listed by the BLS for Computer and Mathematical Occupations.

Sure, the Big Apple is crawling with IT firms, but the 18,645 tech companies CompTIA says are located statewide aren’t all located in the city that never sleeps. The emerging tech corridor in Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown boasts a median income of $80,700 for IT pros based on BLS data, so don’t limit your job search to ‘The City.’

Arlington and Alexandria are two of Virginia’s bedroom communities for the tech- and government-heavy city of Washington, D.C., and the metro area boasts a median income of $82,100 based on data listed by the BLS for Computer and Mathematical Occupations. There are 15,851 IT firms statewide, according to CompTIA.

Atlanta is a major technology hub, though statewide CompTIA reports 12,995 tech firms in Georgia. The companies range from mobile device application firms to SEO and social media companies, and the median income is $76,060 based on data listed by the BLS for Computer and Mathematical Occupations.

New York’s much-maligned neighbor is a tech haven in and of itself, without many of the commuting headaches. There are 12,677 IT firms in the Garden State, not to mention the presence of major healthcare and pharmaceutical firms and colleges. And the median income isn’t too shabby, either, at $79,700 based on data listed by the BLS for Computer and Mathematical Occupations.

Motorola, Google and SAP are just three of the 11,057 tech employers in the Keystone State, and the Technology Council of Pennsylvania is dedicated to growing this number and expanding the concentration of these firms beyond the major metro areas of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Median income is $75,660 based on data listed by the BLS for Computer and Mathematical Occupations.

The Tech Triangle region of the Tarheel State is home to IBM, SAS and other top, global tech firms; totaling 10,980 statewide. Anchored by Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill metro areas in addition to Cary, the median income for the region is $76,100 based on data listed by the BLS for Computer and Mathematical Occupations.