California has long laid claim as the Mecca of high-tech jobs. A changing economy and stiffer competition is changing that. Michigan West Virginia, Utah, South Carolina and Washington D.C. are quickly becoming attractive to new graduates. In fact, all five of these states out ranked California for technology job growth.
A Downhill Slide
The decline in California IT jobs is not a new development. Two years ago, the Milken Institute, blamed an unfavorable business climate for losses of 23 percent in high tech manufacturing in California. The organization blamed high taxes, excessive regulation and government spending for the decline. If California isn't friendly to technology businesses, other states are certainly willing to step in and take the role of business mentors. States previously known for their traditional manufacturing prowess are now becoming contenders for software development, high tech manufacturing and other technology jobs.
Where Tech Graduates Are Finding Work
According to the TechAmerica Foundation, Michigan brought in more technology jobs than any other state between 2009 and 2010. Adding 2,700 jobs, the state increased its technology sector by 2 percent while the country as a whole eliminated more than 115,000 technology positions. Many of these jobs are in software and research, high-paying technology sectors. According to the foundation, the average tech worker made $86,800 in 2010, almost double the average wage of other private sector jobs.
Despite being left behind in the area of growth, California still holds strong as the state with the most technology workers, with almost 1,000,000 tech employees, about double the number of its nearest competitor, Texas. Other states with strong technology sectors include New York, Virginia and Florida.
Which Companies Are Hiring and Who They Are Hiring
Who will be hiring these graduates? Likely one of the 25 fastest growing technology companies. These include well-known leaders such as Apple and Google, but also more obscure companies like semiconductor maker First Solar and Internet software providers like Salesforce.com. These companies need technology professionals from many backgrounds including Web development, applications development, cloud computing, and more.
CNN says that Software Developers, Information Technology Consultant, database administrators, Business Systems Analyst, software engineers, system administrators and Web developers will have the most jobs available to them as these fields grow in the coming years. These jobs pay approximately $60,000 - $80,000 per year, making them smart choices for new graduates of technology colleges.
Sources:
- http://www.techamericafoundation.org/cyberstates
- http://www.forbes.com/2011/02/16/apple-google-data-technology-fast-tech.html
- http://www.socaltech.com/report__california_losing_manufacturing__high-tech_jobs/s-0022405.html
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