First the good news: The overall amount of tech jobs in Kentucky is expected to rise in 2023 by 2.3% from the previous year, with an overall addition of 1,476 tech-related jobs across the commonwealth, according to data released by trade group CompTIA under its recent State of the Tech Workforce 2023 report. It will be the fourth consecutive year with an increase.
Now, the not-so-good news: With 64,719 total tech jobs, Kentucky ranks 31st in the country in that category — and 33rd in overall jobs added in 2022. Furthermore, only 3.2% of the state’s workforce works in the tech industry, placing it 41st in that national ranking. Additionally, there was nearly a 50/50 split of those total jobs between tech industry jobs (39,690) and tech occupation jobs (39,289).
From a national perspective, there are 9.2 million tech workers with a 3% projected increase of jobs in 2023 with 272,323. The largest sector of workers in the U.S. can be found in the software, programming, web and quality assurance space with 2.1 million.
The biggest sector of the tech workforce in Kentucky is composed of employees in the software, programming, web and quality assurance space with 10,849 jobs in 2022. That category also has the biggest projected growth in 2023 at 4.3%.
IT support specialists and repair technicians made up the next largest group with 8,242, followed by network engineers, architects, and support team members with 6,573.
The report, which listed that the commonwealth had 7,242 tech business establishments, also stated that with a median annual wage of $71,339, that tech workers made an average of 90% more than Kentucky’s median wage.
On the diversity front, women make up 28% of Kentucky’s tech workforce, compared to 48% in all other professions. In addition, 7% of the state’s tech workforce is Black (9% in all other professions) and 2% was Hispanic/Latino (4% in all other professions). The state received a 33 on the report’s diversity index. For reference, the U.S. as a whole had a 59 on the index with its tech workforce composed of 26% women, 8% who are Black and 8% who are Hispanic/Latino.
In the Hoosier State
The findings were a bit more positive for Indiana, which has a reported 9,299 business tech establishments. With 118,872 total tech jobs, the state ranked 24th in the country — and 22nd in tech jobs added, with a projected 3,493 jobs in 2023.
Similar to Kentucky, Indiana’s largest group of tech workers can be found in the software, programming, web and quality assurance space with 21,511; followed by IT support specialists and repair technicians with 14,522; and network engineers, architects, and support team members with 12,515.
The average tech worker in Indiana makes $77,140, which is 95% higher than the state’s median wage.
Additionally, Indiana received a diversity index score of 38, with 29% women (48% in all other professions), 7% who are Black (9% in all other professions) and 4% who are Hispanic/Latino (7% in all other professions).
To comprise its reports, CompTIA used several sources including Lightcast, which specializes in labor market analytics, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
