The Seattle area had the sixth-most IT positions per capita in the U.S. in 2020, according to a study published Thursday by the VPN and cybersecurity research website VPNOverview.com.
The study, which used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found the Seattle area had 402.6 IT positions per 10,000 people. The state of Washington, meanwhile, had the second-highest number of IT jobs per capita of any U.S. state and the District of Columbia, with 251.8 positions per 10,000 people.
"The demand for IT support is growing, and jobs and salaries in IT are rising to meet it," the report read. "Across the U.S., IT jobs are some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid positions. And while California and Silicon Valley might be the locations that come to mind when you think about IT and tech jobs, positions are also booming in Washington, Virginia, Colorado, and Washington, D.C., among others."
The report found Silicon Valley had the most IT jobs per capita of any metro area in the U.S., with 705.6 positions per 10,000 people. A pair of smaller cities with large employers came next in the rankings: Cedar Rapids, Iowa (home of Collins Aerospace), was second with 525.8, and Bloomington, Illinois (home of State Farm Insurance), was third with 502.6.
The San Francisco area, meanwhile, failed to crack the top 10, as the city had just over 320 IT positions per 10,000 people, according to the report. Austin had 298.6.
The District of Columbia came in first with 581.1 IT positions per 10,000 residents. After the state of Washington, Virginia came in third with 240.2. California, meanwhile, came in 10th with 156.2.
VPNOverview also broke down the average salaries for various jobs within IT. The highest-paid job within IT was computer and information research scientist at $129,000 per year on average, while computer network architect came in second at $112,000. Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers all tied for third with an average salary of $106,000.
