St. Louis’ technology workforce expanded slightly in 2022, but its pace of growth trailed several Midwest cities, according to new data published by industry trade group CompTIA.
Technology employment in the St. Louis region grew 0.3% year over year in 2022 to 73,485 jobs, per data in CompTIA’s 2023 State of the Tech Workforce report. St. Louis’ technology workforce makes up 5.2% of the region’s workforce and generates an economic impact of $13 billion, accounting for 7.1% of the region’s economic impact.
The biggest concentration of technology jobs in St. Louis are involved software, programming and web positions, which account for 16,319 jobs. Other roles making up a sizable portion of the local technology workforce include IT support specialists and repair technicians, totaling 8,251 jobs, and 7,397 jobs for network engineers and architects. The estimated median wage for technology workers in St. Louis is $83.545, which CompTIA’s data said is 97% higher than the median wage for all jobs in the region.
The 2022 jobs figures mark a return to growth for St. Louis’ technology sector. Employment dipped by nearly 1,000 jobs year over year in 2021, to 73,268 from employment of 74,214 in 2020. CompTIA’s report projects continued growth for the sector locally in 2023, projecting 1% growth, which would add 771 jobs.
St. Louis ranks at No. 26 for the size of its technology workforce among U.S. metropolitan markets, according to CompTIA’s data. It ranks lower, No. 44, among U.S. markets for jobs added in 2022. While St. Louis’ technology workforce grew in 2022, the increase trailed several Midwestern cities. Year-over-year growth rates in other Midwest markets were:
- Kansas City: +2.8%, with total technology employment of 74,404
- Indianapolis: +2.1%, with total technology employment of 57,055
- Nashville, +6.3, with total technology employment of 52,768
- Cincinnati: +1.5, with total technology employment of 53,453
- Milwaukee, +0.5, with total technology employment of 46,124
- Chicago, +1.4 with total technology employment of 245,390
Emily Hemingway, executive director of local technology council TechSTL, said that while CompTIA’s job figures don’t show significant job growth, the data highlights a “massive talent migration," related to the amount of job postings by companies for technology roles. CompTIA’s report said there were 42,100 technology jobs postings in St. Louis in 2022.
“No matter what, the message is clear that our tech workforce is in the midst of a massive transition in the wake of the pandemic, which presents a number of opportunities for our regional network to make some strategic changes,” Hemingway said.
TechSTL has focused on boosting St. Louis’ technology workforce, setting a goal last year of doubling technology employment locally. Hemingway said TechSTL held a workforce strategy session March 23 in the Cortex innovation district with 45 workforce partners and officials from CompTIA to discuss the region’s technology job figures, while also “reviewing programs, data, and tactics to expand the tech talent pipeline.”
"CompTIA is thrilled to partner with TechSTL as it works to build a pipeline for tech talent in the region and applauds its efforts thus far in fostering collaboration between academia, government workforce and employers as they build out training and education programs for careers in tech," said CompTIA Chief Solutions Officer Nancy Hammervik, who attended the March 23 workforce strategy session.
