Salt Lake City’s Tech Employment Totals 34,300
Tech Employment in Salt Lake City Jumped by 2,300, 3rd Fastest Growth in Nation

Broomfield, CO (June 24, 2008) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released Cybercities 2008: An Overview of the High-Technology Industry in the Nation's Top 60 Cities. This detailed report tracks trends in high-tech employment, wages, establishments, payroll, employment concentration, and wage differential at the metropolitan level.

Salt Lake City’s high-tech industry added 2,300 jobs, a seven percent increase, for an industry total of 34,300 in 2006. This was the third fastest growth rate in the country and the second consecutive year of job growth. These are high paying jobs earning $59,600, 55 percent more then the average private sector wage of $38,400.

The largest high-tech sector in Salt Lake City was computer systems design and related services, with 8,800 employees in 2006. This was an increase of 1,300 jobs from the previous year in this sector, greatly contributing to the growth in the local industry. Telecommunications services were the next largest sector, employing 4,400 in 2006.

“Salt Lake City’s tech industry grew significantly over the past two years,” said Matthew Kazmierczak, Vice President, Research and Industry Analysis, AeA. “This growth is driven in part by our great universities which provide a strong pipeline of skilled workers. However, we need more and more college students to study engineering and science, but fewer of them are prepared to major in these fields as in the past. In order to change this, we need improve our K-12 education so that our children have a strong foundation in math and science.”

Cybercities 2008 shows that the top five cybercities by high-tech employment in 2006 were the New York Metro Area, Washington, DC, San Jose/Silicon Valley, Boston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The nation’s highest tech industry concentration was in San Jose/Silicon Valley, where more than one in four private sector workers were employed by the tech industry. Seattle saw the largest tech industry employment growth, adding 7,800 jobs in 2006.

Later this summer, AeA will release Trade in the Cyberstates 2008: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech International Trade. That report will look at the most recent data on high-tech exports from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

AeA members can purchase Cybercities 2008 for $125; non-members for $250.  Visit www.aeanet.org/cybercities to download the report, or call 408.987.4200. 

What Does High Tech Mean for Salt Lake City?

• 34,300 high-tech workers in 2006 (33rd ranked cybercity)
   

• Seven percent job growth between 2005 and 2006 (3rd ranked cybercity)
   

• High-tech firms employed 67 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2006 (25th ranked cybercity)
   

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $59,600 (57th ranked), or 55 percent more than Salt Lake City’s average private sector wage
   

• A high-tech payroll of $2.0 billion in 2006 (37th ranked cybercity)
   

• 2,400 high-tech establishments in 2006 (28th ranked cybercity)

Salt Lake City’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 23rd in Internet services employment with 4,300 jobs
   

• 30th in computer systems design and related services employment with 8,800 jobs

Notes:

Salt Lake City = Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele Counties.

Data are for 2006 unless otherwise noted.

2006 data are the most current available for employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and industry sector jobs.

Source: Cybercities 2008

Published by AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology (www.aeanet.org)

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About AeA

AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association, representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line. We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit http://www.aeanet.org.   

This page was last updated on 06/20/08.            
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