Colorado’s Tech Industry Totals 158,100 Jobs
Colorado Slips from 1st to 3rd in Concentration of High-Tech Workers

Broomfield, CO (April 24, 2007) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association with 2,500 member companies representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released its 10th anniversary Cyberstates report detailing national and state trends in high-tech employment, wages, and other key economic factors. The report, Cyberstates 2007: A Complete State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, covers all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Colorado's high-tech industry employment edged downward by 1,700 or about one percent to 158,100 in 2005, the most current state data available. This decline caused Colorado's tech concentration in the workforce to drop to 3rd place from 1st place, a ranking it held for the previous nine years. Colorado was surpassed by Virginia in 2005, where 8.9 percent of workers are in the tech industry compared to 8.6 percent for Colorado.

The report reveals that Colorado's tech industry continues to compensate its workers extremely well, earning on average $80,200 or 93 percent more than the average private sector worker.

Despite declines in net high-tech manufacturing jobs in 2005, impressive gains occurred in sectors like R&D and testing labs (+2,600 jobs), computer systems design and related services (+2,200 jobs), and engineering services (+1,500 jobs).

“Colorado’s tech industry remains a critical component of our state’s growing economy,” said Jessica Wright, Executive Director, AeA Mountain States Council. “The recent increase in average tech wages demonstrates this sector is strong and contributes significantly to our economy. We should make it a top priority to maintain our high concentration of tech workers beginning with a heightened focus on math and science in our school curricula to ensure our university students have the background they need to go into engineering and science. This helps provide us with a talented future labor pool.”

Nationally, Cyberstates 2007 shows that the high-tech industry is picking up. High-tech employment was up by 146,600 out of 5.8 million workers in 2006, the second year in a row that the U.S. tech industry has added jobs.

This 10th edition of Cyberstates provides a comprehensive review of the high-tech industry nationally and state-by-state in terms of high-tech employment, wages, payroll, and establishments. Cyberstates also offers data on venture capital investments and R&D expenditures.

A national and state-by-state analysis of the technology industry and international trade will appear in a forthcoming AeA report entitled Trade in the Cyberstates 2007: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech International Trade.

AeA members can purchase Cyberstates 2007 for $125; non-members for $250. Visit www.aeanet.org/cyberstates to download the report, or call 408.987.4200.

What Does High Tech Mean for Colorado?

• 158,100 high-tech workers (13th ranked cyberstate)
   

• 1,700 jobs lost between 2004 and 2005
   

• High-tech firms employed 86 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2005, ranked 3rd nationwide
   

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $80,200 (7th ranked), or 93 percent more than Colorado's average private sector wage
   

• A high-tech payroll of $12.7 billion in 2005, ranked 12th nationwide
   

• 10,900 high-tech establishments in 2005, ranked 11th nationwide
   

• Venture capital investments of $622 million in 2006, down 5 percent from $654 million in 2005
   

• R&D expenditures of $5.5 billion in 2004, ranked 17th nationwide

Colorado’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 5th in software publishers employment with 12,800 jobs
   

• 7th in computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing employment with 8,400 jobs
   

• 9th in engineering services employment with 28,600 jobs

Source: Cyberstates 2007

Data are for 2005 unless otherwise noted.

2005 state data are the most current available for employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and industry sector jobs.

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 with 2,500 member companies 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 04/23/07.  
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