Virginia Now Has the Highest Concentration of Technology Workers in the Nation, AeA Says
Second Straight Year of Fast Job Growth Vaults Virginia Past Colorado

Washington, DC (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.

As a percentage of the overall private sector workforce, Virginia surpassed Colorado as the state with the highest concentration of tech workers in the country in 2005, the most current state data available. Nearly nine percent of Virginia’s private sector workers are employed in the technology industry, more than in any other state. These tech industry jobs pay 99 percent more than the average annual wage of Virginia’s private sector.

Virginia continues to show some of the fastest tech industry job growth in the country – ranking 4th nationwide – adding 7,700 jobs for a total of 261,000 in 2005. And among the 10 largest cyberstates by total tech employment, Virginia was second by rate of growth, 3.0 percent between 2004 and 2005.

Virginia’s 261,000 tech workers place the state 5th in the country in total tech industry employment, having passed Massachusetts and now solidifying its spot in the top five states by tech employment.

Virginia’s growth is overwhelmingly attributable to its high-tech services sectors. The state’s largest sector is computer systems design and related services which employs 108,800 people, up 3,900 jobs in 2005. Engineering services is the state’s second largest sector with 50,800 employees, a 3,300 rise in net jobs. And while most states continue to shed telecommunications jobs, Virginia still counts this as its third largest sector with 35,900 employees, up 300 jobs in 2005.

"The high-tech industry in Virginia is thriving,” said William T. Archey, President and CEO, AeA. "For the past several years we have watched the state closely as it has continued to outpace the country in job creation. It was only a matter of time before Virginia rose to become the state with the most high-tech workers as a percentage of the overall private sector workforce. Colorado held that distinction for each of the previous nine years we have published Cyberstates. But now Virginia’s time has come. For those across the country who don’t think of Virginia as a high-tech state – they need to look again.”

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 Virginia?

• 261,000 high-tech workers (5th ranked cyberstate)
   
• 7,700 jobs added between 2004 and 2005
   
• High-tech firms employed 89 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2005, ranked 1st nationwide
   
• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $83,600 (5th ranked), or 99 percent more than Virginia's average private sector wage
   
• A high-tech payroll of $21.8 billion in 2005, ranked 4th nationwide
   
• 13,900 high-tech establishments in 2005, ranked 6th nationwide
   
• Venture capital investments of $368 million in 2006, ranked 12th nationwide
   
• R&D expenditures of $7.9 billion in 2004, ranked 13th nationwide

Virginia’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 2nd in computer systems design and related systems employment with 108,800 jobs
   
• 4th in engineering services employment with 50,800 jobs
   
• 5th in internet services employment with 20,100 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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