Dive Brief:

• Tech employment in the U.S. has reached about 11.5 million workers, adding about 200,000 jobs annually, according to ComTIA's Cybserstates 2018 report. "Technology occupations" are driving job growth, and jobs in software accounted for one-third of jobs from 2010 to 2017.

• California accounts for almost one-fourth of the "national tech sector payroll" and nearly 20% of tech workers, according to the report. Technology wages in California far exceed the national average for tech salaries, $112,900, with an average annual wage of almost $170,000. And because the state accounts for such a large amount of tech sector employment, it significantly increases the national average of technology wages. 

• California, Texas and New York have the highest tech-related employment. Of the Big Apple's 639,500 tech jobs, 82,400 serve as software and web developers, according to the report.

Dive Insight:

Though Silicon Valley is the mothership of tech innovation and talent, tech jobs continue to span across the U.S. The cost of living on the golden coast is swaying potential hires elsewhere, leading some workers to migrate to other tech havens, such as Seattle, Austin, TX, and Washington, D.C

When adjusted for the cost of living in the Bay Area, cities like Austin followed by Seattle outpace salaries in Silicon Valley. The cost is driving away 41% of tech workers who feel they are undercompensated compared to the cost of living.

But there will always be a need for tech talent, especially in software development. Already the development field has a low turnover rate, and when the average salary is $111,640, it's not hard to understand why.

Still, despite tech professionals continuing to enter the workforce, there are deterrents that could hinder the hiring process. Applicants want a "clearly defined" job description coupled with an employer's willingness to listen.