State of the Tech Workforce 2026: Trends, Job Growth, and Future Opportunities

CompTIA’s State of the Tech Workforce 2026 report offers a detailed look at the tech workforce, tech hiring trends, and job market opportunities across the U.S. It breaks down technology employment statistics, tech job growth, tech salaries, and tech jobs by state and metro area into a clearer picture of where the market stands in 2026. The report combines national, state, and metro-level data to help readers understand the size, scope, and direction of the tech workforce. 

Some highlights from this year’s report:  

Exploring the 2026 tech jobs market 

After a modest dip in 2025, the tech workforce is expected to expand again in 2026. Net tech employment in the U.S. was an estimated 9.6 million workers in 2025, down about 0.3% (roughly 33,600 fewer workers) from the prior year. In 2026, net tech employment is projected to grow by 1.9%, reaching about 9.8 million workers. On the occupation side, tech roles across all industries are forecast to grow by 2.2%, roughly 128,000 additional tech jobs in a single year.   

Looking longer term, projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Lightcast indicate: 

• Tech occupations will grow at about twice the rate of overall employment in the U.S. economy over the next decade.   
• The replacement rate in tech – workers retiring or leaving the field – will average around 6% per year, or about 323,000 workers annually, creating steady hiring needs even before new growth is factored in. 

Tech growth projections for 2026 might fall short if overall economic conditions weaken, leading businesses to cut or delay technology spending. Geopolitical instability, supply chain disruptions, or new regulations could slow the rollout of new tech infrastructure. Other factors impacting the forecast could be further disruption/displacement of existing jobs by emerging technologies or lower than expected ROI/lower user adoption of emerging technologies.  

Economic impact data further corroborates the vital importance of tech. As a percentage of the U.S. economy, the tech industry accounts for an estimated 8.7% of direct economic value, which translates to over $2 trillion and spans approximately 705,800 tech business establishments across the country.  

Tech jobs are widely distributed 

All 50 states and the District of Columbia are projected to see tech employment gains in 2026.   

•  The top 10 metro areas employ about 3.4 million tech workers, but significant tech hubs now exist well beyond Silicon Valley and New York—spanning places like Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando, Raleigh, Phoenix, and more.   
• Some states and metros are especially tech‑dense. Nationally, tech workers make up about 5.8% of the workforce. Washington leads states in tech employment concentration at 9.3%, followed by the District of Columbia (9.0%), Virginia (8.6%), Colorado (8.2%), and Massachusetts (8.0%). At the metro level, San Jose stands out: tech accounts for an estimated 27% of total employment in the region.  

In terms of sheer volume, California remains the largest tech employment state with an estimated 1.46 million tech workers in 2025, while Texas, Florida, New York and Washington are poised for the biggest absolute gains in 2026. 

Wages in tech remain strong 

Across all tech occupations covered in the report, the median U.S. tech wage is estimated at $112,805 (2024). That’s about 126% higher than the median wage across all U.S. occupations.  At the state level, tech median wages typically run from ~80% to 165% higher than each state’s median overall wage. For example:   

• California: $145,604 (≈165% above state median)   
• Maryland: $126,564 (≈125% above state median)   
• Texas: $111,582 (≈136% above state median)   

Even in lower‑cost states such as Mississippi or South Dakota, tech wages still come in at ~80%+ above the state median.  

Assessing the impact of artificial intelligence 

Three years into the generative AI era, the report offers a more grounded view of how AI is affecting jobs: 

• AI is driving strong hiring demand for both skills and specialized roles. The most significant job impact of AI at this point is the demand for AI skills across many job titles.  
• Dedicated AI roles (e.g., AI engineers, AI architects) have grown rapidly—up 81% year‑over‑year—though they still represent a small share of all tech hiring and are typically concentrated in large enterprises.  
• Over 275,000 active U.S. job postings in January 2026 referenced AI skills.   

The top sectors in terms of hiring for AI skills are the Tech sector, Professional, Scientific, Engineering Services sector, Finance and Insurance, and Manufacturing, which make up the top 5 sectors.  

For more detailed data, check out the full State of the Tech Workforce 2026 report.