INTRODUCTION
2026 NC STIR
North Carolina State of Technology
2026 Industry Report + State Rankings
North Carolina’s State of the Technology Industry Report is now in its twelfth year. First produced in January 2015, the report tracks and highlights trends in one of North Carolina’s most important and growing industries. It identifies results that provide cause for celebration for NC TECH members, as well as issues that affect the state’s competitiveness and should gain the attention of North Carolina’s state and local policymakers. NC TECH has committed to conducting this research annually.
This 2026 report presents final statistics for the tech sector in 2024, including facts, trends, and insights into North Carolina’s technology industry. Tech’s performance in the state is benchmarked against other states and national trends. The report provides information for companies considering headquarters relocation, operations establishment, or expansion. It also serves as a resource for policymakers, innovation-sector organizations, the economic development community, and the media. First and foremost, the report highlights the vibrancy and significant economic impact of North Carolina’s technology sector.
NC TECH was founded more than thirty years ago, in 1993, with a mission to advance North Carolina’s technology sector. Today, NC TECH has more than 700 members, including the state’s leading technology companies, organizations, and institutions. The organization brings its members together around the business of technology through peer interaction, educational programming, information sharing, relationship building, and networking. NC TECH is the go-to organization for policymakers on issues affecting the tech sector and supports the development of world-class, well-educated students and workers to help make North Carolina a favored home for globally competitive companies.
North Carolina Technology Industry Summary Statistics, 2024
| Indicator | Technology Industry | State Total | State Total Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Employees |
328,414 |
4,901,212 |
6.7% |
|
Establishments |
35,173 |
376,577 |
9.3% |
|
Wages (millions) |
$44,842 |
$371,791 |
12.1% |
|
Sales (millions) |
$136,092 |
$1,194,760 |
11.4% |
Source: EL estimates based on Lightcast 2025.4
NC TECH contracted with Economic Leadership, a North Carolina–based firm, to once again create and build the State of the Technology Industry Report. For this report, the technology industry is broken down into four subcategories:
(1) Information Technology, Telecom, Hardware, and Software
(2) Energy Technology
(3) Environmental Technology, and
(4) Life Sciences.
This methodology was established for the inaugural report based on several definitions of the tech industry—primarily the TechAmerica Foundation’s Technology Industry Classification—and has remained consistent each year for all State of the Technology Industry reports. A full accounting of the categories is provided in the appendix. Keeping the methodology consistent and transparent over twelve years allows for meaningful trend analysis over time.
The technology sector, long a driver of national economic expansion and global competitiveness, enters 2026 navigating a more complicated landscape. Geopolitical and regulatory uncertainties continue to shape business decisions. Even so, fields such as artificial intelligence, agricultural technology, and quantum computing continue to generate a steady stream of new products and research breakthroughs. Despite these challenges, the tech industry in North Carolina continued to grow from 2023 to 2024 across all four subcategory groups.
North Carolina’s Technology Industry by Sub-Categories, 2024
| Technology Categories | Employment, 2024 | Employment Change, 2023-2024 | Employment Change, 2019-2024 | Establishments, 2024 | Sales, 2024 (millions) | National Location Quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Energy Tech |
14,756 |
0.4% |
10.7% |
697 |
$13,494 |
0.46 |
|
Environmental Tech |
24,879 |
6.7% |
-4.7% |
2,140 |
$6,056 |
0.94 |
|
Life Sciences |
112,690 |
2.2% |
25.3% |
7,883 |
$49,723 |
1.13 |
|
IT |
176,089 |
0.7% |
20.5% |
24,453 |
$66,818 |
1.03 |
|
Total Tech |
328,414 |
1.6% |
19.2% |
35,173 |
$136,092 |
1.02 |
Source: EL estimates based on Lightcast 2025.4
Note: Some values may not add to the exact total due to rounding.
This report looks beyond the companies classified within the tech industry; it also analyzes data on tech occupations employed across all industries. In addition, North Carolina is compared with other states on metrics that evaluate the broader tech ecosystem, such as venture capital funding and research and development spending.