Section 05: Tech Occupations
Tech Occupation
State Comparisons
The next group of charts focuses on tech occupations
This category represents workers who perform tech roles regardless of the industry in which they are employed.
When compared with the other states and the national average, North Carolina ranks #12 in tech occupations, with a location quotient of 1.06
Again, this indicates a diverse economy that includes—but is not intensively dependent on—tech workers.
Tech Occupations Employment Concentration, 2024
Tech Occupations Job Change, 2019-2024
Tech occupations grew by more than 33%, nearly double the national average
With this high growth, North Carolina has consistently ranked in the top 15 states for this metric in recent years and moved up to a 1st-place ranking in this year’s analysis.
North Carolina’s tech occupations are expected to grow by 8.5% by 2030
This ranks the state #13 in predicted growth. Naturally, the growth potential becomes smaller as the overall size of the tech workforce increases. North Carolina’s expected growth rate is above the national average.
Expected Tech Occupations Change, 2025-2030
Median Annual Earnings For Tech Occupations, 2024
The typical tech worker in North Carolina earns around $103,350 a year when adjusted for state-level purchasing power
When evaluating tech occupations, median annual earnings data are available. In contrast, the tech industry analysis relies on average annual earnings, which can be skewed by outliers. The median estimate provides a clearer measure of typical wages, reflecting the midpoint of the earnings distribution. North Carolina continues to rank in the top 15 states for this metric but did drop one spot to #9 place.