San Diego Tech Jobs are Growing
The majority of San Diego tech jobs have been rebounding for some time, and are now starting to grow even more, according to a new report.
The National University System Institute for Policy Research recently released a study that found the local tech industry has continued to fare well during the economic downturn. The tech industry includes everything from clean-tech companies to telecommunications firms to biotechnology labs to software developers and government contractors.
The report found that employment among tech companies decreased by 3 percent during the past 21 months, which is much lower than the 9 percent decrease in employment experienced by all industries. And despite the small decline in workers, the local tech industry is continuing to grow in most cases.
The number of biotech and pharmaceutical workers in San Diego County has increased by 1,600, or 9 percent, from 2008. In addition, the report found, the number of software developers and technical consulting services are currently close to their pre-recession levels.
"That's important because tech jobs tend to pay more than other jobs and therefore have a larger rippling effect in the economy," Economist Kelly Cunningham, who compiled the report, told The San Diego Union-Tribune. "When people earn more money, they tend to spend more, and that has an impact on people who work in other industries."
The average pay among local tech firms is $85,800, which is almost twice as much as the overall average salary in San Diego County of $47,400, the report notes. While tech companies make up 11.2 percent of the jobs in the county, with 140,400 workers, they generate 25.6 percent of payrolls, or $3 billion.
The average pay for tech jobs in San Diego County is:
- Communications/equipment manufacturing - $101,900
- Computers and electronics - $98,000
- Software - $85,000
- Biotech and pharmaceuticals - $82,100
- Defense, transportation - $79,400
- Clean tech - $78,100
Although employment in the industry declined during the fall of 2008, along with employment in most other industries, hiring began to increase again by the middle of 2009. And that growth should continue during the near future, as Beacon Economics recently forecast that San Diego County "will see faster growth than its neighbors owing to its concentration in the high-tech and biotech industries."
Much of that growth is coming from the government, as research grants from federal agencies continue to increase, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Defense Department spending and federal investments in clean tech also have helped spur growth in the tech industry.
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