Tech sector is scorching hot in Florida

Technology-related employment in Florida is taking off in 2021.

The Sunshine state is projected to add 16,000 net new tech jobs in 2021, according to a study by CompTIA, a nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce. The study —CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2021 report — states Florida should see a 2.7% growth rate I new jobs, outpacing the national average of 2%.

Florida’s strong growth projection is bolstered by healthy expectations from three major metropolitan areas: Miami, Orlando and Tampa. All three markets rank in the top 25 nationally for anticipated job growth, ranking No. 19, No. 20 and No. 22, respectively. Overall in Florida, there are some 595,000 people working in technology fields, 6.4% of the state’s workforce. There are 36,344 tech business establishments, the report found.

Tech job growth in 2021 will be led by companies who need core IT workers in various roles. This includes data scientists, IT user support specialists, software developers and cybersecurity. Demand for these types of positions has surged 190% in the past five years, the report shows, and is expected to continue to grow in 2021.

“As we look ahead to a rapidly evolving future of work and the ever-expanding digital economy, both immense opportunity and challenges loom,” Tim Herbert, executive vice president for research and market intelligence at CompTIA, says in the report. “Cyberstates confirms the importance of building resilient workforces and businesses through skills development, robust and secure digital infrastructure and innovation-minded leadership.”