The number of information technology (IT) workers reached 4.6 million against 450,000 in 1970 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
IT workers now represent 2.9 percent of the U.S. labor force.
More men work in IT field as compared with women workers. Men earn $82,370 against $72,035 in the case of women. The proportion of women in IT peaked at 31 percent in 1990 and declined to 25 percent in 2014. In comparison, the proportion of women in all occupations has increased from 38 percent in 1970 to 47 percent in 2014.
Median annual earnings of IT occupation workers were $80,665 in 2014, or almost twice as much as the median earnings of the total workforce in 2014.
The earnings, adjusted for inflation, for both men and women in IT occupations rose between 1970 and 2014. In contrast, male workers in the overall workforce experienced earnings declines, while median earnings for women rose.
The highest earning IT occupations were computer and information research scientists, software developers, applications and system software, computer and information systems managers, and computer network architects, each with median earnings of $90,000 or more.
52 percent of computer and information research scientists had at least a master’s degree. 22 percent of IT workers had a master’s degree or higher compared with 12 percent for all workers.
IT workers were twice as likely to work at home as all workers (10 percent compared with 4 percent). Web developers had the highest rate (20 percent) of working at home, compared with other IT occupations. Moreover, web developers had among the highest rates of self-employment (21 percent).
More than half (55 percent) were between the ages of 25 and 44 compared with 43 percent of all workers. Web developers were among the youngest with 38 percent between the ages of 25 and 34 and 11 percent between the ages of 16 and 24.
In 2014, 18 percent of IT workers were Asian compared with 6 percent of all workers.
Software developers, applications and systems software is the largest IT occupation, accounting for 25 percent of all IT workers.
Database administrators had among the highest percentage of women (38 percent).
IT workers had a higher percentage of full-time, year-round workers at 87 percent versus 69 percent of the total employed.
IT occupations had a higher rate of foreign-born workers, 24 percent compared with 17 percent of total employed. Looking at the largest IT occupation, software developers, applications and systems software, 39 percent were foreign-born.
