WASHINGTON (Map, News) - For the second consecutive year, a national report found that Virginia has the highest concentration of high-tech jobs in the country.

The American Electronics Association’s annual Cyberstates 2008 report assesses the high-tech industry nationally and at the state level. D.C., Maryland and Virginia were all found to be leading technology regions.

In 2006, the most recent year for which state-level data is available, AEA found that Virginia added 9,800 tech jobs, a growth of 4 percent.

The state ranked third in overall growth, with 9.1 percent of its total work force composed of tech jobs, up from 8.9 percent the previous year. The full report, including a complete list of rankings, was to be released this morning.

Computer systems design, engineering services and Internet services jobs were the most prevalent in Virginia, though the state lost both telecommunications and Internet jobs during the year. The average high-tech wage in the state is $86,400, the sixth-highest in the nation.

“I don’t think we reflect the trends as much as I think we are the trend,” said Gerry Gordon, president of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. According to Gordon, about half the jobs added in Virginia were in Fairfax.

Gordon said that even Fairfax companies that aren’t known as high-tech firms, such as ExxonMobil, are prone to do high-level research; Exxon, for example, employs a think tank of more than 40 employees.

D.C. was ranked fourth in terms of tech job concentration for the second year; Maryland ranked fifth, up from sixth the year before. D.C. added 600 jobs in the industry while Maryland added 3,200 jobs.

The report cited the D.C. region’s proximity to the federal government and highly educated work force as the reasons for its strong performance.

The industry as a whole added 91,400 jobs in 2007, though the rate of job growth in the sector was slower than in 2006.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

11:04 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 14, 2008 re: "Brisbane to gauge baylands wind flow"

Examiner Reader said:
Wind turbines certainly generate clean energy (preferrable), but I wish leaders would allocate some of their design engineers to study how to protect the wildlife (birds) fatalities. It seems easy enough to place a cage around the turbines, just like the smaller, domestic models that protect children from getting their fingers clipped by the fan blades. I'm sure there's a way to make this look attractive in a super-size turbine.

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11:46 AM MST on Thu., Apr. 10, 2008 re: "Defense, technology firms� needs make Baltimore the place to be for IT positions"

Examiner Reader said:
The Dice Report. �Baltimore-Washington has the third-highest average salary for IT professionals at $81,750 a year, ahead of the national average of $74,570.� WOW and yet the jobs which I applied for are paying way below the average. Usually a company asked what salary range I'm looking for, and usually that's a sign of we can't afford you. I answered negotiable, they pursuit for a number. When I give them a number I don't hear from them. Most of the positions I come across are bombarded with responsibilities and has a failure of matching the pay.

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11:07 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 24, 2008 re: "U.Md. study shows MBAs lead to higher salaries in IT sector"

Terence said:
What the article failed to address is that if you have an a non-business major and have an engineering or computer science degree, it is advisable to pursue an MBA degree and as such you would tend to pursue something like an IT degree and in that case, the jump in salary is significant. If you have a business undergrad in IT and pursue an MBA, that jump is significantly less. I still do not understand why students would do both an undergrad and grad in business. Really the textbooks are almost the same, the delivery is the difference. In some cases, classes are cross-taught at both the undergrad and grad. Pursuing a masters of science in marketing, operations and IT is the appropriate route not an MBA for undegrad in business. Just IMHO

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7:34 AM MST on Thu., Mar. 13, 2008 re: "Businesses, educators agree they must unite to address tech job shortage"

Iconic Xer. said:
I find this story missing a critical and informative element. Sure, tech companies and institutions such as NASA may be losing *employees* to retirement. But that doesn't mean there aren't *lots* of tech professionals around. Quite the opposite. There's an abundance of them. Companies have got to change their cultures, compensation and engagement of workers to be in alignment with the preference of many tech professionals to work outside of organizations, to work for multiple companies, to be flexible, nimble and not dependent on one industry or company for survival. It's a generational thing, really, with your GenXers (27-47 in 2008) heavily leaning in this direction. Re: the lack of kids entering STEM. It has nothing to do with them not wanting to be cool. They are achievement, affluence and team-oriented. Sing their song and they'll come in droves. Sing *your* song & they won't hear you ... or even bother trying. And, mistakenly, you'll conclude they're not interested. What

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10:17 AM MST on Fri., May. 11, 2007 re: "Schools to lease land for phone towers"

Examiner Reader said:
Possible health risk of cancer too! See international studies.

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9:26 AM MST on Fri., May. 11, 2007 re: "Schools to lease land for phone towers"

Examiner Reader said:
You can't stop it now and usually there is a reason its done that way

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