Albany's Tech Employment Totals 20,400
Albany's Tech Wages Jump 9 Percent, 2nd Fastest Growth Rate Nationwide

Albany, NY (June 24, 2008) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released Cybercities 2008: An Overview of the High-Technology Industry in the Nation's Top 60 Cities. This detailed report tracks trends in high-tech employment, wages, establishments, payroll, employment concentration, and wage differential at the metropolitan level.

The high-tech industry in Albany employed over 20,000 people in 2006, the most current metropolitan data available, representing an increase of 400 jobs, or two percent, over the previous year. These jobs are high paying; the average tech industry worker in Albany earned $76,600, or 93 percent more than the metropolitan area’s average private sector wage. This wage differential was the fifth highest in the nation; only Austin, San Diego, Sacramento, and Colorado Springs were higher.

Albany’s largest high-tech sector was R&D and testing labs, which employed 7,700 workers in 2006. This was followed by computer systems design and related services, which employed 3,300 workers, and telecommunications services, which employed 3,000 in 2006.

"The AeA Cybercities 2008 report is a glowing testimony to the high-tech investment strategy advanced by Governor Paterson, Assembly Speaker Silver and Senate Majority Leader Bruno," said Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. "The AeA report demonstrates that these investments are attracting high-quality, high-paying technology jobs to the Capital Region and across the state, primarily in the nanotechnology research and development sector, and providing an important boost to New York's economy while building the critical mass needed to lure further high-tech growth in the future."

Cybercities 2008 shows that the top five cybercities by high-tech employment in 2006 were the New York Metro Area, Washington, DC, San Jose/Silicon Valley, Boston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The nation’s highest tech industry concentration was in San Jose/Silicon Valley, where more than one in four private sector workers were employed by the tech industry. Seattle saw the largest tech industry employment growth, adding 7,800 jobs in 2006.

Later this summer, AeA will release Trade in the Cyberstates 2008: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech International Trade. That report will look at the most recent data on high-tech exports from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

AeA members can purchase Cybercities 2008 for $125; non-members for $250.  Visit www.aeanet.org/cybercities to download the report, or call 408.987.4200. 

What Does High Tech Mean for Albany?

• 20,400 high-tech workers in 2006 (53rd ranked cybercity)
   

• 400 jobs gained between 2005 and 2006 (40th ranked cybercity)
   

• High-tech firms employed 63 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2006 (29th ranked cybercity)
   

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $76,600 (27th ranked), or 93 percent more than Albany’s average private sector wage
   

• A high-tech payroll of $1.6 billion in 2006 (48th ranked cybercity)
   

• 900 high-tech establishments in 2006 (56th ranked cybercity)

Albany’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 19th in R&D and testing labs employment with 7,700 jobs
   
• 51st in computer systems design and related services employment with 3,300 jobs
   
• 50th in telecommunications services employment with 3,000 jobs

Notes:

Albany = New York Counties: Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie.

Data are for 2006 unless otherwise noted.

2006 data are the most current available for employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and industry sector jobs.

Source: Cybercities 2008

Published by AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology (www.aeanet.org)

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About AeA

AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association, representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line. We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit http://www.aeanet.org.   

This page was last updated on 06/24/08.            
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