Idaho’s high-tech sector has shrunk during the past few years but those jobs remain a key part of the state economy, according to new data released by the Idaho Department of Labor.
High-tech jobs accounted for 8 percent of total employment in Idaho last year, a percentage that has declined steadily since 2002. However, those jobs pay close to double the state average in wages. High-tech wages made up 17 percent of the state total for workers in 2008.
“Even though the sector has suffered a setback during the recession, a number of high-technology occupations remain on the list of those that pay well and will be in high demand in the years to come,” according to the Idaho Department of Labor report written by Robert Kabel.
Idaho’s high-tech employment and the wages earned by high-tech workers remain below the national average and many surrounding states. Idaho workers earn an average of $70,000 while their counterparts in Washington earn close to $99,000. However, Idaho boasts a lower cost of living than all its neighbors, according to the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
Read Kabel’s full report at the labor department’s website.
