Computing and computer science jobs continue to be some of the fastest-growing and hottest employment fields due to quickly evolving technology. Mobile devices, tablets, laptops and factory machinery all require programs to be written, encoded and tested by software developers, engineers, designers and beta testers.
Computer science jobs are a constant, even during lean times when other fields are hit hard by economic calamities. Despite the economic downturn in 2007 and 2008, computer scientists continued to experience rosy employment numbers. In fact, computer information research scientist jobs are expected to grow by as much as 15 percent between 2012 and 2022, while software developers may see the number of jobs in their field increase by 22 percent over the same period, according to U.S. Department of Labor data.
Some cities offer more computer science jobs than others due to the companies that are located in their boundaries. The top-ranked city, Washington, D.C., has more than 5,900 jobs available for anyone interested in designing software and computer programs. Defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin pay top dollar for experienced coders who write, manage and perfect complex computer systems for high-tech weaponry and advance avionics systems.
Seattle comes second on the list, mainly due to its plethora of tech companies such as Microsoft and Amazon.com. The Seattle area has over 4,300 computer science jobs listed on job search website Indeed at any one time. Entry-level software engineers start at approximately $82,000 per year in this city, making Seattle a very attractive place for people who love working on computers.
New York is third, and the job numbers here reflect the tech startup boom that swept through the city in 2013. As many as 3,200 computer science jobs at a time feature in the local employment market, including highly specialized positions such as the one recently offered at the Gemological Institute of America, which needs someone to create and run an algorithm to sort data.
San Francisco, Houston, Chicago and Austin, Texas, also make the top 10 list. Three other Washington-area cities serve as great places for computer-related jobs, including Alexandria and Herndon in Virginia, as well as Annapolis Junction, Maryland.
The good news for American workers is that very few of these jobs are outsourced. Only 3 percent of computer science positions were taken to China as of 2012. That means that, once someone has a computer science position at a firm, the job could be secure for a very long time. Companies fear proprietary information leaks in foreign countries and employees must be regularly on-site to monitor how systems function. It is far easier, with these types of jobs, to code in America and then ship the finished product overseas.
Computer science jobs, like health care positions, may grow faster than other fields in the coming decade. Interested job seekers should start educational programs and training now to ride the high-tech wave of the future.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Jarrett at Flickr.com
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