New Report: Tech Demands Fuel Workforce Growth

•124,098 Net Tech Employment (Tech-focused company and tech jobs across industries)

•3.7% Overall Indiana Workforce

•2.2% Projected Tech Occupation Growth (2025-2026)

•12,155 Job Postings Requiring AI Skills

•$84,198 State Median Tech Wage

•10,802 Tech Established Businesses with Payroll

•17.4B State Economic Impact

Source: CompTIA’s State of the Tech Workforce

Indiana’s technology workforce is poised for more growth, with the highest demand in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data skills driving hiring in the state, according to CompTIA’s latest State of the Tech Workforce report.

The annual report, which tracks technology employment, wages and hiring trends nationwide and breaks the numbers down by state, projects that Indiana’s tech occupation workforce will grow this year, up by 2.3% from 2025, creating about 3,000 new jobs in 2026. Figures from the report show that the projected net tech employment is expected to reach 124,098 this year, representing 3.7% of the state’s workforce. The net tech employment includes 77,151 tech occupation jobs (tech roles regardless of the industry) and 73,601 tech industry positions (roles at tech-focused companies). About 36% of those roles fall into both categories. The job gains put Indiana in the top 10 of all states for net tech employment, the report notes.

Occupation Category

Year-over-year growth is projected in all of the report’s occupation categories, with the most notable growth rate in data science, data analytics, database and machine learning at a 3.6% increase. Chief information officers and other IT managerial roles, as well as jobs in AI, programming and software development are estimated to reach a 3.1% growth. Those occupations exceed the national benchmark growth rate of 1.34%.

The report also examines the current tech job postings in Indiana, indicating the most in-demand needs for employers this year. The most sought-after skills include:

AI – 12,155 Cybersecurity -- 71,471 Data Analytics – 74,482 Digital Fluency – 243,289 Infrastructure and Support – 91,039 While the numbers show promising growth for the tech sector in Indiana, it doesn’t come without some challenges. In a recent report issued by TechPoint and the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership, experts expressed great concern over the need to close the tech skills gap. The report polled 100 of Indiana’s employers and other officials about their most critical needs, with findings pointing to AI and machine learning as the most crucial. According to the report, AI job postings increased by 440% from 2023 to 2025, indicating a vital need for upskilling and new talent in the sector.

Hiring Sectors

Tech-focused companies are projected to do the most hiring in 2026, with roles available in tech services, manufacturing, telecom and cloud infrastructure, and software. The report shows 27,568 positions occupied in those roles are projected. In the public sector, 8,447 jobs are projected in federal, state and local governments/ agencies, schools and hospitals. Professional scientific engineering services and finance and insurance also topped tech hiring in the report, with 7,833 and 7,364 positions, respectively.

The average median wage for tech occupation roles also increased slightly from 2025. In CompTIA’s 2025 report, employees in tech roles made a median wage of $84,112. In 2026, annual salaries for those roles are projected to average $84,198. Despite the modest increase, researchers noted the tech occupation wages are still 81% higher than the median state wage.

Nationally and Beyond

Nationally, CompTIA projects the U.S. tech workforce will rebound after a slight decline in 2025, with Net tech employment forecasted to grow by 1.9% to 9.8 million in 2026. Overall national economic impact is expected to reach over $2 trillion this year.

“According to projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Lightcast, in the next 10 years, the tech workforce will grow twice as fast as the overall U.S. workforce,” the report states.

Currently, Indiana’s projected growth rate exceeds the national pace, suggesting the state is positioned to continue its investments in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics and digital infrastructure in both the tech-focused industries and public and private sectors.

New Report: Tech Demands Fuel Workforce Growth

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