Big Apple Tech by the Numbers

• $75,458 – Average pay for NYC technology jobs in 2004 [most recent year for which a full set of data was available], a full 21 percent above average private employer earnings of $62,545
• 18,446 – Number of students enrolled in graduate science and engineering programs in the New York area in 2004, significantly more than the San Francisco (11,239) and Boston (11,739) areas
• 60,900 – People in New York City who work in technology jobs that are “embedded” in other industries, such as financial services, higher education, media or health care; there were 34,000 high-tech workers in New York City that were solo practitioners or self-employed in 2004. Assessments of high-tech employment and activity often overlook these self-employed and “embedded” workers.
• 62 percent – Small to midsize tech companies (and 67 percent of large ones) said they chose New York City as a location for its proximity to markets and clients; 20 percent chose it for its skilled labor force, a number that jumped to 53 percent among large tech companies.
• 619,881 – The New York metropolitan regions total tech employment in 2003. This number was 483,706 for Los Angeles, 377,144 for Washington, 356,351 for Chicago and 317,684 for Boston. San Joses metropolitan region had 251,050 tech employees.

Source: ITACs “Buried Treasure: New Yorks Hidden Technology” report, Sept. 10, 2007.