IT Occupations Resurgent

The IT profession is alive and well in Missouri.

MERIC projects 483 annual average openings statewide from 2005 to 2007 for application computer software engineers alone. This occupation's average annual wage is $73,690.

Kansas City is projected to have 139 annual average openings for these computer software engineers, with an average annual wage of $71,260. St. Louis is projected to have 282 annual average openings, with an average annual wage of $77,890.

These wages are more than double the statewide annual average wage of $34,548 annually.

Five of Top 20
In fact, five of the top twenty occupations projected to have the most average annual openings from 2005 to 2007 are IT-related:

●   Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts, 326 openings statewide, $59,160 in average annual wages

●   Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software, 211 openings, $72,400

●  Computer Software Engineers, Applications, 483 openings, $73,690

●   Network and Computer Systems Administrators, 261 openings, $56,840

●  Database Administrators, 105 openings, $58,330

IT occupations also comprise five of the top twenty in Kansas City. These occupations only comprise three of the top twenty in the Gateway City, perhaps because of that region’s already well-developed IT sector.

However, there will be almost twice as many annual average openings for these three occupations in St. Louis (592) than for all five IT occupations in Kansas City (322). Wages for these occupations are also higher or significantly higher in St. Louis.

Kansas City
●  Computer Software Engineers, Applications, 139 openings, $71,260

●   Network and Computer Systems Administrators, 51 openings, $58,120

●   Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts, 58 openings, $57,650

●   Database Administrators, 22 openings, $57,050

●   Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software, 52 openings, $71,370

 St. Louis
●   Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts, 181 openings, $62,200

●   Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software, 129 openings, $73,380

●   Computer Software Engineers, Applications, 282 openings, $77,890

Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be 1,180,000 net job openings (replacement and new jobs) from 2004 to 2014. Of these, 268,000, or nearly 23 percent, will be application computer software engineers.

Click here to view all Missouri’s fastest growing occupations. http://www.missourieconomy.org/occupations/fastest_growing_2005-07.stm

Numerous institutions offer degrees or coursework in IT throughout Missouri. The Missouri Department of Higher Education’s website allows you to search by institution, school type or program offered.  http://www.dhe.mo.gov/degreesearch.shtml

Sources: MERIC Short-term Occupational Projections, MERIC Occupational Employment and Wage Survey and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.