Which State Has The Biggest ICT Jobs Growth Rate?

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has released new research that breaks down the yearly ICT jobs growth rate per state between 2014 to 2020. While NSW currently has the largest ICT workforce nationally, employing 215,576 people in the ICT sector during 2014, it’s projected ICT job growth rate per year is just 2.1 percent, which is under the national average of 2.5 percent per annum.

IT worker from Shutterstock

The data follows on from the ACS’ recent Australia’s Digital Pulse report. WA is the winner when it comes to overall ICT job growth, boasting an annual projected growth rate of 3.9 percent, employing 60,605 ICT workers by 2020. No surprises there as the mining sector, which has a stronghold in WA, is expected to spend big bucks on technology to increase productivity and efficiency as the mining boom wanes.

According to the ACS, this makes WA a great place for students and entrepreneurs to develop their digital skills and ideas which will feed the already strong economy in the state.

The ICT managing and operations positions will see the most growth in the coming years.

Check out the table below for a state-by-state breakdown of ICT employment figures and growth rate based on the ACS research:

*QLD figures unavailable at the moment.

While there seems to be high demand for ICT workers, the ACS Australian Digital Pulse report notes that the number of graduates with ICT qualifications has declined in recent years.

So if you’re an ICT starter looking for employment opportunities, it’s worth keeping an eye on employment forecasts in addition to current job figures across different states.

What are your thoughts on the current employment conditions for ICT professionals? Let us know in the comments.