Technology businesses in the Charleston area added jobs at the second-fastest rate among all cities in the United States last year, according to an industry trade group.
In 2019, the local tech workforce grew by 5.8 percent, a growth rate second only to Charlotte in the country. Raleigh took third place in the CompTIA annual Cyberstates report.
Compared to traditional tech hotspots like Silicon Valley, New York or Boston, Charleston has much more room to grow. The industry workforce stands at 28,418 employees, CompTIA reports, just 4 percent of New York City’s.
Among all 50 states, South Carolina’s tech workforce grew at the 6th-fastest rate. The Charleston region accounts for about a fifth of the state’s total tech workforce. Across South Carolina, IT and software companies lead the pack.