Utah tech companies grew 7.3% in year

The Utah Technology Council now has two industry sectors singing with one voice — and plenty of new background singers.

Leaders of the council, formed last month through the merger of the Utah Information Technology Association and the Utah Life Science Association, on Wednesday released statistics showing growth in council membership, as well as the number of technology companies and the number of tech workers in Utah.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Utah Department of Workforce Services, the council found that Utah has 3,786 tech companies — about 3,200 in the information technology sector and about 500 in life sciences. That’s up from 3,528 a year ago, representing growth of 7.3 percent.

The state has nearly 60,000 technology and life sciences jobs, and the average technology salary is 66 percent higher than the statewide average annual wage for nonagricultural jobs. The IT and life science industries also generate $3.1 billion in annual Utah wages.

By Brice Wallace
Deseret Morning News

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