Intense job growth: In Kentucky, the number of jobs in computer and mathematical occupations is projected to grow 15.26 percent between 2018 and 2028. And growth is even greater than that in specific IT careers. The number of jobs for software developers and software quality assurance analyzers and testers is expected to grow 19.12 percent; and for web developers and digital interface designers, 19.60 percent! (Source: Kentucky Center for Statistics, Kentucky Occupational Outlook to 2028)
Excellence in Cyber Defense: Cyber centers at three Kentucky universities have been named National Centers for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. They are the University of Louisville’s Cyber Security Lab at Speed Engineering School, Northern Kentucky University’s Center for Information Security, and the University of the Cumberlands School of Computer and Information Sciences.
Demand for security: Employment of information security analysts nationally is projected to grow 31 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. The annual mean wage in Kentucky is $82,830. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Head in the cloud: More companies are hiring cloud architects to give structure to their storage space in the cloud. Also known as computer network architects, these highly skilled IT professionals earn a median wage of $78,590 per year in Kentucky. (Source: Kentucky Center for Statistics, Kentucky Occupational Outlook to 2028)