Indeed.Com Suggests Technology Job Growth Is Sputtering in Boston

New numbers from the employment website indicate that fewer tech companies were hiring in the Hub last year.


Paris, France - January 28, 2016: Amazon logotype printed on cardboard box side seen from above on a wooden parwuet floor. Amazon is an American electronic e-commerce company distribution worlwide e-commerce goods

Photo via iStock/AdrianHancu

Despite its reputation as a center for startups and innovation, technology job growth may have actually slowed in Boston last year.

Employment website Indeed.com says, based on their data, that the number of open technology positions in the Hub declined by 16 percent in 2017. So even though bars may seem filled with loud tech bros trying to network their way to the top by bragging about their Bitcoin gains, those conversations may not actually be leading to new jobs.

Indeed’s data, which is based on job listings in the Boston-metro area from January to December 2017, shows that software engineers were the most in-demand tech employees last year, representing more than 11.5 percent of postings in the sector. The pickings were slimmer for app developers, cloud engineers, and software engineering managers, though, as those roles composed less than 2 percent each of tech job listings.

Though Boston is one of 20 cities still left in the running for Amazon’s second headquarters, the corporate behemoth already has a hefty presence in the Hub. According to the Indeed data, Amazon represented the largest share of tech job postings here last year, followed by The MathWorks, Akamai Technologies, and IBM. So, if for some reason we lose out on nabbing HQ2—shudder at the thought!—take comfort in the fact that Bostonians still have ample opportunity to work for the company that sells both pillows that look like salmon fillets and gum balls filled with Dippin’ Dots (the ice cream of the future since 1988).

Of course, despite a potential decline in job postings, tech is still a lucrative field. If you’re looking to pivot to more cash, consider a career in computer vision engineering. Indeed’s data shows the role topped the highest paying tech jobs in Boston and pays an average of just under $160,000. If “vision engineering” isn’t in your skillset, software architects, Ruby developers, and cloud engineers also pulled in more than $125,000 annually. You could buy more than 41,000 cups of Dippin’ Dots for that much.