Take a closer look at IT.

• ITAA now says that 92% of all IT workers are in non-information-technology companies – 80% in small companies outside the information technology industry.
• Information technology workers are defined by the BLS as “workers in information technology occupations as those who design, manufacture, operate, maintain, and repair information technology products and provide related services across all industries.”
• A better way to consider the numbers, however, is to use the 11 computer-related Standard Occupational Classification System occupations. These titles are:
  • Computer and information systems managers
  • Computer programmers
  • Computer and information scientists
  • Computer systems analysts
  • Computer hardware engineers
  • Computer software engineers, applications
  • Computer software engineers, systems software
  • Computer support specialists
  • Database administrators
  • Network and computer systems administrators
  • All other specialists – a residual category of workers
• Using these categories, the BLS shows there are about 3.3 million information technology workers employed in the U.S. in 2000.
• 70% of information technology workers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Certification is becoming more important. By early 2000, about 1.6 million people worldwide had earned roughly 2.4 million information technology certificates.
• As of May, Microsoft had issued more than 1.2 million certificates to people classified as Microsoft Certified Professionals.
• Not all IT workers have an IT degree. Degrees in computer and information science are, however, becoming more popular.
• There has been a steady rise in Associate degrees. The numbers have doubled and tripled in size.
• Bachelor’s degrees are now a ”must have” for most jobs in the IT world. That does not necessarily mean a traditional IT degree, however.
• This underscores the concept that business and soft skills are now considered to be very important in the IT field. National Science Foundation data shows that in 1995, roughly 18% of computer scientists had a non-science or non-engineering degree. By 1999, the number had risen to 35%.
• Graduate degrees are now required by many employers. NCES data shows that the number of master’s degrees conferred in computer and information sciences rose sharply between 1990 and 2000. Many IT managers also have an MBA.