SCALE + SPEED
Colorado tech is big but still tight-knit
With 5,100 companies and 129,000 employees, the ecosystem is large enough for depth but small enough for real networking. A new digital company launches roughly every 72 hours.
- STEMA role grounded in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
- Bright OutlookOccupation O*NET expects to grow rapidly, have many openings, or be new and emerging in the years ahead.Source: O*NET Bright Outlook
- Remote-FriendlyA role that can often be performed partly or fully remotely.
Information Technology Career Pathways
Build the digital future with software development, data science, cybersecurity, and IT infrastructure. Colorado's tech corridor rivals Silicon Valley.
Median Salary
$120,162
Statewide industry median
10-Year Growth
+23%
Statewide projection
Pathway Roles
16
Pathway roles
Required Education
Bachelor's
Computer Science or related
Explore Colorado Information Technology
Colorado's tech boom is hiring across skill levels
From help-desk support to senior software roles, Colorado's growing tech sector welcomes students, career changers, and degree-seekers alike.
The big picture
Colorado is one of America's strongest tech employment centers outside the coasts.
Here, students can build careers across the whole field:
- Writing and testing code
- Solving data problems
- Building cloud systems
- Securing networks and systems
- Supporting customers with tech
- Shipping product updates
TECH WORKERS
129,000
Colorado's 5,100 technology companies employed 129,000 people with $15.2 billion in annual payroll.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER MEDIAN
$145,420
Colorado's representative occupation salary for software developers, among the state's highest-paying roles.
NEW TECH COMPANY
Every 72 hours
OEDIT reports a digital-tech company launches in Colorado roughly every 72 hours.
AVERAGE TECH SALARY
$104,730
Colorado's tech sector average salary reflects strong wage growth and high-skill demand.
ENTRY PATHS WORK FAST
Start with certificates, stack into degrees
Help-desk, QA, and junior development roles often accept certificates or self-taught portfolios. Bachelor's degrees matter more later, not at the start.
CAREER CHANGER FRIENDLY
SQL, Python, and Git unlock doors quickly
Bootcamp grads, portfolio projects, and cloud certifications matter more than brand-name schools. Colorado employers hire on demonstrated skill.
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK
Tech roles exist across all Colorado industries
Aerospace needs software engineers. Energy needs data analysts. Healthcare needs cloud support. Every industry Colorado builds also needs tech talent.
SALARY + GROWTH
Software developers earn $145,420 statewide
Colorado's tech payroll hit $15.2 billion with an average sector salary of $104,730 — among the strongest in the state economy.
P-TECH + K-12 CODING
Colorado's pipeline starts in middle school
CTE Information Technology, AP CSP, PLTW coding, and P-TECH connections mean you can explore tech interests years before college.
Career paths · where you fit in
Career-changer skills that move fast in Colorado tech.
People from customer service, operations, military IT, retail, and healthcare find that professionalism, problem-solving, documentation, and willingness to learn quickly translate directly into tech support, QA, data analysis, and DevOps roles.
01/Get in fast
- Help-desk technician
- QA tester
- Cloud support associate
02/Build the product
- Junior web developer
- Data analyst
- Software developer
03/Secure and scale
- Cybersecurity analyst
- Cloud architect
- Solutions engineer
04/Run the business
- Product analyst
- Technical program manager
- Engineering manager
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