Missouri Job Trends in Technology
To understand the latest Missouri job trends in technology careers, each candidate needs to look at the high demand, high outcome positions that are available in their respective area, plus remote positions available across the U.S. Qualified individuals across Missouri are finding that they have a gap in their technology skills and need to upskill in order to be the best candidates possible. Digital Workshop Center has a long history of helping our students get back to work by learning the latest technology skills and being challenged with real-world scenarios to apply their skills while in school and after graduation.
This article takes a deeper dive into the latest Missouri job trends and understand what jobs are available today which ones are forecasted to be available in the years to come.
Current Job Market in Missouri
The state of the job market across Missouri is rebounding from the effects of the pandemic and headed in a positive direction. According to Missouri’s Economic and Health Research Center’s report, “Missouri’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate returned to pre-pandemic numbers, dropping to 3.3 percent in December 2021, compared to 4.4 percent in December 2020, and 3.5 percent in January and February 2020. Increases in employment continue, with gains made in several areas, including trade, transportation, and utilities, leisure, and hospitality, professional and business services, and education and health services.”
Across the state, there are trends that are following national average as well. Job data indicates that there is an immediate need for customer service and call center in the short term, but that the future growth is strong for general computer occupations, software developers, and digital marketing positions.
Upskilling in Missouri
The Missouri Office of Workforce Development continues to offer technology job skill programs that can boost a candidates resume and fill in the skills gaps as technology demands continue to increase. Digital Workshop offers 9 certification programs that are also available on the Missouri Eligible Training Providers List. Learn more about specific program options in Missouri here.
Each DWC program is designed in a bootcamp format to take a student into a deep dive in a specific technology career field. For those who qualify, WIOA funds may also be used for Missouri eligible programs. Talk to a student advisor to learn more about your options with WIOA, eligible programs, and scholarships.
Salary expectations for IT careers in Missouri
One of the main reasons students have pursued IT careers is that the industry continues to flourish. Salaries have been on a steady increase for over a decade and the effects of the pandemic have not really slowed down job growth in this sector. In the 2018 Missouri salary report, the average annual wage for IT professionals was listed as $95,0401, which is significantly higher than the $49,590 average salary across all occupations. There was a 3.5% increase from 2013-2018 and that trend is expected to continue for the next 10 years with projected net employment gain in IT jobs on the rise.
Some of the hottest positions in IT today include frontend web developers, digital marketing managers, graphic designers, and data analysts. More importantly, these job skills are now found across a wide variety of positions for various sized companies. Positions are more “hybrid” than ever before, meaning that one person may be asked to cover many job skills within their role. Basic tech skills like Microsoft Office including Word & Excel are an absolute requirement for any technology based career, but there are often much more desired skills that employers want to see in order to know a candidate is up to date with their tech skills. Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Cloud, advanced Excel skills, and Project Management are all common threads for employers are hiring for a tech based position.
Starting your job search
If you have your skills up to date and your resume polished, then it is time to start searching for your next career move. Missouri offers several online job search tools specific to the available positions across the state. The Missouri Job Search Tool is one way to find the latest opportunities available. Missouri Jobs website also offers a “Featured Jobs” site that highlights jobs in high demand, high growth areas. These positions are often available to those with updated tech skills, and may be used when researching possible WIOA funds or related scholarships.
While searching, you should always be scouring Indeed and LinkedIn as 2 of the best known sources for job postings as well.
Summary
Whether you are recently unemployed or you have been searching for your next career move for some time, Missouri Job Trends are pointing in the right direction to provide a lot of opportunities for those who keep their technology skills up to date. Digital Workshop Center works closely with Missouri job counselors to help qualified candidates craft a training plan that will directly prepare you to get back to work. Consider up-skilling today and find out which new position may be right for you.
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