NYC Technology Workforce Analysis

Comprehensive analysis of 5,263 core technology employees across 33 roles in NYC government (FY2024).

5,263
Core Tech Employees
$693.8M
Total Tech Payroll
$130K
Median Base Salary
11.3y
Average Tenure
📱

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Analysis Overview

This analysis examines all core technology roles across NYC agencies, focusing on:

  • Software & Development: 317 employees (avg $128K)
  • IT & Infrastructure: 3,679 employees (avg $134K) - 86% of tech workforce
  • Data & Analytics: 28 employees (avg $104K) - smallest category
  • Architecture: 66 employees (avg $155K) - highest paid
  • QA & Testing: 191 employees (avg $91K)

Key Finding: NYC's tech workforce is heavily concentrated in traditional IT and systems roles (86%), with relatively few employees in modern software development, data science, and product management roles.

NYC's Distributed IT Model

You might wonder: "Why do HRA and Department of Education have nearly as many tech employees as Technology & Innovation?"

The answer: NYC uses a distributed IT model where large agencies maintain their own specialized technology departments alongside the central citywide IT organization.

Technology & Innovation (739)
• Citywide infrastructure & services
• Enterprise cybersecurity (42 analysts)
• Centralized systems management
• 208 Computer Systems Managers
HRA/Social Services (638)
• Public benefits systems (SNAP, Medicaid)
• 120 IT Project Specialists
• Case management platforms
• Serving millions of New Yorkers
Education Admin (621)
• Student information systems
• 106 QA specialists (quality-focused)
• 60 Certified IT Developers
• 1M+ students, 135K+ employees

Why this makes sense: Agencies running mission-critical systems serving millions need dedicated tech teams with deep domain expertise. Technology & Innovation provides citywide infrastructure, while HRA and DOE build specialized applications for their unique needs.

Top 5 Technology Roles

Computer Systems Manager
1,342 employees • 12.8y avg tenure
$154K
median
Computer Specialist
1,286 employees • 13.7y avg tenure
$119K
median
Certified IT Administrator
497 employees • 11.2y avg tenure
$126K
median
IT Project Specialist
261 employees • 4.3y avg tenure
$124K
median
Certified IT Developer
229 employees • 8.6y avg tenure
$134K
median

Interactive Visualizations

1. Top 25 Tech Roles - Salary & Headcount

Side-by-side comparison of the most common technology roles showing median base salary and total headcount.

2. Tech Workforce by Category

Breakdown of tech employees by category (IT & Infrastructure, Software & Development, QA & Testing, Architecture, Data & Analytics) showing headcount and average compensation.

3. Base Salary Distribution

Histogram showing the distribution of base salaries across all core tech roles. Most tech workers earn between $100K-$160K.

4. Top Agencies - Tech Headcount

Which NYC agencies employ the most technology workers. Technology & Innovation leads with 569 employees.

Data Source & Methodology

Data Source

Analysis based on NYC Citywide Payroll Data (Fiscal Year 2024) from NYC Open Data. Data includes all active employees as of June 30, 2024.

Technology Role Classification

Core technology roles were identified using keyword matching on job titles, including:

  • Software & Development: Software engineers, developers, programmers
  • IT & Infrastructure: Computer systems managers, specialists, network admins, cybersecurity
  • Data & Analytics: Data scientists, analysts, database administrators
  • Architecture: IT architects, solutions architects, technical architects
  • QA & Testing: Quality assurance specialists, test engineers

Note: School aides, therapists, counselors, and other non-technical roles were excluded from this analysis.

Statistics Calculated

  • Mean Salary: Average base salary for the role
  • Median Salary: Middle value when salaries are sorted (less affected by outliers)
  • Mode Salary: Most common salary (rounded to nearest $1,000)
  • Tenure: Years of service calculated from Agency Start Date to June 30, 2024