DURHAM – The number of advertised high-tech job openings across North Carolina fell slightly in September to 24,113 from a year-long high of 24,762 in August, but job demand is still 20 percent higher year-over-year.

So says the latest Tech Talent Trends Alert from the North Carolina Technology Association.

Noting that openings have stayed consistently above 20,000 in recent months, NC Tech CEO Brooks Raiford sees a “durable trend.”

“September IT job openings were up over 20% from the same month in 2017, though dipped slightly from August of this year,” Raiford said in a statement.  “Over the past twelve months, the most recent five had the highest job openings which suggests a durable trend,” he noted.

Topping demand is for software developers with 4,774 open positions. That’s up a whopping 48.8 percent from a year ago.

Hottest job market is the Charlotte metro area with 8,597 openings. That’s a 10 percent year-over-year increase and reflects data reported in a new CompTIA analysis that says Charlotte is the hottest “Tech Town” in the state.

Report: Charlotte tops nation, Triangle as No. 1 ‘Tech Town’

Openings surged nearly 27 percent from 2017 to 8,010 in Raleigh.

But the biggest jump came in Durham-Chapel Hill where posted openings jumped more than 88 percent from last September to 3,403.

Job openings by metro

  • Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia: 8,597, +10.3%
  • Raleigh: 8,010, +27.6%
  • Durham/Chapel Hill: 3,403, +88.5%
  • Fayetteville: 927, -0.1%
  • Greensboro/High Point: 765, -3.0%
  • Winston-Salem: 395, +5.3%
  • Wilmington: 205, -15.3%
  • Hickory/Lenoir/Morgantown: 182, +49.2%
  • Asheville: 149, -19.0%
  • Greenville: 130, +27.5%
  • Totals Including All Others: 24,113, +20.2%

Top 10 Occupations

Occupations: Sep ‘18, difference from Sep ‘17

  • Software Developers: 4,774, +48.8%
  • Computer Systems Analysts: 2,622, +0.6%
  • Computer User Support Specialists: 2,514, -1.8%
  • Network + Computer Systems Administrators: 2,504, +23.1%
  • Information Technology Project Managers: 2,352, +31.3%
  • Computer Systems Engineers/Architects: 1,700, +34.7%
  • Web Developers: 1,631, +10.3%
  • Computer + Information Systems Managers: 1,464, +21.0%
  • Information Security Analysts: 1,384, +10.5%
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineers: 984, +25.2%
  • Totals Including All Others: 24,113, +20.2%

Most needed skills: Openings

  • Java 4,829
  • Software Development 4,603
  • Structured Query Language 3,793
  • Linux 3,623
  • Python 3,263
  • JavaScript 2,964
  • Systems Development Life Cycle 2,646
  • Application Development 2,567
  • Quality Assurance 2,466
  • Microsoft Office 2,404

Top hiring companies

  • Oracle
  • IBM
  • Bank Of America
  • Wells Fargo
  • Cisco
  • Deloitte
  • Covance
  • Verizon
  • VenCore
  • Perspecta

The new and previous reports are available at: www.nctech.org/research