While Vermont may be known as a rural state, more Vermonters have jobs in tech occupations and in tech industries than in any other business sector.

Vermont’s technology sector includes a diverse array of innovative companies that deliver cutting-edge products, software, and services to customers well beyond the state’s borders. With a growing reputation for launching dynamic companies and seeing them thrive here, Vermont’s tech sector now generates a quarter of Vermont’s total employment and 30% of the state’s private employment (based on 2014 data).

Software and technology companies of all kinds call Vermont home. The largest companies—like long-time anchor industry IBM (now GlobalFoundries) and Dealer.com—employ thousands. Smaller enterprises like Logic Supply, MyWebGrocer, and Global-Z International are spreading across the state. And cutting-edge companies like Vermont Systems, Game Theory, and Frame Interactive are all at the forefront of the industry.

According to a recent report by the Vermont Technology Alliance, total employment in the tech sector grew at 8.3% from 2005 to 2014 — seven times faster than employment overall — and tech sector jobs are projected to continue growing at a 7.5% annual rate from 2014 to 2022. Tech jobs generate an estimated $6.3 billion in annual wages throughout the Vermont economy, and tech workers earn over 63% more than the state average.

Vermont higher education institutions contribute to the software/IT industry with relevant programs like Champlain College’s game programming and digital forensics degrees, Norwich University’s cybersecurity degree, and research in evolutionary robotics and computation at the University of Vermont.

Annual events such as Vermont Tech Jam (job fair and tech expo), Hack VT (24-hour programming competition), Invention2Venture (tech commercialization conference), Launch VT (business pitch competition) and Peak Pitch/Road Pitch (venture capital pitch competition) help connect coders, inventors, entrepreneurs, and mentors — and keep ramping up the momentum of Vermont’s tech ecosystem.

REPRESENTATIVE VERMONT COMPANIES IN SOFTWARE AND IT