Editor’s note: As WRAL TechWire reported Tuesday, there are more than 31,000 open high-tech jobs across North Carolina. The NC Tech Association’s monthly jobs report is noting a steady growth in open IT positions as unemployment remains under 4 percent and competition for talent intensifies. We reached out to Dr. Mike Walden, an economist at NCSU, for his thoughts about why there are so many open positions – and how people can get one.

Overall picture

Three factors are behind the surge in tech jobs.

First is the general economy.  The last year has been great for job increases, both nationally and in NC.  The gains in the macro-economy are helping the job market in general.

High-tech job openings surge across NC to more than 31,000

Second is the growth in NC, especially in our large metro areas.   The state’s large metros continue to attract new businesses and employees.

Third – and most important – is the expansion of the IT sector during the current economic expansion.

Open tech job drivers: Software developer, computer systems engineer demand up 70%

As new information technology components are being added, we’re seeing not only the expansion of existing IT jobs but also growth of entirely new IT occupations.  Most companies – even modest sized retailers – now have IT personnel for sales, advertising, monitoring, and – increasingly – delivery.  So the numbers don’t just reflect growth of existing IT occupations – they also reflect the development of new IT occupations.

How to get a job

Companies are finding highly skilled IT talent more difficult to find.  But for many lower-skilled IT occupations, attracting talent can be easier because most young workers – even those not trained in IT – are familiar with I, and have enough experience with IT that they can “reinvent” themselves.   This means individuals with personal IT knowledge – including those lacking an IT degree – shouldn’t be shy about applying for selected IT jobs.   On-the-job training can often be as good as formal training.

However, for young people looking for formal training in IT that will lead to high salaries, I recommend “IT logistics.”  It is not an overstatement to say the future will belong to those who can organize, analyze, and interpret for decision-makers the increasingly massive amounts of data that are becoming available.

Here’s top 10 most in-demand ‘hard skills’ for high-tech jobs in NC