Five 2021 Montana High-tech Employment Trends Revealed in the Alliance Jobs Board
July 22, 2021
By Bryan Curry
Data from the jobs board hosted by the Montana High Tech Business Alliance shows a number of key location, experience level, and sector trends within the state’s $2.9 billion tech industry. The portal advertised 629 opportunities in Q1 of 2021.
Bozeman, Missoula, and the Flathead Valley led open positions on the Alliance’s jobs board with 22%, 17%, and 14% of total postings, respectively. A significant number of jobs (12%) were listed in multiple locations and 10% could be performed remotely. Visualization is approximate.
1. Kalispell and Billings are leading a rise in job growth outside Montana’s traditional tech hubs.
Bozeman, Missoula, and the Flathead Valley led with 22%, 17%, and 14% of total postings, respectively. A significant number of jobs (12%) were listed in multiple locations and 10% could be performed remotely.
When a similar analysis was performed in 2018, 50% of MHTBA’s tech jobs were located outside of Bozeman and Missoula. Today that number is closer to 63% as Billings and Western Montana’s Flathead Valley expand.
LC Staffing (13.7%), First Interstate Bank (8.3%), Kalispell’s Applied Materials (5.7%), and Bozeman’s Figure (5.1%) led MHTBA members in board utilization.
2. Remote listings now represent 10% of Montana tech jobs.
Remote listings made up 10% of the available job market, while in 2018 the number of remote openings listed was too insignificant to track. The increase demonstrates a notable shift in employment practices. This aligns with findings from the Alliance’s industry survey conducted by the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Respondents to the survey conducted in April 2021 cited the increased demand for remote work as both a significant challenge and an opportunity created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For example, Applied Materials, a Kalispell-based engineering company that specializes in chips and advanced displays, posted 11 remote jobs in Q1, offering work from home opportunities for positions ranging from marketing management to senior industrial engineers.
3. Nearly three quarters of Montana tech positions seek experienced mid-level or senior-level talent.
Of the 629 listings posted in Q1 of 2021, 58% (365) of the positions offered were mid-level and 27% (169) were entry-level jobs.
4. Jobs in Software Engineering and Data Analytics are trending remote, while Network Systems and Support roles are primarily in-person.
The categories representing the highest number of jobs were Computing and IT (27%), Business Management (21%), Finance (18%), Marketing and Sales (12%), and Manufacturing (12%).
Software engineering accounted for more than half (51%) of Computing and IT listings in Q1, followed by network systems and support (35%) and data and analytics (14%).
40% of software engineering listings and 47% of jobs in data and analytics were remote work while the vast majority of Network Systems and Support jobs remained in person.
The business management sector included listings such as operations (27%), customer service (26%), administrative (12%), and human resources (12%) positions. Most of these jobs were offered in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula. Remote work opportunities were much rarer in the business management fields. Business management made up the second largest offering of jobs and the experience required was evenly distributed between entry (40%) and mid-level (44%) with only 16% being senior-level jobs.
Loan service openings led the finance sector with 37% of listings, closely followed by banking (32%) and accounting (16%).
Finance positions provided the most diverse range of geographic offerings with jobs in loan management, banking and accounting being offered in most major cities across the state. This category had the lowest number of remote work opportunities with only two of the 114 listings (1.75%) labeled as remote.
5. Marketing roles are diversifying, with Content Marketing, Marketing Analytics & SEO, and Product Marketing gaining traction.
Sales jobs represented more than half of the sales and marketing field with 56% of available jobs within the sector. Marketing jobs broke out across five categories with content marketing (12%) and marketing analytics (10%) positions providing the most jobs. The majority of sales and marketing positions were based out of Bozeman (38%) or were remote (16%).
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About the Publisher:
Launched in 2014, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit association of highly-engaged high tech and manufacturing companies and affiliates creating high-paying jobs in Montana. For more information, visit MTHighTech.org or subscribe to our biweekly newsletter.
About the Author:
Bryan Curry is the Writer and Digital Content Coordinator for the MHTBA. Pursuing a love for the outdoors and all of the adventurous amenities Montana has to offer, Bryan moved to Missoula from Tacoma, Washington to pursue a degree at the University of Montana in English and Creative Writing. With a background in entrepreneurship, risk analysis, and sales he has developed a passion for engaging with his community through personalized and relatable written content. A father, Bryan spends his free time with his wife and two daughters fishing, cycling and exploring the world around them.