Milwaukee’s tech economy is gaining momentum, underscored by Foxconn’s new headquarters and planned LCD plant, and positioning the region as an emerging digital hub. A regional study projects a need for at least 31,000 additional tech workers over five years to replace retirees and career changers, not counting new jobs from Foxconn or broader digital transformation. The Tech Talent Cluster—89 occupations employing nearly 76,000 people—contributes $27.63 billion (nearly a quarter of output), offers above-median wages, and is growing faster than overall employment. A follow-on Talent Supply and Demand Study is underway.
Study Partners
Foxconn is one of more than 20 local companies that have partnered on a study of technology talent and its impact on the economy in Milwaukee. Others include Advocate Aurora Health, Johnson Controls, Kohl's, Miller Coors, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation and West Bend Mutual Insurance Company.
About the Study and Demand Forecast
The study, Milwaukee's Tech Talent Impact: An Overview of Tech Occupations and Tech-Dependent Industries, reveals that the region may need an additional 31,000 workers, at minimum, in the next five years to fill technology roles vacated by workers retiring or changing careers. Notably, this forecast does not include thousands of new jobs expected to be created in Milwaukee (such as those Foxconn is proposing for its new operations) or the digital transformation that's driving shifts in most industrial sectors.
Key Findings
- The region's Tech Talent Cluster (a grouping roles based on their use of technology) supports a broad range of industries in the Milwaukee area. In 2017, these industries (those with 15% or more of their workforce comprised of Tech Talent Cluster occupations) contributed $27.63 billion in gross regional product to the region's economy, or nearly one quarter of total economic output of $119.26 billion.
- The Tech Talent Cluster is comprised of 89 different occupations that employed nearly 76,000 workers in 2017.
- Occupations expected to have the highest number of openings include roles with advanced skill levels, such as computer systems analysts, software developers and computer and information systems managers. These roles also will have higher than average growth rates (ranging from 9% to 16%).
- The pace of growth for tech talent workers exceeds the overall rate of employment growth in the region. Tech talent employment grew 8% between 2010 and 2017 while all occupations increased 7.1%.
- Estimated tech talent earnings exceed $4.7 billion each year. Most roles have median hourly wages above the regional median for all occupations.
What’s Next
Continuing the momentum, a group of executives representing companies that employ tech workers in Milwaukee is collaborating on a new Talent Supply and Demand Study. We'll be sharing more information on this shortly!
Q&A
What recent developments are fueling Milwaukee’s emergence as a digital hub?
Answer: Foxconn purchased a downtown Milwaukee office building to serve as its North American headquarters, planning to employ more than 500 people, and broke ground on a large LCD manufacturing plant in nearby Mount Pleasant with plans for up to 13,000 workers. State and regional leaders see these moves sparking follow-on investment and helping build a new digital economy in the area, signaling momentum for sustained tech-driven growth. Foxconn is also among 20+ local companies partnering on a regional tech talent study.
How many additional tech workers will the region need in the next five years, and what does that estimate include?
Answer: The study projects a minimum of 31,000 additional tech workers will be needed over five years to replace retirees and career changers. This figure does not include thousands of potential new jobs from Foxconn’s operations or from broader digital transformation across industries, so actual demand could be higher. A follow-on Talent Supply and Demand Study is underway to refine these estimates.
What is the Tech Talent Cluster, and how significant is it to Milwaukee’s economy?
Answer: The Tech Talent Cluster is a group of roles defined by their use of technology, spanning 89 occupations that employed nearly 76,000 workers in 2017. Industries in which 15% or more of the workforce is made up of these occupations contributed $27.63 billion to the region’s gross product—nearly a quarter of total output of $119.26 billion—showing the cluster’s broad economic impact.
Which tech roles are expected to have the most openings, and how fast will they grow?
Answer: Roles with advanced skill requirements—computer systems analysts, software developers, and computer and information systems managers—are expected to have the highest number of openings. Their projected growth rates range from 9% to 16%.
How do pay and job growth for tech roles compare with the broader regional labor market?
Answer: Estimated annual earnings for tech talent exceed $4.7 billion, and most tech roles have median hourly wages above the regional median for all occupations. From 2010 to 2017, tech talent employment grew 8%, outpacing overall regional employment growth of 7.1%.
