TechSTL Releases 2025 Tech Jobs Report for the Metro

TechSTL, the region’s tech council, has released the 2025 St. Louis Metro Tech Jobs Report, marking the fourth consecutive year of the Metro’s most comprehensive analysis of tech occupations, tech skill demand, and workforce trends. This year’s report is the most expansive to date, incorporating national and regional comparisons, expanded industry coverage, and deeper skill-level analysis from 2019-2025 to reflect how technology is reshaping the labor market across the St. Louis MSA.

Key Findings from the 2025 Report

• TechSTL occupation job postings increased 0.5% from 2024 to 2025, totaling 35,455 active job postings across 56 core tech occupations over the past 12 months (up from 55 in 2024).
• All 19 industries in the St. Louis Metro continued to post jobs for TechSTL occupations, and these roles remain strongly correlated with the region’s highest median wages.
• Computer and Information Systems Managers rose 10.9% year-over-year, becoming the top-ranked tech occupation in the St. Louis Metro with 4,830 postings in 2025, signaling sustained demand for tech leadership and management talent.
• End of year tech job postings and IT employment in St. Louis declined more sharply than national trends, pointing to a weaker local market and structural changes in occupational demand, likely influenced by AI adoption, cost pressures, and evolving hiring strategies.

A Tech Workforce in Transition, Not Decline

From 2019-2025, both national and St. Louis Metro data indicate that the tech workforce is undergoing a structural transformation rather than a simple contraction. While job postings have cooled from post-pandemic highs, demand remains strong for advanced technical skills, wage premiums persist for specialized roles, and technology continues to diffuse across nearly every industry.

Nationally, tech occupations remain among the strongest segments of the U.S. labor market, with a median annual wage near $106,000 and long-term growth projected to outpace the broader economy, particularly in AI, data science, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. At the same time, hiring has become more selective, with employers prioritizing experienced specialists and hybrid talent capable of delivering business impact with leaner teams.

St. Louis Metro: Sharper Softening Amid Realignment

Against this national backdrop, the St. Louis Metro experienced a more pronounced pullback in tech job postings and employment. The data suggests not a disappearance of tech demand, but a reallocation toward different roles and skill sets, reflecting how employers are responding to AI-driven job redesign, organizational consolidation, and changing approaches to sourcing technical talent.

Expanding the Lens to Capture Real Job Demand

To reflect these realities, the 2025 report significantly expanded its scope. The analysis reviewed job postings from both the St. Louis MSA and the United States across 2019–2025, including in 2025 alone for the Metro:

• 326,002 total job postings by 26,599 employers across all 19 industries
• 35,455 total tech job postings by 5,628 tech industry employers posting within the TechSTL 56 core tech occupations
• 1,827 distinct tech hard skills in demand across all occupations

This approach confirms that tech demand is no longer confined to traditional IT roles, but is embedded throughout the entire regional economy.

Baseline and Advanced Skills Drive Opportunity

The data reveals a clear divide between baseline digital skills and advanced technical capabilities. Foundational skills, such as; Microsoft Office, Excel, CRM systems, project management tools, collaboration platforms, and emerging AI-assisted tools, now function as minimum qualifications across most occupations. In contrast, advanced skills like cloud platforms, cybersecurity, data analytics, AI, SQL, Python, and Agile methodologies continue to drive higher wages, faster hiring, and cross-industry mobility.

Why This Matters for St. Louis

Combining all the available datasets, the 2025 St. Louis Metro Tech Jobs Report underscores that continued investment in the region’s tech ecosystem is essential to long-term economic competitiveness. As technology becomes embedded across every industry, St. Louis-based leaders, businesses, and talent are proving to be the region’s most valuable economic asset; driving innovation, productivity, and skill adoption even amid shifting labor market conditions.

TechSTL members and partners are actively investing in tech skills, applied innovation, and inclusive access to opportunity, positioning the region to respond to national labor market shifts while strengthening local pathways to high-quality employment.

“This year’s data confirms that tech demand in St. Louis isn’t disappearing; it’s widening,” said Emily Hemingway, Executive Director of TechSTL. “Our job as a region is to align talent, employers, and training to build a future-ready St. Louis so that our Metro can compete in this rapidly changing global economy where all jobs are becoming tech jobs. TechSTL is eager to work alongside our industry partners and tech companies to make the regional workforce more competitive for all St. Louis residents.”

Access the Full Report

The full 2025 St. Louis Metro Tech Jobs Report is available at:
https://techstl.com/reports/