Fact of the Week: In the State of Washington, 12 Percent of Job Listings in 2017 Were for Data-Science Positions—the Highest Share Among the 50 States

Companies across a wide range of industries are adopting more data-intensive tools to improve the goods and services they produce. As such, demand for data-science jobs is estimated to increase by 12 percent per year. However, demand for these positions differs by state. Businesses in some states have started to employ more data-intensive tools while businesses in other states have significant room to catch up.

Washington had the highest demand for these job positions in 2017, with 12 percent of open job listings coming in data-science positions. Maryland came in second at 7.8 percent. Montana and Mississippi had the lowest demand for data-science occupations at 1.2 percent. For the median state, just under 3 percent of open job positions involved data science.