REGION SNAPSHOT: Washington, D.C.
With federal government needs and a strong private sector, IT job prospects remain positive in the nation's capital and surrounding area.
Vital statistics
Population
District of Columbia: 519,000 (ranks 50th in nation)
Washington area: 7,354,044
Unemployment rate
National: 4.2%
District of Columbia: 5.6%
Washington area: 2.2%
Median house price
National: $142,800
Washington area: $196,700
Business outlook
Top industries
Government, telecommunications, services, and tourism
Top employers
Federal government, America Online, The Washington Post, George Washington University, Georgetown University.
Economic outlook
A hotbed for high-tech, Northern Virginia and the Washington areas offer great IT career opportunities despite recent layoffs and the overall sluggishness of the economy. The Federal Reserve reports that recruiting new employees to the region has become easier, and corporate turnover rates have dropped.
Taxes
The District of Columbia's sales tax rate is 5.75 percent; the personal income tax rate ranges from 6 to 9.5 percent; and property taxes vary throughout the region.
Local talk
"There is a substantial IT and high-tech workforce shortage in the Washington metropolitan area, and that isn't going to change anytime soon."
-- C. Michael Ferraro, president, Training Solutions, Chantilly, Va.
IT midrange salaries, districtwide
IT manager, $109,400
Systems analyst, $74,200
Database administrator, $64,000
Programmer, $53,400
» posted by ITworld staff
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