RALEIGH – North Carolina's technology economy isn't just holding strong — it's setting the pace. The North Carolina Technology Association (NC TECH)'s newly released 2026 State of the Technology Industry Report (commonly known as NC STIR) highlights a sector that continues to expand its footprint, deepen its impact, and outperform much of the country across key economic metrics.

"The combination of investment, research, and an increasingly diverse workforce has created a foundation for long-term competitiveness in North Carolina." — Ted Abernathy, Managing Partner, Economic Leadership LLC

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Women lead, jobs multiply

The report confirms what many in North Carolina's innovation community have seen firsthand: the tech industry remains a cornerstone of the state's economic vitality. Women now make up more than 37 percent of the state's tech workforce, giving North Carolina the #1 ranking nationally for gender representation in technology.

The state also ranked first in tech occupation growth from 2019–2024, signaling steady expansion in career opportunities and employer demand. According to the data, each new tech job supports an additional 2.24 jobs elsewhere in the state, underscoring the industry's ripple effect across other major sectors.

A competitive business climate

The report also highlights the factors that continue to attract companies and investors to North Carolina:

  • #1 in effective business tax rates
    • #4 in overall business climate
      • #11 in venture capital investment per gross state product
        • #5 in university research and development across science and technology fields

          Those metrics reinforce North Carolina's consistent top-tier performance in business climate rankings.

          Continued growth and innovation

          "The data show that technology remains one of the state's most powerful economic drivers," Abernathy said. "Innovation, skilled workers, and collaboration across sectors are key to sustaining this momentum."

          The report points to strong performance in migration, foreign direct investment, new business starts, and university technology transfer, with North Carolina ranking in the top 15 states nationwide across all four categories. As a premier underwriter of the report, MetLife’s global tech hub in Cary exemplifies this trend by harnessing North Carolina’s R&D strengths to fuel innovation and workforce growth.

          "MetLife has been proud to call the Research Triangle home to our Global Technology Hub for more than a decade. The findings of this report reinforce what our associates who work here experience every day: North Carolina continues to be one of the most dynamic and competitive tech ecosystems in the country — driven by talent and innovation." — Bill Pappas, Head of Global Technology and Operations, MetLife 

          A resource for policy and planning

          First published in 2014, NC STIR serves as a comprehensive data source for policymakers, business leaders, and economic developers shaping the state's innovation economy. The 2026 report was produced with support from Premier underwriter MetLife, Lead underwriters Charter Communications and the State of North Carolina, Associate underwriter Railinc, and Contributing underwriters Dell Technologies, Deutsche Bank, and Wireside Communications.

          The full report, along with a Key Findings summary, is available at www.NCSTIR.com.