In 2016, Maryland was ranked first in Technology and Science Workforce and Technology Concentration and Dynamism by the Milken's Institute, and third in the Institute's State Technology and Science Index.
![[photo, 45 Calvert St., Annapolis, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/11dbm/images/1198-1-599b.jpg)
As an economic leader in technology advancements, Maryland possesses a strong information technology support base. This base includes State government agencies and private firms, as well as federal agencies, such as the National Security Agency at Fort George Meade.
In Maryland, the State agency responsible for information technology is the Department of Information Technology. Most commonly part of administrative agencies, local departments of information technology within county governments are responsible for local information technology applications.
Department of Information Technology, 45 Calvert St., Annapolis, Maryland, December 2003. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Throughout Maryland, in 2018, some 15,279 information technology businesses and 288,996 workers were in net tech. According to CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2019 report, Maryland ranked sixth in technology job concentration at 10.2% of the total workforce. Maryland's average tech sector salary in 2018 was $95,921.
In 2018, information technology businesses generated $41.7 billion for Maryland's economy, 11.7% of the total Gross State Product (GSP). Moreover, in the 2017 State New Economy Index, which measures economies on multiple factors relating to and including information technology, Maryland ranked sixth.
Maryland's colleges and universities also help develop advancements and new applications in this field. As well as offering classes in information technology, The Johns Hopkins University maintains the Information Security Institute, which examines and researches protocols and security measures designed to protect the national information infrastructure. The Institute offers classes and seminars, as well as oversees homeland security efforts at the University. Recognized by the National Security Agency, the Institute has been designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance.
At the University of Maryland, College Park, the Decision, Operations and Information Technologies Department conducts research and offers classes, and educational programs. Information system programs at the University's Robert H. Smith School of Business have received national recognition, consistantly placing at the top of professional surveys. For management information systems, Smith School programs ranked ninth in the nation in the 2015 U.S. News and World Report survey, and the School's information technology program placed sixth according to a 2015 Wall Street Journal poll.
In addition, the General Assembly addresses concerns about information technology through the Joint Committee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Biotechnology.
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