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New figures from the North Carolina Technology Association show IT job postings in the state rose 17% in March over the same month a year ago. Compare that to the U.S., which posted 5.6% more tech jobs in March year over year.

Altogether, North Carolina added more than 7,500 job postings, with the Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham metros leading the state.

Jesse Lipson, CEO of Raleigh-based Levitate, said that while the pace of hiring in the report was a surprise, “I know that our area is growing faster than the national average.”

Lipson’s firm is among those aggressively hiring. It’s trying to add 100 people across its operation of 300 workers. That will soon include Wilmington, where the company is planning to open a new office this summer.

“We’re expanding our N.C. hiring outside of the Triangle,” Lipson said.

While major metros led when it came to job postings, growth also came from unexpected places. While Raleigh saw about 12% fewer job postings than a year ago, the Greenville area had nearly 174% more positions than it reported in 2025. Fayetteville had nearly 52% more job postings. Wilmington rose by nearly 36%.

But there are still far fewer jobs in the outliers. Wilmington, for example, had about 120 job postings in March. Raleigh accounted for more than 2,000, even with the dip.

The Charlotte metro had 3,621 jobs postings in March — a 20% jump over the year.

The biggest areas in terms of openings were software developers, computer occupations and data scientists.

The report also shows there’s a lot of competition for the jobs. That means hiring companies, names such as Levitate, Ralliant and Hitachi Energy, can be selective when it comes to talent. The rise of remote work means local workers are often competing with a much larger geography.

Industry watchers said they weren’t surprised that North Carolina competes with job postings.

“Given the breadth and depth of the prestigious firms hiring in N.C., I suspect we have more senior IT positions that are less susceptible to AI displacement,” said Thom Ruhe, CEO of entrepreneurial support organization NC Idea Foundation. “That is a testament to North Carolina’s technology ecosystem.”

Economist Mike Walden at N.C. State University said the state’s education system gives it a big boost in tech employment. But he notes that even the state’s education resources have trouble keeping up with available jobs.

“While the training programs at the universities are available, there has to be a matching interest and desire by students to pursue that training,” he said.

A new analysis by the UNC System shows North Carolina will need to produce thousands more college graduates each year to meet demands of an aging workforce and a booming economy.

The state is on track to add more than 250,000 jobs by 2034, exceeding the national average job growth rate, according to the report.