Manufacturing News
November 2, 2026
November 2, 2026 · Statewide · Story 3 of 5
Indiana Tech Workforce Hits 124,098 as AI Demand Spills Into Manufacturing
CompTIA's State of the Tech Workforce 2026 report projects Indiana net tech employment of 124,098 in 2026, up 2.3 percent year over year, enough to land the state in the top 10 nationally. A companion TechPoint and Central Indiana Corporate Partnership survey found artificial intelligence and machine learning the most critical skills gap among Indiana employers, with AI-related job postings up 440 percent from 2023 to 2025.
Indiana's projected median tech wage of $84,198 sits roughly 25 percent below the national CompTIA figure, a cost advantage that pulls employers in and workers toward Chicago at the same time. The sharper signal sits inside the skills data: the fastest-growing AI job title tracked in Indiana is "Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing," up 194 percent in postings. AI skill demand is already moving into industrial and distribution roles, not just software jobs.
- Impact
- Indiana's $84,198 projected median tech wage sits roughly 25% below the national CompTIA figure of $112,805, a cost advantage that attracts employers but is also fueling a documented talent drain toward Chicago. The more direct manufacturing signal is buried in the skills data: per outside analysis, the fastest-growing AI job title in Indiana is 'Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing,' up 194.4% in postings, meaning AI skill demand is penetrating industrial and distribution corridors, not just software shops.
- Watch
- TechPoint's follow-up 'AI at Work' findings and whether CompTIA's own VP Seth Robinson's caution about tech-sector overinvestment translates into a hiring slowdown in the back half of 2026.
- For the huddle
Given AI-related postings are surging fastest in sales and manufacturing-adjacent roles rather than core IT, where in our own operation should we be building internal AI reskilling instead of competing for scarce, expensive external hires?
Check whether any supplier agreements assumed NCA cathode demand from the original Samsung SDI plan, and start internal AI reskilling in sales and operations roles rather than competing for scarce outside hires.
Sources
- New Report: Tech Demands Fuel Workforce Growth · buildingindiana.com
From the brief, November 2, 2026
- AtkinsRéalis, Indiana and Hoosier Energy Sign MOU to Study 6 GW CANDU Nuclear Campus
- Lockheed Martin Completes $3.4B Ultra Maritime Acquisition, Adds Columbia City Sonobuoy Plant
- Indiana Tech Workforce Hits 124,098 as AI Demand Spills Into Manufacturing
- Studebaker Museum's 'Motor City, Indiana' Exhibit Sits Two Miles From a Stalled Samsung SDI Battery Plant
- Amazon's $100M Greenwood Plant Brings Amazon Greenwood Manufacturing Jobs at Nearly $100,000
This story
Related
- Indiana RV Manufacturing Jobs in Bristol, a Fort Wayne Anodizing Expansion, and a Data Center Rate Fight for Manufacturers
- AES Indiana's BlackRock Buyout Rate Case, Samsung SDI's New Carlisle Takeover, and the Patrick-LCI Bid War: What Indiana Manufacturers Need to Track This Week
- Nucor's $105 Million Crawfordsville Expansion, AES Indiana's Rate Increase, and Amazon's $100 Million Greenwood Plant: What Indiana Manufacturers Need to Track This Week
Manufacturers Energy Grant Program
Free for Indiana manufacturers
Manufacturers from qualifying Indiana counties receive free, ongoing energy auditing and cost control that reduces their energy bills and keeps them low, month after month. Every line item checked and validated, every opportunity found comes with a step-by-step guide to capture it.
EDCs: sponsor this program and it carries your organization's name For economic developers →