Tech Jobs Growing in NJ [AUDIO]

Is New Jersey the new Silicon Valley?  Not quite. But technology job openings in the Garden State are on the rise. As a result, the state is a major player in luring tech talent.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), New Jersey's technology sector has grown sufficiently to put it in the same class as California, Texas, Virginia and New York.

"We were a little surprised, but the statistics show that some of the fastest tech job growth is happening in the state of New Jersey," said Scott Meland, CEO of Dice.com. "New Jersey is able to pull a lot of interesting new companies out of the major metro area of New York by offering a better lifestyle as well as a better working envrionment."

Meland said the average tech job opening pays more than $90,000 a year. "These are terrific positions, highly skilled, with great compensation."

According to BLS, 3,600 new tech jobs were added by Aug. 1. In fact, want ads from companies in seeking looking for workers in the computer systems design and related services grew 5.2 percent over the last year.