Texas ranks as fastest-growing state for tech jobs in 2014

Texas is the fastest-growing state for technology jobs, beating out New York, Florida, Massachusetts and Washington.

The Lone Star state's 5.99 percent increase in tech jobs leads the nation in the first half of 2014, according to a report by Dice.com, a career website for IT and engineering professionals. The report studied the highest percentage of growth and the most new positions added, using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Texas has added 8,100 positions this year as the state continues to look for employees in mobile, big data and software development in cities including Dallas, Austin and Houston, according to the report. The state now ranks as the second-largest workforce in technology, following California.

The Dallas-Plano-Irving area, which has a total of 49,000 tech employees, has already added of 300 tech jobs in 2014. June showed the highest percentage of growth in the area with the addition of 700 jobs within the sector.

Florida was second to Texas, with a 5.64 percent increase, adding almost as many jobs in the first half of the year as it did all of last year. North Carolina came in third, growing its tech sector by 3.8 percent. New York had the sixth-largest increase at 3.08 percent growth. Missouri, which was the fastest-growing state in the sector for two consecutive years, fell to No. 10, with 2.10 percent growth.