A comparison of tech jobs in 1997 and 2012 shows an interesting evolution. Think about the jobs that didn’t exist way back when, or at least not by their current names: cloud architect, mobile application developer, social media specialist. As part of its effort to mark the 25^th anniversary of the World Wide Web’s creation, the Pew Research Center has taken a stab at analyzing the Web’s impact on employment. Pew’s analysis shows that some categories, such as software developer, have grown dramatically, while others are much changed. For example, today’s database administrators might not work for a tech company at all, while statisticians and economists very well could. Meanwhile, opportunities for computer operators have dropped dramatically. And a number of today’s tech occupations – Web developers and information security analysts among them – didn’t exist in 1997. About 3.9 million workers worked in “core” tech occupations – those who make technology work for the masses -- between November 2009 and May 2012. That compares to about 2.2 million tech workers in 1997. These jobs don’t include those involving computer repair or the installation and repair of telecommunications lines and equipment. Those numbers also don’t count self-employed people – consultants are a rapidly growing and lucrative part of the IT work force. The categories “Computer systems design and related services” and “Management and technical consulting services” lead the way in job creation each month in the Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Image: Wikimedia Commons