While the industry has both large and small firms, the average establishment in computer systems design and related services is relatively small; over 78 percent of establishments employed fewer than 5 workers. The majority of jobs, however, are found in establishments that employ 50 or more workers. Many small establishments in the industry are startup firms that hope to capitalize on a market niche.

Relative to the rest of the economy, there are significantly fewer workers 45 years of age and older; this industry's workforce remains younger than most, with large proportions of workers in the 25 to 44 age range (table 1). This reflects the industry's explosive growth in employment since the early 1980s. The huge increase in employment afforded thousands of opportunities to younger workers possessing the newest technological skills.