The Minneapolis-St. Paul area had one of the worst job losses in the high-tech industry during the recession, according to a report released this month by the TechAmerica Foundation.

The area lost 3,800 tech jobs during 2008 to 2009, which the report ranks as the 45th out of 60 U.S. metropolitan cities. Total amount of high-tech jobs in 2009 in the area was 98,600, a decline of four percent, the report said.

The average high-tech job in the Twin Cities earns $81,600 a year, according to the report. Most of the job losses were in the computer systems design sector, TechAmerica Foundation said.

Despite the job losses, the Twin Cities ranked well in the number of people it employs in certain tech sectors compared to the rest of the nation. For example, it ranked first in the number of people it employs in the manufacturing of electronic medical devices. The area also ranked third in the manufacturing of measuring and control instruments such as electronic thermometers and fourth in computer and peripheral equipment.

"The Twin Cities are not only a leading cluster for medical equipment but also for the technology industry in general," said Joy Lindsay, chair of the Minnesota High Tech Association's board of directors in a statement. Lindsay said the Twin Cities had "many of the critical inputs needed for a vibrant tech industry" which include talent, a strong education system and focus on innovation.

Overall, the Twin Cities ranked 13th nationwide based on 2009 data, moving up one place from the year before. That's because Detroit fell in the rankings, TechAmerica Foundation said.