Employees who know how to create and improve software tend to be highly marketable, making the field of computer science increasingly popular among those hoping to land a well-paying job after college graduation.
Computer science studies focus on computer hardware and software systems, and a degree in the discipline allows someone to pursue a variety of careers — and not just in Silicon Valley. Reliance on technology throughout the business world means that companies in many industries are hiring computer science grads, experts say, providing compelling career options for people with an interest and skills in math and science.
“It’s a golden age right now for computer science, and we’re very fortunate in this field,” says Salvatore Stolfo, a professor of computer science at Columbia University in New York City. “For people who study computer science in their education, it’s a great, great time, and essentially the sky is the limit.”
Salaries and Career Outlook for Computer Science Graduates
An employment forecast from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the number of job opportunities for computer science grads is growing. U.S. employment within computer and information technology occupations is expected to increase by 15% between 2021 and 2031, the forecast shows, faster than the average expected growth among all occupations.
Experts say that a Ph.D. degree is typically necessary for research-intensive or project management computer science positions. But many computer science careers are attainable with a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
[Read: A Guide to Different Types of College Degrees.]
Bureau of Labor Statistics data also shows that some careers common among computer science degree-holders frequently lead to six-figure salaries.
For instance, in May 2021, the median salary among computer and information research scientists was $131,490, based on a master’s degree at entry level, while the median salary among computer network architects was $120,520, based on a bachelor’s degree at entry level. Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers also typically received generous paychecks: Their median salary in May 2021, based on a bachelor’s degree at entry level, was $109,020.
Jobs for Computer Science Grads
Computer science positions are plentiful, and there are many interesting jobs available to computer science degree-holders.
“Despite the the media attention on some of the issues in Silicon Valley, the job prospects are still strong for students,” says Thomas Cortina, teaching professor and associate dean for undergraduate programs at Carnegie Mellon University‘s School of Computer Science in Pennsylvania. “Students are looking more broadly at computing in various fields like engineering, finance, medicine and health care in addition to the traditional tech industry positions that they normally look at.”
The following types of jobs are positions in which a degree in computer science is a major asset:
— Artificial intelligence and machine learning engineer
— Business analyst
— Chief information security officer
— Cloud computing engineer
— Computer science professor
— Computer scientist or computer science researcher
— Data scientist
— Database administrator
— Engineering manager
— Full-stack developer
— Information security analyst
— Information technology specialist
— Mobile application designer or developer
— Network architect
— Product manager
— Research and development (R&D) scientist
— Software developer
— Software engineer
— Software quality assurance manager
— Software tester
— Systems analyst
— User interface designer
— Web developer
“Sometimes people think of software engineering at the famous technology companies or maybe entertainment companies, like gaming and things like that,” says Dan Grossman, professor of computer science and engineering and vice director of the University of Washington Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “But there’s so much more because every industry these days needs software and needs automated large-scale data analysis. We see computer science grads in every kind of business, every kind of science, in government, analyzing data, websites and scientific data.”
Reasons to Pursue a Computer Science Career
People who lack a genuine interest in technology should not pursue a computer science degree simply because of the allure of high salaries, experts say.
[READ: Is College Worth the Cost? Factors to Consider.]
“Sometimes students are surprised by the amount of work they have to do in computer science to really make software products and design technology that works well because it impacts humans,” Cortina says. “It’s a rigorous field. We always tell students that, not to scare them, but just to be aware. It’s not one of these things where you cruise through it and make a lot of money. You do have to work hard to develop those skills.”
Genuine curiosity about technology, problem solving and puzzles, and math are solid justifications for pursuing a computer science degree, experts say.
“You want to have a passion for being the designer and builder of new computing systems, new software that would change how people can use computers,” Grossman says. “If you just like to use technology and you are happy with how others design it, then you can be a technology consumer. I think our field is a good fit for people who want to produce the technology that others use.”
The Value of a Computer Science Degree
A computer science degree is a versatile credential, as skills learned — such as computing, problem solving and teamwork — can be applied to almost any domain, Cortina says.
[Read: U.S. News Guide to College Majors.]
“As an example, we’ve had a few students at CMU who decided to go into law after their computer science degree,” he says. “In law you are doing that critical thinking, using logic to determine cases and figure out how you are going to argue things. They said they learn a lot of that through computer science — the problem solving, the algorithmic aspects of the discipline.”
Stolfo emphasizes that there are many careers in computer science outside of San Francisco.
“There’s no particular region of the U.S. where computer science is not in demand,” he says. “Choose where you want to live, choose who you want to work for, and pretty much you will find a job or position there and for them.”
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What Can You Do With a Computer Science Degree? originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/09/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
