The tech industry offers careers that are ever-evolving but will likely be around until the end of time. We live in a digital universe, after all.
If you’re looking for a tech job, this list, which comes from the U.S. News Best Jobs Rankings, has strong options that also offer high salaries. Data comes the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[See: The 25 Best Jobs of 2023.]
Web Developer
Median Salary: $77,030
A web developer created and is running the very website you’re on right now — and they’ve likely had a hand in most of the websites you frequent. Web developers are immersed in a web-creating technology and software, and they’re writing code, and they need to explain what they’re doing to people in layman’s terms.
This is a very tech-oriented career, but if you’re looking for creative jobs, this is definitely one of those. It’s also a people-person type job, since you’ll often be working directly with clients or co-workers who will be telling you what they’d like on their website.
As for where you might work, there are a number of places that can use a web developer, including:
— Computer systems design firms.
— Publishers.
— Management consulting firms.
— Advertising firms.
— Corporations.
You also may opt to work for yourself, as a self-employed web developer.
Wherever you work, whatever types of websites you’re working on, growth prospects for this chosen career look very good. The BLS predicts 30.3% employment growth for web developers between 2021 and 2031. In that period, there should be an estimated 28,900 job openings.
Learn more about web developers.
Computer Systems Administrator
Median Salary: $80,600
This is an important job, one where you’ll be treated like a hero when you fix problems. You’re the person who will be setting up and keeping computer servers running for whatever company you work for.
Where will you work? You might be at any number of places:
— A network or computer systems company servicing a lot of clients.
— You might work at a giant corporation such as a bank.
— You might work at a hospital.
— You might work in a local or federal government office.
As you can imagine, it can be a high pressure job if you don’t know what you’re doing. Everybody depends on computers these days, and computer software and hardware is changing all the time — and you’re going to have cyberattacks. It’s just part of the job. But if you do your job well, you’re going to be in demand.
In fact, the BLS projects 3.4% employment growth for computer systems administrators between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 11,300 jobs should open up.
Learn more about computer systems administrators.
Computer Programmer
Median Salary: $93,000
If you know what C++ and Python are, you may have a future as a computer programmer.
As a computer programmer, you’re going to be writing a lot of code that tells a computer what to do. People who feel lucky that they simply know how to turn their computer or device on will be looking at you in wonder. Your friends and family will probably look at you as a computer god, or at least be contacting you every time one of their devices goes down.
As for where you’ll work, you’ll probably be in an office somewhere. Your job options, though, are pretty plentiful. You may work in:
— A social media company, like Facebook.
— A corporation that makes hardware, like Microsoft.
— A corporation that makes software, like, well, also Microsoft, or Adobe or Oracle.
— An e-commerce site, like Amazon.
— An entertainment company, like Netflix or HBO.
Of course, there are tons of other companies, big and small, that you might work at. Everybody seems to need computer programmers these days. That said, the BLS projects -10.2% employment growth for computer programmers between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 17,800 jobs will be lost. But that doesn’t mean these high paying jobs won’t be out there. You just may have to look a little harder for them.
Learn more about computer programmers.
[See: 25 Best Jobs That Pay $100K.]
Database Administrator
Median Salary: $96,710
The job is what it sounds like. You’re running a database. Think about a company that has a database of customers’ financial records and addresses. Or a library that has reams of digital archives. Or a government office or a lawyer’s office with lots and lots of information that needs to be protected but also organized. You have to be able to find that information easily — and be able to add information as you collect it.
Think of how much advertisers and internet search engines prize data, and you’ll start to see why this job is valued, and why you’re paid well to make sure information is well cared for.
So where might you work? A number of places, including:
— Insurance firms.
— School systems and universities.
— Technology companies.
— Corporations.
— Financial institutions.
The list goes on and on. It’s also a growing field. The BLS projects 8.1% employment growth for database administrators between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 7,400 jobs should open up.
Learn more about database administrators.
Computer Systems Analyst
Median Salary: $99,270
In this job, you’re the person designing your client’s or company’s computer systems and processes. You have to know a lot about computers — everything, the hardware, software and networks — but also a lot about how the business or organization works. If you don’t understand your client’s or company’s needs, you can’t really make a computer system that does what it’s supposed to do.
So where you will work? You have your pick of many types of companies. Some of the industries you may work in include:
— Information technology consulting firms.
— Financial institutions, such as banks.
— E-commerce companies.
— Large corporations.
Really, you’ll work for any large company that has a maze of computing networks and systems. You might also work for yourself and start your own computer systems analyst consulting firm.
This career is really growing, too. The BLS projects 9.4% employment growth for computer systems analysts between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 50,900 jobs should open up.
Learn more about computer systems analysts.
Data Scientist
Median salary: $100,910
You may not be an actual scientist, but close enough. You’ll need to have a command of mathematics (particularly statistics), quantitative reasoning and also have highly developed computer programing skills. This is a job for really smart people. Your job is to make sense of all of the data your organization is collecting.
You’ll probably be generating a lot of reports, explaining data to executives so they can make decisions. You also might be furnishing data to artificial learning programs.
Where will you work? You could land in a number of places, including:
— A government agency.
— A computer system design firm.
— A software publisher.
— A university.
— A research institution.
— A health care provider.
— A sports team.
— A movie studio.
There’s really no shortage of places, although odds are, it’ll be a big and exciting brand. Mom and pop operations tend to not have the budget to hire a data scientist. Fortunately, it’s a growing field. The BLS projects 35.8% employment growth for data scientists between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 40,500 jobs should open up.
Learn more about data scientists.
Information Security Analyst
Median Salary: $102,600
You’re a little like a bank guard, a police officer or a superhero, but fortunately, this is not a violent job. But you are protecting computer systems from criminals.
It’s your job to keep the information in your computer networks and systems away from hackers, some of whom may be halfway around the world. Considering all of the information that your client or company needs to protect — people’s passwords, account numbers, credit card numbers and maybe Social Security numbers — you really are like a superhero. You’re protecting the public from private details getting into the wrong hands, and your employer or client from looking like it can’t be trusted to hold onto that information.
Where will you work? As you would imagine, any number of places, including:
— Small, medium or large consulting companies that service a lot of clients.
— Financial institutions.
— Government agencies.
— Universities.
— Large corporations.
If this is your chosen career, you are needed. The BLS projects 34.7% employment growth for information security analysts between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 56,500 jobs should open up.
Learn more about information security analysts.
[SEE: 20 Careers With the Most Job Security Right Now.]
Computer Network Architect
Median Salary: $120,520
If you’re the sort of person who spent their childhood taking apart computers and building them, you may have been preparing for a career as a computer network architect.
This is a career in which you’re designing, building and running computer networks, from internal computer networks (intranets) to cloud infrastructures. Being a people person, however, is also useful with this job, since you’re likely have a team of computer programmers and other IT workers you’ll be managing.
So where might you work? There’s really no shortage of places that will want to hire you:
— Cloud computing services.
— Universities.
— Health care centers.
— Government agencies.
— International corporations.
Fortunately, there also shouldn’t be a shortage of jobs available. The BLS projects 4.3% employment growth for computer network architects between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 7,500 jobs should open up.
Learn more about computer network architects.
Software Developer
Median Salary: $120,730
This is one of those holy grail jobs in the tech world. It’s highly technical but also highly creative. After all, you’re creating software, often from scratch, though sometimes you may be upgrading an already existing software program. You might be creating something you’ve thought of, or something that a client or your employer wants. But similar in the way that an artist, writer or musician works, you will be figuring out how to get a software program to do what it’s supposed to do.
If you want to create an app that tells a joke a day or analyzes Norwegian literature, you would do that, somehow. You’re limited by imagination and technology, which seems almost limitless these days.
So where would you work? Try looking for employment at:
— A government agency.
— A corporation.
— A health care company.
— A manufacturing facility.
— A movie studio.
Pretty much any large organization is going to need software developers, though you may simply work for a software developer firm that works with a varied collection of clients.
You’ll likely have a lot of clients, or a lot of work from your employer. There is definitely a need for this profession. The BLS projects 26% employment growth for software developers between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 370,600 jobs should open up.
Learn more about software developers.
IT Manager
Median Salary: $159,010
The IT manager does it all. You could think of an IT manager as the conductor in an orchestra. You won’t play every instrument that goes into running an organization’s computer and information systems, but you probably could. You’re a leader, though, so you probably won’t be doing much computer grunt work.
So where might you work? The sky is the limit:
— Government organizations.
— Corporations.
— Financial institutions.
— Universities or a public school system.
— Museums.
— Hospitals.
Virtually every industry on the planet needs an IT manager. And they’re going to need more of them in the next decade. The BLS projects 16.2% employment growth for IT managers between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 82,400 jobs should open up.
Learn more about IT managers.
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Update 04/07/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
