Top Information Technology
Careers of 2021
Information technology (IT) is a broad and complex field. Every day, more companies and organizations invest money in tech resources to improve their services. A report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that employment in computer and IT occupations is projected to grow 11 percent between 2019 and 2029.
With the predicted growth of emerging technologies comes even more tech jobs. Now is a great time to start your IT career path. In this article, we’ve compiled the top 15 IT careers of 2021. Keep reading to discover the highest-paid jobs, the demand, job description, and requirements for each career.
What Is Information Technology?
IT stands for information technology. We can define this as the design, study, application, and creation of technology and data processing services. IT encompasses many terms related to computers, networks, and the Internet.
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Essentially, everything that involves working with technology systems is considered IT. IT has a massive impact in the digital age because of its capability to connect networks in seconds. IT improves all services, optimizes communication, and offers extensive reach.
Where Do IT Professionals Work?
Most IT workers belong to companies in the tech development, software, and robotic industries. However, these professionals also have careers in web design, food service, construction, and marketing. With the era of digitization, workplaces for IT professionals are more and more frequent.
A BLS study shows that 22 percent of computer and information systems managers work in computer system designs and related industries. The rest of these professionals work in information, finance, and manufacturing companies.
Highest-Paying IT Careers at a Glance
It isn’t easy to select a career in such a broad and beneficial market. In the list below, you will see the 15 best IT careers, what you need to access each position, the job outlook, and average salaries.
The wage data comes from the BLS, Glassdoor, and PayScale, and job growth statistics are from the BLS.
| Job Title | Education Requirement | Projected Job Growth | Median Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT Manager | Bachelor’s Degree | 10% | $151,150 |
| Data Scientist | Bachelor’s Degree | 15%* | $126,830 |
| Computer Network Architect | Bachelor’s Degree | 5% | $116,780 |
| Software Engineer | Bachelor’s Degree | 22%*** | $110,140 |
| Tech Sales Engineer | Bachelor’s Degree | 6% | $108,830 |
| Information Security Analyst | Bachelor’s Degree | 31% | $103,509 |
| UX/UI Designer | Bachelor’s Degree | 8%** | $101,735 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Bachelor’s Degree | 7% | $93,730 |
| Database Developer | Bachelor’s Degree | 15%* | $90,427 |
| Computer Programmer | Bachelor’s Degree | -9% | $89,190 |
| Web Developer | Bachelor’s Degree | 8%** | $77,200 |
| Forensic Computer Analyst | Bachelor’s Degree | 15%* | $74,896 |
| App Developer | Bachelor’s Degree | 22%*** | $70,501 |
| Market Research Analyst | Bachelor’s Degree | 18% | $65,810 |
| Computer Support Specialist | High School Diploma | 8% | $65,450 |
*Statistics from BLS data for computer and information research scientists
**Statistics from BLS data for web developers and digital designers
***Statistics from BLS data for software developers
Why You Should Pursue a Career in IT
There are many reasons to choose a career in information technology. For one, these jobs offer some of the best salaries in the market, which will likely continue to increase for the next few years.
If you are looking to enter the workforce quickly, IT can be a good field for you. Bootcamps and community colleges offer certificates and degrees that take a maximum of two years to complete. These programs help you learn tech skills and practical knowledge to enter the workforce in no time.
Another reason to start an IT career is the option to study and work from home. Thanks to remote learning, you can begin a bachelor’s degree from anywhere with Internet access. In addition, you can get a job on freelance platforms thanks to the thousands of online job postings around the world.
The Best IT
Careers in 2021
Now that you know why you should pursue an IT career, you should learn more about your best options. Remember that average salaries may vary by state, years of experience, and specific company. We’ve provided details on the top 15 IT careers below.
IT managers have one of the highest salaries in the tech industry today. Figures from BLS show that these professionals earn an average of $151,150 per year. There are several educational options to reach this position. The most frequent degrees are in software development, mathematics, and information technology.
The responsibilities of this job consist of managing the operation of tech services within a company. You must direct the IT staff to ensure that the objectives of the company are completed. You have to monitor the hardware operation, recommend updates, and report results to company managers.
A data scientist is a computer networking professional that turns data and information into useful results. These experts visualize and analyze data to create graphs and presentations. This career has excellent job prospects for the next few years, allowing you to enter the tech industry easily.
To be a data scientist, you need a bachelor’s degree in a tech-related field like computer science or information technology. In addition, you can attend a data science bootcamp and learn the fundamental tools, practices, and skills for this field in a few weeks. Many of these schools offer financial support and career services for employment after graduation.
Computer network architects are IT professionals in charge of creating plans for technological connections within a company. You must have vast knowledge in computer science, local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), and intranets.
One of the job requirements is a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Information Systems. According to the BLS, many of these professionals have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) since the day-to-day tasks involve analyzing a company’s budgets and resources.
Software engineering is a career with excellent prospects for the next few years. According to BLS figures, job openings for these occupations will grow 22 percent between 2019 and 2029. This position requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering, although many companies are now hiring bootcamp graduates.
This job requires coding and programming skills with Python, HTML, and JavaScript. In addition, you must complete projects to advance your hands-on knowledge. Most of these professionals work in computer systems design, manufacturing, and software publishing.
For this job, you need good marketing and communication skills. A tech sales engineer uses sales strategies to promote new technology services for clients. This position is usually related to the sales team and IT managers since it combines both responsibilities.
Your day-to-day tasks consist of maintaining business agreements with clients and technology service providers. Most of the positions require a business degree as well as data management, market analysis, and problem-solving skills.
If you’re interested in cyber security, check out job openings for information security analysts. According to the BLS, the job outlook is 31 percent, meaning there will be 40,900 new jobs in the field by 2029.
As an information security analyst, your daily tasks consist of monitoring and protecting a company’s digital information. This job can be complicated and requires problem-solving skills. You’ll also need computer science knowledge for software installation and maintenance.
One of the reasons to choose this career is that you can access great salaries. According to the BLS, information security analysts make an average of $103,590 per year. Salary depends on years of experience, status, company, and projects.
One of the branches of web development is UX/UI design. This job is also related to marketing and market analysis. The UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) are software concepts that involve the needs of customers.
A UX designer is in charge of converting the data and feedback from users into useful systems. UX design encompasses the external appearance and the entire user experience on the platform and what the client can see, do, handle, or change.
The UI design consists of the internal programming functions and what the user does not see. For each of these areas, you need complex skills in web development and project management.
Computer systems analysts perform similar tasks to those of computer network architects. However, in this career, you use your computer science skills to analyze feasible IT strategies for a company.
Computer systems analysts evaluate, plan, and monitor the production and results of a company’s tech systems. These professionals analyze budgets and costs of installation of equipment and tools. Also, computer systems analysts direct the testing and updates of each team’s software within the company.
Depending on your workplace, you can get higher or lower salaries. The BLS explains that information and computer systems design companies are the ones that pay their employees the best, with an average salary of $96,410. Computer systems analyst positions in government, finance, and insurance can offer salaries of $82,560.
Database development is a career related to data science. In this job, you must design, manage, and verify the results of the databases used within an organization. Another task in this position is to create statistics solutions for the company. In addition, you must collect old company information, attach new data, and process the results consistently.
Database developers can also follow the roles of database administrators, although their activities depend on the project and the company. According to Glassdoor, the average database developer makes $90,427 a year.
A computer programmer writes and code tests the functions of a computer’s software. Fundamental tasks may include advanced programming and software development. These employees can work in computer systems design, manufacturing, finance, or as freelancers.
If you want to choose this career, you can consider a coding bootcamp to learn the fundamental concepts of programming and programming languages. The right school will offer opportunities to participate in important projects and work for the leading tech companies in the country.
A web developer works with programming languages to create websites according to the client’s demands or their specific project. This work has good results and projections for years to come. Job opportunities will grow by eight percent by 2029, according to BLS statistics.
In addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related fields, you need vast experience with programming tools. These include Python, HTML, Java, .NET, C#, C++, and Ruby. Most employers require projects created by you and previous experience with development tools.
This is one of the careers you can prepare for at a coding bootcamp. Many schools offer comprehensive programs where you work with professionals from the field, create real-world projects, interact with employers, and receive financial support to study.
The IT field also includes criminal justice careers. An interesting option is to become a forensic computer analyst. These types of professionals use cyber security and data science skills to investigate cyber crimes. According to PayScale figures, you can make an annual salary of $74,896 as a forensic analyst.
These professionals recover encrypted, deleted, or confidential information related to a specific case. In computer forensics, you can work in government agencies, insurance and finance companies, or digital security systems companies.
An application developer is a software engineer who creates platforms for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This job requires experience in UI/UX design, mobile programming, and design tools.
According to PayScale, an app developer earns $70,501 a year, although salaries depend on the company and the projects. To get a job, you need experience with the main native and cross-platform mobile development tools: Appcelerator, Xcode, Android Studio, Xamarin, and Appcode.
A market research analyst is a data scientist who analyzes financial results and sales strategies to achieve optimal results for a company. This IT job involves data collection tools such as Attest, Google Trends, Social Mention, or Heartbeat Ai.
According to the BLS, the average salary for this profession is $65,810. Between 2019 and 2029, the job outlook will grow 18 percent, which is faster than most other jobs. Most of these professionals work in finance and insurance and management, scientific, and technical consulting services.
One of the best entry-level IT jobs is computer support. Many of these workers belong to software or telecom companies. In this work environment, you will have to help users to solve problems with their computers. This can include software, hardware, and connection issues.
For this position, you need communication skills and experience with computer science. Although this work can be completely remote, many workers offer face-to-face services in companies, offices, and homes. According to the BLS, computer support specialists make $65,450 per year.
IT Salaries by Location
Salaries and benefits may change depending on the area where you work. Some companies prefer to build their buildings in states where taxes are lower and there is a higher concentration of workers.
According to the BLS, California IT professionals make an average of $198,210 per year. This is the highest average salary for IT in the United States. Connecticut is the state with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients. Wyoming is the lowest-paying state in the country, with an average salary of $104,000 per year.
What Education Does a Career in IT Require?
Most IT jobs require a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Information Technology. For some positions, you need a master’s degree or a doctoral degree. Despite college being the most common route to the workforce, many companies hire without a college degree.
One of the ways to reach the tech industry is through a bootcamp. These schools offer classes on campus or online with short-term programs. Most of these institutions have coding, cyber security, web development, and UX design programs. The best schools offer a job guarantee with a plan that pays you back for tuition if you don’t get a job after graduation.
Can I Study IT Online?
Yes. There are currently tons of options for studying online. You can access almost all educational levels with only a computer and Internet access. Most universities offer online associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, as well as specialized courses and some doctoral degrees. Most bootcamps also have online options.
Is an IT Job Good for Me?
Yes, an IT job is good for you. If you decide to study and work in the IT industry, you can have a successful future. Most jobs demand great practical and theoretical skills as well as problem-solving abilities.
One of the advantages of these jobs is that you can access companies around the world thanks to remote work. Many of these jobs can be completed from your own computer. Studying and working for the tech industry is easier and more beneficial than ever before. You should pursue one of these IT careers in 2021.
