The Best Paying Jobs in Technology
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- Nearly all of the tech industry has higher than average salaries.
- The median annual wage for tech workers was $97,430 in 2021.
- The highest-paying tech jobs are DevOps engineers, followed by product managers.
- With a few years of experience and the right certifications, tech workers can often earn over $100K.
It is no great surprise that tech jobs equal big bucks.
Don't believe it? The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the median annual wage for computer and technology occupations was $97,430 in 2021, more than doubling the median wage for all other occupations. With a few years of experience, many of these positions can pay over $100,000 a year!
The BLS also projects jobs in information technology to increase by 15% between 2021 and 2031. With these numbers, it is no wonder more people than ever are looking to enter the field.
These jobs are also spread across the country, making them accessible wherever you are. While many people think about places like San Francisco when they think of tech jobs, there are also hundreds of thousands of positions at big and small companies across the country.
Highest-Paying Technology Jobs for 2023
- DevOps Engineer – $149,410
- Product Manager – $136,310
- Computer and Information Research Scientist – $131,490
- Software Developer – $120,730
- Computer Network Architect – $120,520
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Architect – $112,430
- Information Security Analyst – $102,600
- Mobile App Developer – $98,550
- Data Scientist – $96,710
- Full-Stack Web Developer – $89,700
Why Get a Job in Tech?
Let's be honest — the last few decades have been tough for the job market. With recessions, housing crises, and a pandemic, a lot of people have been left frazzled and desperate for a moment of job security. The tech industry is promising for many people as it is consistently growing, pays well, and offers decent job security.
In fact, the tech industry is so big now that it makes up 35% of the total world market, according to a report by Zippia. According to the same report, technology is the second biggest industry in the US, behind only healthcare.
For those looking to enter a well-paid and relatively secure industry, it makes sense that the technology sector is at the top of the list.
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Top Employers in Tech
Adobe
The Adobe Suites includes software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat. Named ninth on the Forbes list of best employers in 2021, Adobe has 26,000 employees worldwide. They primarily hire software development engineers and technical support engineers.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
This subsidiary of Amazon provides secure cloud computing services and APIs. They primarily hire software development engineers and system engineers.
Cisco
This technology conglomerate employs almost 80,000 people worldwide. They provide products and services related to information technology and primarily hire data analysts, software engineers, and security research engineers.
From their search engine to the various other tools they now own — such as GoogleMaps, YouTube, and Gmail — Google is clearly one of the largest technology companies in the world. Between their various tools, they hire nearly every IT role.
10 Highest-Paying Tech Jobs
1. DevOps Engineer
A DevOps engineer is often a bit of a generalist. They are responsible for working with code, infrastructure management, DevOps toolchains, and system administration.
Their day-to-day work will depend on the size and type of company, but DevOps engineers often review code, write unit tests, and help create bridges of communication between various teams. DevOps engineers usually have around five years of experience in operations or development roles before they move to DevOps.
2. Product Manager
Product managers oversee every step of the project and ensure it is consistently in line with customers' needs. This role requires a mix of skills, including UX design, tech, and business.
Their roles often include research, analysis, creating designs, testing prototypes, and finding bugs. They will often create a roadmap for the product and follow up with stakeholders, customers, and market research to help guide and improve the product.
3. Computer and Information Research Scientist
Computer and Information Research Scientists work to improve both hardware and software systems. It is one of the more difficult jobs, but also one of the highest paid. These scientists often work with complex algorithms and programming languages and design computer architecture.
Overall, their goal is to develop innovative ways to use both existing and potential future technologies. They are particularly prevalent in medical and science fields.
4. Software Developer
Software developers are responsible for creating everything from your favorite game on your phone to system-level software used by hospitals and the military. They need to know how to code, most often in Java, SQL, and JavaScript, as well as have valuable soft skills, such as problem-solving abilities. There is a lot of variability in this role, given the range of types of software in existence. This is also a common entry point for people looking to build up their experience or portfolio.
5. Computer Network Architect
Computer network architects design and build data communication networks. This can range from small connections within different branches of the same company all of the way up to large-scale cloud infrastructures. They need a strong working knowledge of both hardware and software. A computer network architect is typically responsible for increasing efficiency, recommending and implementing upgrades, and staying up to date with developing technologies. With those goals in mind, they create and present plans to management, upgrade hardware, and work with information and network security.
6. Artificial Intelligence Architect
Artificial intelligence (AI) architects work closely with data scientists, engineers, and developers to design, build, and create new AIs. The role is often a mix of technical and creative, dreaming up some of the wildest technologies of the future while also being aware of current technological limitations.
There is also a significant ethical component to AI as we try to find the line between what we can and should create.
7. Information Security Analyst
Information and network security is expected to be one of the most critical areas in tech to develop evermore invasive technologies. The world is full of examples of hacks, everything from large-scale cybersecurity attacks like the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021 to individual privacy issues, like when hackers figure out how to access in-home security cameras.
Keeping all types of products and software safe from security breaches will be one of the most significant projects in the upcoming years.
8. Mobile App Developer
Mobile app developers design, develop, and implement all different types of mobile applications. Often they will specialize in working with either Android, iOS, or Windows.
App developers are often creative, coming up with new games or tools, but also very technical and practical. App developers also need an in-depth knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.
9. Data Scientist
Data is the new digital currency, and data scientists are the ones helping companies, NGOs, and governments turn all of that raw data into something that can tell a story.
Data scientists source, clean, manage, and analyze immense amounts of data looking for actionable insights. They also create algorithms and data models to forecast outcomes. This is a math and statistics-heavy role, with a significant number of data scientists holding at least a master's degree, if not a Ph.D.
10. Full-Stack Web Developer
Being a full-stack web developer means a person can develop both server and client software, making them the multitool of the technology world.
Not only do full-stack developers need a strong knowledge of front-end languages, but they also need to be able to write API code and server code for the back end. Because of this, full-stack developers often need to be familiar with a decently long list of programming languages.
Tips for Getting a Job in Tech
Hiring norms for the tech industry are changing nearly as quickly as the industry itself. Everyone is looking to hire someone with tech skills, from the local construction company looking to build a new website to Meta trying to build the Metaverse.
It used to be quite difficult to get one of these jobs without at least a computer science degree. While that is still the case for a few of the more high-level tech jobs, a good coding portfolio can often speak louder than a degree for careers such as web or software development.
After deciding which career path you are most interested in, the most important thing is to ensure you are familiar with all the main tools and programming languages used in that role. If there are holes in your knowledge, enroll in a class or bootcamp. Lastly, start posting and networking on sites like GitHub or LinkedIn to get your name and work out there.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Highest-Paying Tech Jobs
What is the highest-paying IT job in 2022?
DevOps engineers earn the highest pay in IT, falling just short of $150,000 a year. This is quite a senior role, however, with a wide range of salaries depending on experience, education, certifications, and other skills. Pay rates can also vary immensely between companies and locations.
Product managers and computer and information research scientists also earn very competitive salaries. Regardless of the specific industry, it is fair to say that nearly all tech workers earn significantly more than the average outside the tech industry.
Which IT job does not require coding?
While the majority of IT roles will require at least a basic understanding of coding, there are a few jobs that do not. If you are particularly averse to coding, potential roles include being a product manager, a market research analyst, or a UX designer.
Learning to code, however, is not as difficult as you might fear. While it is not for everyone, if you are going to work in the tech industry, it could be worth it to at least learn a bit about one language and more or less how it works.
How do you know if coding is not for you?
It may be a bit overly simplistic, but you will never know unless you try. Coding can be challenging to understand at first, but it is far from impossible, even if you have no experience in the tech industry.
It can help to start with a more accessible language like Python or HTML. Once you can see and understand how programming languages work, they will be easier to understand going forward. If, however, you give it a shot and know it is just not for you, plenty of other tech jobs out there do not require coding.
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