Everything is digital nowadays. All companies have online operations in one way or another. You will always find a job if you get an education in information technology (IT). Many of these positions are compatible with remote work. They also pay well.
The Best IT Jobs in 2021
Career Karma compiled data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and PayScale to come up with a list of some of the best IT jobs, their median pay, and the projected growth rate of each job. We arranged these for you from highest to lowest pay.
An IT manager has the highest median pay of $146,360 with a 10 percent growth rate. An artificial intelligence engineer has second-highest at $146,085 but has a staggering 344% growth rate. Nothing comes close to it. If you are, therefore, wondering what IT path to pursue, this is it.
A computer research scientist has a median pay of $122,840 and a 15 percent growth rate. A data analyst has a median pay of $118,370 and a 16 percent growth rate. A computer hardware engineer has a median pay of $117,220 with a two percent growth rate. A machine learning engineer has a median pay of $112,926. A computer network architect has a median pay of $112,690 and a five percent growth rate. A DevOps engineer has a median pay of $111,311 and a 21 percent growth rate. A software developer has a median pay of $110,140 and a 22 percent growth rate. A software engineer has a median pay of $107,510 and a 22 percent growth rate. A tech sales engineer has a median pay of $103,900 and a six percent growth rate. A Java developer has a median pay of $103,464 and a 19 percent growth rate. A data scientist has a median pay of $100,560 with a 15 percent growth rate.
Below that level, the income is still good considering that you can study more courses to work your way up. An information security analyst has a median pay of $99,370 with a 31 percent growth rate. A database administrator has a median pay of $93,750 with a 10 percent growth rate. A computer systems analyst has a median pay of $90,920 and a seven percent growth rate. A product manager has a median pay of $87,216. A PHP Developer has a median pay of $86,616 with a 13 percent growth rate. A Python developer has a median pay of $85,571. A network and computer systems administrator has a median pay of $83,510 and a four percent growth rate. A web developer has a median pay of $73,760 and an eight percent growth rate. A mobile application developer has a median pay of $73,034. A web designer (UX/UI) has a median pay of $64,030. A database developer has a median pay of $75,774. A database developer has a median pay of $75,774. A computer systems analyst has a median pay of $70,606 and a seven percent growth rate.
Training for an IT Job
There are short courses you can take to qualify you for an IT job. You can take further courses while working to qualify you for higher positions. There are examinations and certifications to prove that you are qualified for certain competencies. These accreditations are given by The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). There are four IT certification series comprised of core, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and additional professional competencies.
The core certifications are necessary to lay the foundation for either infrastructure or cybersecurity specialized pathways. There are four certifications under the core series: IT Fundamentals, A+, Network+ (N10-007), and Security+. These cover the basics such as operating systems, hardware, networking, and others.
Under infrastructure are the Cloud+, Linux+, and Server+ certifications. IT infrastructure is needed by all businesses to function. These skills enable a certified IT professional to manage and support the operations of data centers and networks. Completing the core and infrastructure certifications will deepen an IT professional’s mastery of skills and widen the range of IT infrastructure roles they can take on.
Under cybersecurity are the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+), and PenTest+ certifications. Businesses that have online operations need cybersecurity. The recent surge in attacks against companies and even governments highlight the urgent and growing need for competent professionals in this field. These certifications ensure that cybersecurity experts not only identify cybersecurity issues and threats but proactively prevent them. Completing the core and cybersecurity certifications will enable IT professionals to become masters in this path.
Under additional professional competencies are the Project+, CTT+ and Cloud Essentials+ certifications. These are for other IT skills such as project management and training.
You can be on your way to a new career if you start taking an IT course now. You can still join the ranks of IT professionals who will guide practically all businesses into the future.