In case you didn’t already know, it’s a good time to be in information technology. That’s because, next to the health care industry, tech jobs are booming. The number of job opportunities, and the salaries of those jobs, is expected to rise substantially over the next few years. Here are some interesting facts.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, six out of 30 of the fastest-growing jobs in the United States are computer-related. For the tech industry as a whole, the BLS says that the number of employees is expected to grow more than 60% between 2004 and 2014. Only one other field (home health care services) is growing faster.
And it’s not just job availability, either. Tech industry salaries are also on the rise. IT jobs placed 8th on CNN Money’s list of fastest growing salaries. Here’s a quick rundown of jobs with the hottest demand (and their average salaries).
Network Analysts ($64,600)
On a slightly higher level than their system administrator cousins, network analysts evaluate and plan out networks, researching and recommending the hardware and software required to get the job done.
Software Engineers ($79,780)
It doesn’t take a genius to know that computer programs don’t magically appear out of thin air. Software engineers analyze user needs and develop applications and systems from the ground up.
Systems Administrators ($62,130)
Ever curse at your computer when the internet isn’t working or the network is down? Well, it’s usually a systems administrator that gets to fix that sort of problem. Whether it’s LANs, WANs, intranets, or the internet, systems administrators keep computers talking to each other.
Database Administrators ($64,670)
If you think of a computer program as an office assistant, organizing and processing information in a presentable manner, then a database would be the filing cabinet where all of the raw data is stored. Database administrators design, test, and implement these information storage systems.
Systems Analysts ($69,760)
When it comes to computers, it’s easy to get bogged down in the technical minutiae. Systems analysts look at humans and computers as parts of a larger system, ensuring that they work together effectively.
I’ve found that these “average” salaries are just a little misleading…
The fact of the matter is that the top n% of each of those positions is going to make much more than that… most of the really good people I know in the DC area are making nearly double those numbers… but that’s hitting the ceiling too.
Yeah there are many factors the can influence the pay rate for the jobs mentioned.