Information Technology is the way of the future in jobs, according to most industry experts. With major tech companies sprouting out from the knowledge of skilled technical individuals and even non-technical companies making use of technical minds to build and run their websites, technical skills can be applicable to any sector you set your mind to be a part of. For this reason, individuals in the technology and Information Technology sector are capable of earning very high salaries. Below, we will talk about the top ten highest paid IT jobs you should look into.
Data Analysis may not be the highest paid IT job ever, but it’s on our list because salary potentials are increasing at a high rate. Because Data Analysis is applicable to any business, due to how they translate data and numbers into understandable jargon, any company that relies on anything from sales figures to marketing research will benefit from Data Analysis. At the moment, Data Analyst can make between $68,000 to $74,000 a year. A Bachelor’s degree is all that’s needed to get started; however, to advance in this industry, you will need a Master’s degree.
Just as an Architect interprets the wants or wishes of a developer or client into a residential or business property, a Network Architect interprets the needs and wants of a company on the technical side to create the best computer infrastructure for them. This can include something as simple as moving a design company over from all Windows to all Mac to something as complex as ensuring that a hospital’s security infrastructure provides confidentiality of patient medical records. Such a job pays between $100,000 – $150,000 a year.
A Bachelor’s degree will be a great way to break into the business and gain some experience, especially with a degree in quantitative fields like Mathematics or Engineering. Some programming experience in languages like HTML are almost essential as well.
With this IT job, the title says it all. As an IT Security Manager, your job is to manage the stances and rules your company will take in terms of proper computer usage and etiquette. Along with this, your job includes analyzing your company’s current security condition and figuring out its weak points to improve. IT Security Managers, when designated in a particular company, are the backbone of the company’s security structure.
Because of this, IT Security Managers will work a lot with Network Architects to make sure their security decisions are good ones. IT Security Managers can make between $115,000 – $125,000 a year. Becoming an IT Security Manager is based largely on experience in the IT realm, coupled with a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s in Information Technology or Computer Science.
If you didn’t notice yet, the previous job title dealt heavily on the data and security of a company. Without analyzing data and ensuring that it’s kept safe, a company will crumble. But, what are the highest paying IT jobs dealing with the creation end? The first job title we will talk about on the creation end are Lead Application Directors. In other words, the Product Managers. These are the individuals who set the direction in which a application will be not only developed but also marketed. Product Managers can make between $110,000 to $120,000 a year. Product Managers achieve their position after years as a Software Developer or Designer, so knowledge of programming and Computer Science is essential.
Software Engineering is one of the most well known IT jobs around. These are the pros who are behind the coding of some of your favorite websites and applications. Software Engineering involves a lot more than just coding. Along with creating code, Software Engineers must work with all aspects of the tech sector, from designers to iterate their thoughts to marketing pros so that analytic can be implemented for them to grab data.
With all of these tasks at hand, it isn’t unheard of for Software Engineers to demand a pretty dollar. A Software Engineer can expect to be paid between $89,000 to $95,000 a year. If without experience, a Bachelor’s in Information Technology, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or another technologically-minded quantitative degree is highly recommended.
Behind a strong company is an even stronger database to store all of their important information and data. Database Developers and Administrators are the individuals who not only build the databases according to the company’s size and requirements, but they are also the individuals who work on upkeep and ensure that the database continues to work well. Many times, the job comes with having to work behind a computer some days and other days it may require communication with other individuals in the company to discover holes in the database.
This is a very similar job to IT Security Managers, the main difference being that Database Developers work with the security of the databases that the other job title creates. Database Developers can make anywhere between $80,000 and $96,000 a year. A Bachelor’s in Data Analysis or in a technological degree like Computer Science or Information Technology will be what allows you to start in this career.
So companies have lots of data that Database Developers are building, IT Security Managers are keeping secure, and Data Analysts are translating into understandable jargon. But who are the individuals that put all of this data to good use? Business Intelligence Analysts are the brains behind making use of data to make smart decisions in the form of good profits, smart business decisions, and to ensure that the company is staying efficient in the end.
Business Intelligence Analysts are also found in C-level positions. For this reason, Business Intelligence Analysts can expect to make around $80,000 – $90,000 for the title alone, a bit under double those amounts if they are in-fact C-level in large companies. Having a strong technical background is important, but business knowledge can work in your favor as well.
Finally, we are at a c-level position. Chief Information Officer is the highest paying IT job around, because of the fact that CIOs are in other words the highest level you can go in Information Technology for a mid-sized to large company. Chief Information Officers are given less task work and are more there to ensure that the company’s vision is continued to be upheld.
Unlike a Chief Technology Officer, the individual who is there to ensure that the coding and development side continues to expand the company’s technological advancements, CIOs deal more with what’s behind the scenes to ensure what happens on the front end is possible safely and efficiently. CIOs have as much of a salary cap as the company can sustain, but the median salary can be between $175,000 to $219,000 a year. Experience is the only way to work to this level.
Data Warehouse Engineers are the individuals who build the infrastructure that makes the job of Business Intelligence Analysts possible. Data Warehouse Engineers work more with business modelling and data partitioning. This is the hard stuff in Information Technology and for that reason, Data Warehouse Engineers are the bridge between the technical aspects of IT (Data Analysts, Data Mining, etc) and the business-minded IT careers (Business Intelligence Analysts, C-level tech positions, etc). Data Warehouse Engineering usually requires a heavily knowledge of Data Analysis. Data Warehouse Engineers can make upwards of $90,000 a year.
Just as the Chief Information Officer is the individual who works to ensure that the vision of the business on an IT end is upheld, Chief Security Officers ensure that this vision is aligned with the security and safety policies of the company. This includes working to reduce risk, ensuring that the company is performing regular audits, and lastly to ensure that the Intellectual property that the company may be in ownership of is continued to be guarded. Chief Security Officers can make between $125,000 to $195,000 a year. Experience is the only way to work up to this level.
Many of the jobs listed above seem similar in name; however, their functions are quite varied and are vital to the survival of many large to mid-sized tech and even some non-technical companies. With them being found in such a growing and booming industry like technology, you’ll be assured to find a well-paying job in this industry soon.
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Featured photo credit: andreaskopp via Flickr
Emmanuel Banks is an editorial director for the Mountain View based startup, Teens in Tech, where he covers news in the startup world and tips for teen entrepreneurs. When Emmanuel isn't writing, he enjoys traveling and trying out new gadgets.
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