The Top 25 Highest-Paying Technology Jobs and Their Duties
Updated April 18, 2024
Are you interested in a career in tech, but are not sure which job is best for you, or how to start preparing for it? We have you covered!
25 high-paying technology jobs
Below is a list of high-paying technology jobs, the salary of each job and a short description of the job's responsibilities. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, please click on the links below.1. Development operations manager
National average salary:$70,886 per yearPrimary duties: A development operations manager is responsible for the management and optimization of the organizational development processes to increase funding revenue. They also create and implement development operation policies, procedures and strategies. The development operations manager also maintains the integrity of records and data and manages the development operation budget.2. IT Security Specialist
National average salary:$65,905 per yearPrimary duties: IT security specialists are IT professionals who monitor computer systems and ensure that information is safely stored. IT security specialists are required to have an in-depth understanding of cybersecurity threats, technologies and countermeasures in order to accurately secure computer systems. They’re responsible for developing plans to safeguard computer files, encrypting data transmissions and erecting firewalls and implementing password authentication.3. Web developer
National average salary:$77,791 per yearPrimary duties: A web developer creates web pages by using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and other related coding languages. Their goal is to design web pages that are visually appealing, high functioning, user-friendly and free from errors. Web developers are also responsible for a website's technical aspects, such as capacity and performance.Related: Learn About Being a Web Developer4. Application analyst
National average salary:$78,305 per yearPrimary duties: Application analysts are professionals who help maintain company infrastructures. They consult with management to determine a company's needs and then design applications to meet them. They typically create functional design documents and provide technical assistance and expertise in designing, developing and testing applications.5. User interface designer
National average salary:$87,148 per yearPrimary duties: A user interface designer works closely with other designer specialists to make sure users are able to interact with a product as intended. They are responsible for creating interactive programs that enhance user experience with a particular product. User interface designers also provide accessible and usable code that enables the users to quickly accomplish their goals.Related: What Is User Interface (UI)?6. Application developer
National average salary:$86,803 per yearPrimary duties: Application developers are in charge of creating and implementing the source code for new applications. An application developer will evaluate existing applications and perform any necessary updates or modifications. They also develop technical handbooks and documents to accurately represent the application's code and design.7. Business intelligence analyst
National average salary:$87,886 per yearPrimary duties: Business intelligence analysts are responsible for the institution of new analytics and metrics procedures, programs and policies. They also process several different types of data. They review and validate data from users as it's collected, monitor metrics and analytics results and review customer files to ensure the integrity of the data collection and utilization.Related: Learn About Being a Business Intelligence Analyst8. Software test engineer
National average salary:$97,689 per yearPrimary duties: Software test engineers are responsible for making sure software is consistently performing the way it was designed to do. They create methods for evaluating software and then run a variety of tests on the software. Software test engineers also test networking features across operating system platforms, introduce and assess new testing tools and create documentation on identifying test scenarios.9. Database administrator
National average salary:$94,537 per yearPrimary duties: Database administrators use specialized software for storing and organizing data. They’re responsible for managing and maintaining company databases and modifying the database structure. They also monitor the database's user access and generate reports by querying from the database.Related: Learn About Being a Database Administrator10. Information technology manager
National average salary:$96,607 per yearPrimary duties: An information technology manager is responsible for managing the IT staff. They do this by monitoring performance, communicating job expectations and recruiting and training employees. Information technology managers monitor operating systems, software and server hardware. They are also in charge of overseeing the IT budget.11. User experience designer
National average salary:$99,082 per yearPrimary duties: User experience designers are professionals who work to create excellent experiences for those who use their company’s products. A user experience (UX) designer is responsible for planning and conducting user research and competitor analysis, interpreting data and qualitative feedback and creating sitemaps. They also collaborate with other developers and designers to ensure the software is user-friendly and intuitive.12. Business intelligence developer
National average salary:$96,214 per yearPrimary duties: A business intelligence developer is responsible for developing reporting systems that provide accessible information that helps make decisions. They may have to evaluate and improve existing business intelligence systems, develop and update technical documents and collaborate with other teams to properly integrate systems. They also choose software and data sets that are used in decision-making.Related: What Is a Business Intelligence Developer and How To Become One
13. Database developer
National average salary:$97,025 per yearPrimary duties: A database developer is responsible for designing effective, stable and reliable databases. They also maintain, optimize, modify and repair current databases to keep them up to standards. Database developers frequently communicate with other developers to discuss application improvement, as well as establish best practices.14. Hardware design engineer
National average salary:$106,736 per yearPrimary duties: A hardware design engineer develops, tests and improves system components such as processors, circuit boards and memory cards for computers or other devices. Their job duties also typically consist of modifying existing hardware, overseeing manufacturing processes and creating specification documents. They also collaborate with software developers in order to integrate certain systems.15. Front-end developer
National average salary:$107,312 per yearPrimary duties: A front-end developer is a computer programmer who specializes in web design. They’re responsible for determining the design and structure of web pages, finding a balance between aesthetic and functional design and optimizing web design for smartphones. A front-end developer also tests webpage functions and collects user feedback.Related: Learn About Being a Front-End Developer16. Solutions engineer
National average salary:$119,700 per yearPrimary duties: A solutions engineer is responsible for identifying customers' needs and ensuring the correct plan is in motion. They develop relationships with customers, prospects and sales teams. They also design, install and configure customizable software to meet customer needs and document pertinent user identification information.17. Network security engineer
National average salary:$111,653 per yearPrimary duties: Network security engineers are responsible for providing, deploying, configuring and administering many different pieces of security and network hardware and software. They create different methods to solve existing threats and security issues.Network security engineers also design security strategies for new networking fields, analyze records and recommend specific solutions for security measures, provide technical support to log aggregation set-up and resolve networking issues at the time of detection.18. Development operations engineer
National average salary:$122,771 per yearPrimary duties: A development operations engineer is an IT professional with technical knowledge about software development and IT operations. Development operations engineers are responsible for determining project objectives, configuring operational priorities and developing operations solutions. They also must research and study new technologies, integrate infrastructure builds with application deployment processes; and design, analyze and evaluate automation systems and scripts.19. Data warehouse architect
National average salary:$128,042 per yearPrimary duties: Data warehouse architects are responsible for developing physical and logical data models, preparing designs for database systems and developing and maintaining various database tools and scripts. They define the scope of projects and choose which tools to use to complete it. Data warehouse architects may also define metadata standards for the data warehouse, evaluate all proposal requests and provide support to all data warehouse initiatives.20. Cloud engineer
National average salary:$121,261 per yearPrimary duties: A cloud engineer is an IT professional who is also an expert in cloud computing software. They’re responsible for managing and monitoring cloud computing software by creating, implementing and testing cloud technologies based on a company's needs. They create and employ disaster recovery solutions, oversee compliance audits and reporting, and discover new ways to enhance systems operations.Related: How To Become a Cloud Engineer21. Mobile developer
National average salary:$129,017 per yearPrimary duties: Mobile developers produce mobile applications that are functional and aesthetically pleasing. They’re responsible for supporting the entire application lifecycle cycle including writing UI and unit tests to identify malfunctions. Mobile developers alsogather specific requirements to suggest solutions and debugging and troubleshooting to optimize performance.Related: How To Write a Resume for a Mobile Developer Position22. Site reliability engineer
National average salary:$147,188 per yearPrimary duties: A site reliability engineer is responsible for bringing development and operations together by applying a software engineering mindset to system administration topics. They develop software and systems that increase site reliability and performance. They also build self-service tools and collaborate with release engineers to ensure that the software pipeline delivery is as efficient as possible.Related: What Is a Site Reliability Engineer (And Should You Become One)?23. Software architect
National average salary:$135,600 per yearPrimary duties: Software architects are software development professionals who oversee the technology infrastructure of a company. A software architect is responsible for developing, designing and implementing software solutions. They are usually in charge of providing architectural blueprints and technical leadership, evaluating and recommending tools and technologies and troubleshooting code-level problems efficiently and quickly.Related: Learn About Being a Software Architect24. Enterprise Architect
National average salary:$140,954 per yearPrimary duties: Enterprise architects are responsible for integrating an organization's information applications and programs. They also evaluate internal functions, business development strategies and IT processes. Enterprise architects also create business architecture models and develop methods for compliance architecture such as metadata management, data storage and change control.Related: Learn About Being an Enterprise Architect25. Data scientist
National average salary:$119,380 per yearPrimary duties: A data scientist is responsible for collecting, cleaning and munging data to meet a company's purpose. They typically create various machine learning-based tools, conduct statistical analysis and implement processes that improve data quality. By interpreting data, data scientists also help leaders within a business make decisions.Frequently asked questions
Why are technology jobs' salaries high?
Technology jobs typically pay high salaries because of their education requirements and the strong demand for these positions. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts technology jobs to be some of the fastest-growing occupations between 2021 and 2031. The BLS expects computer and information technology occupations, in particular, to grow 15% during this time. Because of this high demand, many employers are prepared to pay competitive salaries to attract skilled applicants.Technology jobs also often require qualified candidates to have a bachelor's degree or higher. Salaries generally reflect the amount of time and schooling individuals acquire to gain technology skills and knowledge. Data management and technology processes are also complex and labor-intensive. Knowing how complicated technology jobs can be, employers often compensate their employees accordingly.Why are technology jobs in such high demand?
The world of technology is growing and evolving at a rapid rate. To maintain pace with these advancements, companies are creating more technology jobs. Reasons technology jobs are increasing include:- The reliance on technology as more jobs become remote
- More customer experiences moving online
- The critical need for data protection and cybersecurity
- The growth of sectors such as cloud computing, augmented reality and artificial intelligence
Which technology jobs have the highest growth rates?
The BLS projects the following technology jobs have some of the highest growth rates compared to all occupations:- Information security analyst: This job is expected to grow 35% from 2021 to 2031. The main reason is an increased need for data security and cybersecurity as cyberattacks become more frequent and complex.
- Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers: This sector is expected to grow 25% from 2021 to 2031. Reasons for such growth include software development for artificial intelligence, robotics and automation. Demand for the development of security software and software systems for products like smart devices and electric cars is also increasing.
- Web developers and digital designers: These jobs are expected to grow 23% from 2021 to 2031. The growth is in part due to e-commerce demands, website creation and high mobile device use.
- Computer and information research scientist: This job is expected to grow 21% from 2021 to 2031. Demand for new technologies and data collection has led to an increased need for these positions.
What is the easiest high-paying technology job to get?
While nearly all technology jobs require an understanding of complex concepts such as algorithms, data, computer languages or code, some are easier to get than others because they don't require an advanced degree. You might qualify for software developer positions at some companies, for example, without a bachelor's degree. If you have enough relevant experience developing software and can highlight that information effectively on your resume and cover letter, you might earn an average salary of more than $114,000 per year without going to college.
Technology
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