If you want to see IT people get animated in a hurry, start talking IT salaries. After all, no one wants to toil in IT roles that are losing luster. And nobody wants to slog away in the lowest-paying specialties, either. What are the hottest paying roles in IT jobs right now? Spoiler alert: You will not see the word blockchain again in this article.
Many of today's top-paid IT titles relate to the wide mandate of digital transformation, which includes using data-driven analysis to make faster, better decisions and improve customer experience.
Think big data, mobile, AI, and security, for example.
According to the Robert Half Technology 2019 salary guide (a trusted resource with data for more than 75 positions in the IT field), here are the top IT jobs by salary for 2019, ranked by national median salary:
1. Big data engineer: $155,000
2. Mobile applications developer: $143,500
3. Information systems security manager: $139,000
4. Applications architect: $135,750
5. Data architect: $133,500
6. Database manager: $129,500
7. Data security analyst: $125,500
8. Software engineer: $124,500
9. Wireless network engineer: $122,000
10. Data scientist: $121,500
Some other hot IT hiring areas worth mentioning include DevOps and cloud. DevOps salaries remain competitive because employers are competing for people with experience in a relatively new specialty. That means with some project work, you can transition into a DevOps-oriented job from a more traditional role.
“The DevOps market is very strong,” says Ryan Sutton, district president at staffing and recruiting firm Robert Half Technology, adding that the demand is a logical outcome of increasing cloud adoption among companies. “[DevOps-related hiring] has been very active as companies try to keep up with the technical trend and improve efficiency and collaboration across teams.”
The average base salary for a DevOps engineer (a broad title that is popular now) in the Northeast is anywhere from $120,000 [to] $160,000, or sometimes higher, says Sutton.
In case you’re wondering how life at the top of the IT org chart feels right now, the average CIO salary is $157,934 according to Glassdoor data. (Their estimates are based on 274 salaries submitted anonymously to the site.) Of course, most CIO compensation packages come in much higher than that, including stock, bonuses, and other perks.
Some CIOs rake in $1 million to $10 million in extras, as CIO.com points out in its comparison of 25 Fortune 500 CIO pay packages.
On the topic of improving IT salaries, you can consider adding certifications or changing vertical industries, to boost your earning potential. Read also: 15 IT certifications worth watching.
You may also consider a new geography: The CompTIA Tech Town Index 2018 shows that taking into account cost of living, job opportunity, and career growth can unearth some interesting options, like #12 Des Moines, Iowa in the “Silicon Prairie,” #14 Madison, Wisconsin for its rocketing career opportunities, and #16 Baltimore, Maryland, a growing cybersecurity center. The top two picks? Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. Read the full article: 10 cities with the best IT salaries.
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