Discover why technology may be a good career path for you, the different types of careers in tech, the companies actively hiring in the industry, and get insights on how to launch your tech career.
Technology is a rapidly growing industry. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts an employment growth rate well above the national average between 2022 and 2032 [1]. It’s an exciting, challenging field that’s constantly evolving and influencing how we live our lives, making it a popular career choice for many.
With the expansive technology sector, you’ll have many career options, depending on your skills and interests. In this article, we highlight the benefits of working in tech, detail some popular subsectors and roles, and explore some of the top employers in the tech industry. Follow our tips on the education, skills, and experience you need to start a technology career.
Tech careers often include several benefits, contributing to the industry’s popularity. Such a thriving, developing industry brings good salaries and opportunities for career progression, and the nature of the work offers flexibility.
As a growing industry, the tech world can be an exciting place to be—it puts you at the forefront of shaping society’s future. With new jobs and companies being created, you’ll have frequent opportunities to learn new things.
This also means you’ll have a range of options depending on your skills, experience, and interests. There isn’t a set route into all technology careers, as multiple fields and specialties are available. As a result, you can enter the industry with different levels of education, unique expertise, and various skills.
The tech industry has become known for its flexible work culture. Companies like Google have led the way in promoting a work environment that prioritizes work-life balance and flexibility, which has become a popular model. Technology has brought flexibility into the workplace through video conferencing and cloud solutions, and many tech employees are now requesting it. Remote work, also known as ‘telework’ and ‘work from home’ (WFH), has become common in careers where all that’s needed is often only a computer and an internet connection.
With so many available opportunities, the technology industry offers a plethora of options for career advancements and pivots as well as skill development. Since the industry is ever-evolving, numerous learning opportunities are open to you, allowing you to develop new skills to enhance your career prospects.
The tech sector is famous for offering high salaries. People with particular tech skills can be sought after and are paid accordingly. Some of the world's biggest companies are tech companies, and while their openings are competitive, they often offer excellent salaries and bonuses.
According to the BLS, the median annual salary for IT and computer professionals as a collective group is $100,530 [1]. Your salary will depend on your position, experience, location, and employer. The BLS also states that, in May 2022, the highest 10 percent of computer and information research scientists earned more than $232,010 annually [2].
The number of tech companies worldwide is extensive, offering a variety of opportunities. However, some are particularly popular. These companies are generally known for their admired work culture, generous pay, and exciting developments. At the time of writing, these are some of the top tech companies to work for, according to Glassdoor [3]:
Google: A Big Five multinational tech company
Microsoft: The world’s leading and largest software manufacturer
IBM: One of the world’s largest IT companies and computer manufacturers
Amazon: The world’s largest online retailer and part of the “Big Five,” a group of the top tech companies worldwide (Meta, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabet) and a leader in cloud services, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence (AI)
Tata Consultancy Services: A world leader in IT, business solutions, and consultancy
To help you explore which tech careers might be suitable for you, read the following examples along with their average annual salaries.
* Average annual base salary data is retrieved from Glassdoor as of January 2024.
Data scientists work with data to answer questions by understanding patterns, finding meaning in complex numbers, creating algorithms, and using programs to capture data. Some data science job roles are:
Data scientist: $129,519
Data engineer: $106,556
Data analyst: $76,933
Data architect: $127,584
Analysts gather data from diverse sources to clean, structure, and use it to derive conclusions across multiple specialties. Here are several types of analyst jobs and their average annual salaries:
Information security analyst: $113,559
Computer systems analyst: $116,324
Network analyst: $83,373
Business analyst: $87,659
Computer programmers write, build, and test code and scripts using programming languages to create and run software. Programmers use a variety of languages, often specializing or incorporating programming skills into other roles. Some positions that require programming skills are:
Web developer: $84,496
Software developer: $105,866
Computer programmer: $114,253
Mobile app developer: $89,529
Support specialists provide technical support to organizations, businesses, and technology users. They may work remotely and in person to troubleshoot, fix, and maintain networks and computer systems. Some support roles include:
Help desk analyst: $54,650
Computer technician: $50,298
Network engineer: $100,867
IT support technician: $53,934
Working in tech doesn’t always mean you have to be technical. Even technical roles need people with workplace communication and customer service skills. You may find plenty of positions that utilize these and many other skills, such as marketing, finance, and recruitment roles. Some examples include:
Account manager: $65,894
Technical recruiter: $66,768
Product manager: $125,628
Customer service representative: $39,490
Working in tech doesn’t have a specific entry requirement, as roles vary, and different companies look for different qualifications in their employees. It isn’t even required to be tech-savvy for some roles. When entering the tech industry, define what you want to do and explore what recruiters require for that specific role.
An important factor in landing a competitive role is demonstrating an innate interest in the technology you want to work with. This is essential even if you are not going for a technical role. You can do this by joining networks, using technology in your daily life, and working on relevant personal or professional projects that you can add to a portfolio. This helps you build valuable tech skills and gives you a way to demonstrate them.
In addition, you can hone a variety of workplace skills that are useful for any position in tech, including:
Communication
Problem-solving
Teamwork and collaboration
Self-motivation
Organization
Time management
Attention to detail
Creativity
Adaptability
The level of education needed for a tech career depends on the role and the employer. Some employers and positions require minimal education and rely heavily on skills, while others call for advanced degrees. Generally, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement, and it’s usually recommended to align your major with the job role you want to pursue.
Experience is important in the tech industry. This doesn’t necessarily have to focus on paid work if you’re just starting your career, but you typically need to show employers some evidence that you have the necessary skills. This might be through your portfolio, which may include personal projects, or through a college degree, certifications, online courses, certificates, internships, or other positions you’ve held.
Are you excited about starting a career in tech? Building your skills is a key factor in making yourself stand out. Online courses and Guided Projects on Coursera are great ways to learn new skills and gain qualifications to add to your resume. IBM offers the Key Technologies For Business Specialization, and AWS offers a course on AWS Cloud Technical Essentials. You may also consider a Professional Certificate, such as the Google IT Support Professional Certificate or the Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate, all available on Coursera.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer and Information Technology Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm”. Accessed January 26, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer and Information Research Scientists Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-and-information-research-scientists.htm#tab-5”. Accessed January 26, 2024.
Glassdoor. Top Information Technology Companies, https://www.glassdoor.com/Explore/top-information-technology-companies_IS.4,26_ISEC10013.htm”. Accessed January 26, 2024.
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