There are dozens of different IT professions, specializations, and programming languages out there today. New roles appear almost every month, and there are various names for all of the different professions. So it can be quite hard to distinguish what the best and highest paying IT roles out there are. We have created this article to highlight what the highest paying IT jobs in 2021 will be.
The economy is becoming increasingly dependent on the IT field, and this means that there are plenty of jobs out there, in various IT sectors, with some pretty competitive salaries too. Of course, salaries do depend on the area of work, professional experience, and the position held. Nonetheless, there are plenty of IT roles available for everyone to enjoy.
One thing’s for sure, in the next few years the need for IT specialists will only grow, and grow, and grow. So, many aspiring professionals will choose the information technology world because it pays well, it's a growing field, and it offers individuals lots of career growth opportunities too.
Now join us as we discuss the highest paying roles in the IT world.
1. DevOps Engineer
A DevOps engineer's task is to implement the DevOps methodology, which is defined as a set of practices aimed at reducing the time taken during the software development cycle, by bridging the gap between the development team and the operations team.
The DevOps role ensures that all stages of the software development cycle, from writing code to testing and releasing an application, are covered. This limits any potential errors, and they make sure that the best version of the product reaches the end-user.
A DevOps engineer is also responsible for automating tasks within the development process. They also work with a range of software tools, and these specialists can both configure hardware and adapt applications when they need to.
Here is an approximate salary range of a DevOps Engineer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
2. Big Data Engineer
A Big Data Engineer's job is to organize incomprehensible information, that has been automatically collected, into information that can be read and acted upon.
They deal with huge amounts of data, and they must be able to move and store this information correctly. They are also in charge of customization, integration, and creation of data sets for analysts and researchers. Additionally, they control data quality.
To be a Big Data Engineer, it is important to have an analytical mind, to be able to finalize research despite incomprehensible results, and to work with raw data.
IT professionals in this field are highly regarded and well-paid.
Here is an approximate salary range of a Big Data Engineer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
3. Game Designer
A Game Designer designs games and oversees their development.
A Game Designer could potentially work in lots of different stages, from the mechanics, graphics, story, and characters, to the setting of a game. This means that they are responsible not only for the design and creation, but also for the whole life cycle of the product.
The work of a Game Designer begins with the creating a concept, and then this is developed as time moves on.
To work in this field you must be prepared to constantly analyze the market, so that you can see what users want. It is vital that Game Designers listen and adhere to the latest trends in the gaming world, and to incorporate feedback from end-users into their work.
Here is an approximate salary range of a Game Designer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
4. Web Developer
Another one on the list of high-paying jobs in IT is the role of a Web Developer. A Web Developer is a qualified specialist who writes code, and designs and updates websites for companies.
Web development has many narrower specializations, including; Junior Web Developer, Senior Web Developer, Backender, Web Designer, Front-end Specialist, and Layout Designer.
Their main task is to make digital products as user-friendly as possible.
Here is an approximate salary range of a Web Developer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
5. Information System Security Manager
An Information System Security Manager is in charge of creating a reliable security system that protects sensitive data, and to actually keep the whole system secure.
They analyze security risks for a company and then develop measures to prevent these security issues from happening. Their general responsibilities include; the installation, configuration, and maintenance of technical means for data protection.
Today, no company can really be without them, so there will always be plenty of work in this field.
Here is an approximate salary range of an Information System Security Manager at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
6. Data Architect
A Data Architect is a professional who manages and builds data management systems for organizations. Data Architects have to adapt new tools to meet the challenges businesses pose, and they can also develop an entire computer network. They are usually involved in the security side of things too.
The role of a Data Architect is already popular and is a high-paying job in the IT field, and it will remain in high demand too.
Here is an approximate salary range of a Data Architect at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
7. Mobile Applications Developer
A Mobile Applications Developer is a programmer who creates applications for phones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Their job is to create a user-friendly application that will work smoothly across different devices.
At the moment, this profession is trendy, promising, and in great demand. What makes it so attractive? The field of mobile applications is growing, and it is the centre of many fascinating innovations, for example, voice and gesture interfaces, which is very appealing to many individuals.
A Mobile Applications Developer often works closely with their clients, and will often discuss all of the project stages with them. They also develop the architecture of an application, interact with designers, and send apps to the Apple Store and to Google Play.
Here is an approximate salary range of a Mobile Applications Developer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
8. UX/UI Interface Designer
A UX/UI Interface Designer works on the user interface side of the software development process. The main responsibility of a UX/UI Interface Designer is to look at what users want from the user interface and to apply this information to the end product.
These specialists have to study user experience analytics, and prepare terms of reference for editors, so that they know what they need to do to make the product as good as possible for the end-user.
They also render out working prototypes, where they will have drawn buttons/icons based on their analytics, to test the product out on real users to see what they think.
Here is an approximate salary range of an UX/UI Interface Designer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
9. SEO Specialist
Today, everyone wants to be at the top of a ‘search’, and how do you manage this? You either learn about SEO, or you get an SEO Specialist to help you.
An SEO Specialist is a marketing wizard, who does lots of research and analyzes these results to improve a website’s ranking. Typically, an SEO Specialist uses tools to find out what ‘keywords’ are popular, and advises businesses on what keywords to use on their website and in their content, to make sure they come up top in a search.
If you don’t use keywords, there is little hope of your website being found on large search engines, because your website will be swamped by other bigger websites who know how to use SEO correctly.
An SEO Specialist’s role is not a ‘one time thing’, they must continue to monitor and analyze what SEO is required for a business. They must be able to stay on top of tasks and trends.
Here is an approximate salary range of an SEO Specialist at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
10. QA Engineer
There is an ever-growing demand for software testing specialists, and companies are not only interested in experienced testers, but also young professionals.
A QA Engineer is a quality assurance specialist who makes sure a product meets its specification and technical design requirements.
The responsibilities of a QA Engineer include; studying the requirements of a product, writing and revising test scripts, testing the product’s functionality, and creating reports based on defects found so that they can be repaired.
They also analyze results and amend the software accordingly until the product works as it should for the end-user.
Here is an approximate salary range of a QA Engineer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
11. Site Reliability Engineer
The role of a Site Reliability Engineer is developing exponentially. It is, as the name suggests, an engineering profession, that has the goal of making sure that IT systems work reliably.
The tasks of a Site Reliability Engineer can vary depending on the type of business and the company. The first steps usually made by these specialists is to introduce metrics into the business’ system, so they can monitor what’s going on within the system by gathering reliable information.
These specialists are responsible not only for the reliability of a site, but also for its scalability and smooth operating IT systems.
Here is an approximate salary range of a Site Reliability Engineer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
12. Data Scientist
A Data Scientist is an IT specialty that ranks high, and will remain in high demand for a long time.
Data Scientists help companies to collect, transfer, and to interpret results from data sets.
They usually work with huge volumes of data, which is usually unstructured. A Data Scientist traditionally uses statistics and machine learning methods to structure their data sets, so that they make more sense of their data, and they can provide results to businesses. These results are then used to make products and services better for both the business and end-user.
The role of a Data Scientist does require great knowledge of statistical data analysis, skills in building mathematical models, and the ability to find patterns and to make predictions.
Here is an approximate salary range of a Data Scientist at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
13. Cloud Data Compliance Engineer
There are dozens of cloud-related professions in the IT industry, and the role of a Cloud Data Compliance Engineer is one of them.
These engineers are responsible for implementing security controls, searching for vulnerabilities in the system, keeping real time-logs, and checking the structure of the cloud system and looking at ways of improving the cloud system.
The skills needed to become a Cloud Data Compliance Engineer include, knowledge and understanding of the legislation regarding the protection of personal data, understanding the specifics and principles of cloud technologies, and the ability to work with cloud monitoring systems.
Here is an approximate salary range of a Cloud Data Compliance Engineer at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
14. IoT Specialist
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a set of physical objects that are all interconnected and can share data together, without the need for human interaction.
A specialist working within this field would look at how to integrate the principles of IoT into business and life.
This is a very promising industry for anyone looking to get into it, and it will only grow even bigger in time.
Here is an approximate salary range of an IoT Specialist at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
15. IT Analyst
In a broader sense, an IT Analyst is a specialist who collects data and draws conclusions from this data to help businesses move forwards.
The result of their work helps businesses to answer the following question: "What does the customer want?" These results then ensure that businesses act and do what their customers want, rather than just ‘guessing’ what the customer wants.
A huge amount of data, tons of numbers, and hundreds of different factors must be taken into account before any final conclusions can be made. Without doing this business could act based on an incorrect result, which could be costly.
The ability to operate and compare various seemingly incomparable data sets is very important in this role.
Given the trends in this area, salaries for IT-Analysts will continue to grow over the coming years.
Here is an approximate salary range of an IT Analyst at the end of 2020 (data taken from Glassdoor).
Conclusion
So, as you can see the IT world if filled with lots of different jobs, some may be more appealing to you than others, but all have their merits.
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Feel free to contact us for more information about our courses – we're happy to help you out with any questions you may have.