The information technology (IT) landscape is changing faster than ever. While some technical jobs are becoming obsolete, many others are growing exponentially. Now more than ever, candidates are looking for future-proof jobs that will be around for quite some time. Here are ten of the fastest-growing, most promising, and overall best IT jobs of the future you should be looking for.
Topics Covered:
1. Web Developer 2. Operations Research Analyst 3. Information Technology (IT) Manager 4. Software Developer 5. Information Security Analyst 6. Data Scientist 7. DevOps Engineer 8. Solutions Architect 9. Java Developer 10. Cloud Architect
1. Web Developer
What they do: Web Developers are tasked with creating attractive, user-friendly websites that are as fast as they are intuitive. They collaborate with everyone from back-end developers and graphic designers to clients and executives.
Why it’s the best job: Web development is considered the top career for 2021 for a few reasons. The median salary is currently $69,430 while the unemployment rate is only 1.3%. Additionally, employment for web developers is expected to add 20,900 jobs by 2028, an increase of 13%.
2. Data Scientist
What they do: Data Science is an ever-evolving field. It often helps build machine learning models, artificial intelligence algorithms, and recommendation engines across a variety of industries. But one responsibility nearly all Data Scientists have in common is that they collect, clean, organize, and evaluate data in order to provide actionable insight to the business. Why it’s the best job: Not only is Data Science one of the highest paying technical careers, with a median annual salary of $113,000, but data scientists tend to report some of the highest job satisfaction scores in tech (4.3/5). With nearly 24,000 current job openings, it’s a job market primed for growth.
3. Information Technology (IT) Manager
What they do: IT Managers tend to wear many hats. They are responsible for every aspect of an organization’s technology so they’ll often ensure cybersecurity programs are functioning properly, develop long-term innovation plans for the company, manage the technical day-to-day operations, and more. Executive roles, including CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and IT directors are a few of the titles considered by IT Managers.
Why it’s the best job: The Chicago job market is particularly lucrative for IT Managers with a typical salary range of $117,868 to $144,966. Unemployment of IT Managers is already low, at only 2%, and the demand for this position is expected to increase significantly within the next few years.
4. Software Developer
What they do: Developing software is about more than just writing code. Programming is critically important, of course, but developers work with users and peers to solve complex problems, find ways for different applications to work together, find and fix errors, and optimize existing applications for new systems and purposes. Problem-solving, communication, and collaboration are skills as important as the ability to code.
Why it’s the best job: The current median salary of $103,620 makes software development a top career for 2021. The low unemployment rate (1.6%) and expected growth (26% by 2028) mean companies will be hiring for years to come.
5. Information Security Analyst
What they do: Information Security Analysts monitor computer systems for anything and everything that may pose a security threat. This can range from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and ransomware to insider threats and user error. They’re then responsible for using the security tools and programs provided by the company to help prevent, mitigate, and repair any damage the exposure may have caused. Why it’s the best job: Security is a constantly growing and changing field. The growth in security threats gives the U.S. Bureau of Labor reason to expect a