Different people decide to work in Information Technology (IT) for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s job security. Rather than watch their jobs get automated, they learn to create the automation. For others, it’s their passion and interest; they love solving complex problems, building things, and using cutting-edge technology. And for the third set of people, it’s the money. True that money is vital for survival, but by no means should it be anyone’s top priority, especially during a job hunt.
If you choose to use this list of highest-paying IT jobs just to find a role that pays you a bomb, we cannot stop you. But what would be more fulfilling is if this list served as a road map to a job you are truly passionate about. Once that happens, the odds are that your passion will lead you to one of the highest paying IT jobs in the job market.
Topics Covered:
- Product Manager
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer
- Full-Stack Developer
- Cloud Architect
- DevOps Engineer
- Big Data Engineer
- Internet of Things (IoT) Architect
- Data Scientist
- Systems Administrator
- Data Security Analyst
- Enterprise Applications Architect
- Information Systems Security Manager
Product Manager
Coming in at an average yearly salary of $109,000, Product Manager is one of the highest paying jobs in IT. Product Managers use a unique blend of business and technical knowledge to create and accomplish goals. They work directly with both customers and key stakeholders to determine what products, features, or services fulfill the needs of both. They can then clearly communicate to a project or technical team about what needs to be created and the likely success rates for that project. Finally, they build a team to make it a reality.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer
AI engineers work on the cutting edge of technology and, because of this, are one of the highest paying IT positions making an average of $113,000 per year. Because the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are still emergent, what an AI engineer does specifically varies widely across companies and projects. In general, AI engineers are responsible for building AI models using deep neural networks and machine learning algorithms to make data-driven decisions for the business. Hence, AI engineers must have advanced skills and knowledge regarding data science and computer programming using Python and/or R.
Full-Stack Developer
Making roughly $106,000 per year, Full Stack Developer is one of the highest paying IT jobs. A full-stack developer is one who can develop both the front-end (client) and back-end (server) software. What specific programming languages or tech stack a full stack developer uses will vary widely from project to project. They most commonly use traditional front-end languages such as JavaScript, Angular, or jQuery, as well as back-end languages such as Python, ASP, or PHP.
Cloud Architect
Cloud Architect is one of the fastest-growing jobs on this list. At $107,000 annually, it’s also one of the highest paying jobs in all of IT. Cloud Architects have to be experts in everything related to cloud computing as they are often bridging the gap between highly-complex business needs and solutions, often hypothetical, that could be found using the cloud. They are responsible for everything ranging from designing the company’s cloud computing strateg