10 IT professions to be in demand this decade and provide high salaries

January 8, 2023  13:37

If you've decided to start or pursue a career in IT, you may need to know what the hottest IT trends of the decade are and which occupation to choose. ITCareerFinder has identified ten IT occupations that will be most in demand in 2020-2030, offer the highest salaries and best opportunities for advancement, have the fastest growth, pay higher than the national average (as estimated in the U.S.), provide high levels of employment and offer a range of advancement opportunities.

The authors of the study used a variety of sources, including information on the top jobs of the decade from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employment Growth Forecast guide, IT salary information from Indeed.com, information from interviews with IT professionals, experts, and the latest IT hiring trends (estimates are made for USA).

1. Information security specialist

First and foremost is the IT security specialist. Security will remain a top concern for IT executives and hiring managers as the frequency, scope and sophistication of cyberattacks continue to grow. Year after year, IT executives report that they actively seek out professionals with information security skills, but struggle to find talent. This means that there is an incredible opportunity for technical professionals to advance in this area. Computer security skills tend to be in high demand and include IT operations security, secure web and mobile application development, risk management, information assurance, network and cloud security.

IT security professional employment forecast for 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth rate: 33% (much faster than average);
  • 10-year growth rate: 47,100 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $104,000.

2. Mobile app developer

Mobile app development is one of the fastest growing professions in the world. As smartphones and tablets continue to change the way we communicate, conduct business, consume news and organize entertainment, the demand for new and innovative mobile apps is growing at an incredible rate. This growing demand has created a situation where there are more mobile app development jobs today than qualified professionals in the marketplace. Google's Android and Apple's iOS (iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch) platforms will continue to offer more career opportunities for mobile app developers.

Mobile app developer employment forecast for 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth rate: 22% (much faster than average);
  • 10-year growth rate: 409,000 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $107,000.

3. Software engineer

Software engineer jobs are in fourth place. The demand for labor in this profession will grow along with technological advances and the widespread availability of software. For example, the rapid development of cloud technology is creating a demand for software developers who can create secure and scalable cloud applications. In addition, as computer systems continue to spread and software pervades new industries and is applied to smart devices, the need to develop computer systems that support these initiatives will create jobs for systems software engineers.

The 2020-2030 projection for software engineer employment:

  • 10-year growth rate: 19% (much faster than average);
  • 10-year growth rate: 354,000 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $108,000.

4. Video game designer

Among the jobs of the future in IT, the video game designer job ranks 4th. The $140+ billion gaming industry has more than tripled in the last decade. Along with the growing market for desktop and console games, the popularity of mobile devices and their functionality and graphics capabilities are opening up a new world of job opportunities for video game designers, artists and programmers. Game designers with mobile app development experience will be especially in demand as smartphones and tablets continue to revolutionize the devices on which people play video games today. New technologies and the growing demand for augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications will also drive demand for video game design jobs.

Forecast for video game designer jobs for 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth: 16% (much faster than average);
  • 10-year growth: 9,000 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $80,000.

5. Computer systems analyst

The first five round out the computer systems analyst profession. As organizations continue to rely more and more on technology, these professionals will be needed to improve the efficiency of existing technology and create new systems. Healthcare is a major sector that will see an increase in demand for computer systems analyst jobs as governments and various funding initiatives continue to push the process of electronically organizing medical records. The U.S. Department of Labor also forecasts a 43% increase in demand for systems analysts at IT consulting firms, which means huge opportunities for freelance and contract jobs for people in this profession.

Employment forecast for computer systems analysts for 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth rate: 7% (average);
  • 10-year growth rate: 42,800 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $94,000.

6. Web developer

Every year, a record number of companies present their products and services online. As the number of online products and services continues to grow, so will the demand for web developers and designers. The proliferation of social media will increase the demand for web developers as businesses look to attract the next generation of customers and improve competitiveness in this fast-growing industry. Skills in obtaining responsive web design, a simple and attractive interface, and providing the most comfortable experience for the consumer are very important for those working in this field because web pages must adapt to the different screen sizes of various devices, such as smart devices, watches, etc.

 Web Developer Employment Forecast 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth rate: 13% (above average);
  • 10-year growth rate: 25,000 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $77,000.

7. Health Information Technician

The next job of the future in IT is that of a health information technician in health care settings. According to ITCareerFinder, there will be more computer jobs in healthcare by 2025 than in any other industry. The problem is that countries are moving toward centralization of all health information, so the demand for specialist analysts who are proficient and certified in these technologies will also grow unprecedentedly. While these professionals may have the lowest entry-level salaries on this list, the education required for this field can be obtained in a much shorter period of time (usually a two-year program with a specialization in health information technology). In addition, students currently working in this field will have good opportunities for management positions as the field continues to grow.

Human health information analyst employment forecast for 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth: 9% (average);
  • 10-year growth: 37,100 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $46,000.

8. Technology manager

The Technology manager position ranks 8th on the list. The growth in the number of jobs for information technology managers is directly related to the rate of growth in the IT professions these managers manage. Record growth in demand for a variety of technical occupations, including software development, project management, data analytics and cloud computing, will continue through 2025, with demand for talented IT managers growing thereafter. Additional growth will come from an increased focus on information security and the hiring of additional cybersecurity personnel.

Employment forecast for technology managers for 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth: 11% (above average);
  • 10-year growth volume: 52,100 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $151,000. 

9. Database administrator

At the penultimate spot on the list is the database administrator position. Businesses are collecting impressive amounts of digital information, which increases the demand for trained and certified database administrators to store, organize, analyze and protect that data. In addition, as more and more databases connect to the Internet and the cloud, data security is becoming increasingly important and challenging. Database administrators and programmers, especially those with information security skills, will be in demand to protect corporate data from hackers.

Employment forecast for database administrators for 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth: 8% (average);
  • 10-year growth: 13,200 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $99,000.

10. Network administrator

The network administrator profession ranks 10th on the list of future IT occupations. Demand will grow as organizations invest in new computer systems and networking technology to increase productivity and gain a competitive edge. The rapid spread of mobile and smart devices and cloud computing means more organizations will use the Internet to conduct business online, which means more jobs for network professionals who can help businesses use these new technologies safely.

Employment forecast for network administrators for 2020-2030:

  • 10-year growth rate: 5% (below average);
  • 10-year growth rate: 18,800 new jobs;
  • Average annual salary: $85,000.

 
 
 
 
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