A brief look around the modern landscape will reveal the prevalence and importance of technology. However, there are many things that you may not know about these types of jobs. If you’re thinking about a career in technology, read on to learn more about the incredible opportunities in this field.
Not All Tech Jobs Require a Degree
You might assume that technology jobs require an advanced degree, but this isn’t always the case. You can get into an entry-level tech job, like a computer support specialist, with as little as an associate or postsecondary degree. Just 43% of IT support workers have a bachelor’s degree.
You can also get into a tech job with a liberal arts degree supplemented by an IT certification or completion of a tech boot camp. Since the technology industry is always changing, recent certifications are often worth far more than degrees that were obtained even a few years ago. Staying on top of the latest developments in a practical and actionable way increases your value in this industry significantly.
Tech Jobs Exist in Numerous Industries
You might equate technology jobs with a strictly tech-related industry, but that’s a misunderstanding of how technology fits into the current landscape. Tech jobs can now be found in virtually any industry. In fact, some of the highest-paying industries for tech positions are transportation, education, and communication. The average tech salary in transportation is $145,000. Those in education command an average salary of $135,000, and tech positions in communications pay $133,000 on average.
Paying attention to the industry will make a dramatic difference in your earnings potential when you’re considering tech jobs. For example, web and digital interface designers have a median annual wage of $79,890, but those working in finance and insurance make an average of $99,640. Don’t limit the scope of your job search, and you may find a surprising range of opportunities available.
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Tech Opportunities Are on the Rise
If you’re interested in a job in a rapidly growing industry, you can’t do much better than technology. While the average rate of growth for all jobs in the U.S. is just 5%, there are many tech positions growing at a rate in excess of 30% over the coming decade. For example, positions for data scientists are expected to increase 36% over the 2021 to 2031 decade. Employment for information security analysts should increase 35%.
If you want to position yourself at the forefront of technology advancements, you can get involved in artificial intelligence, which has a compound annual growth rate of 26.5%Â between 2022 and 2026, compared to just 6.3% for global IT. Spending on AI is expected to exceed $300 billion by 2026.Â
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Professional Skills Are as Important as Tech Expertise
Tech skills are essential for many positions in the technology industry, but this isn’t the only thing that matters. Working at CareerBuilder, you’ll quickly see that employers look for well-rounded workers above all else. Professional skills are quickly becoming the determining factor for these types of jobs. Interpersonal skills are incredibly important to IT professionals. While your co-workers may speak fluent HTML or C++, others in the company will not. You must know how to communicate clearly and efficiently with everyone in the company, regardless of their familiarity with technology, programming languages, and coding.
Tech professionals often work in teams alongside those in other departments like sales, marketing, and development. You need to have the ability to collaborate successfully with them even if it seems like you’re speaking different languages (and in some ways, you are). Critical thinking and organization are extremely important in the tech industry as well, particularly for a position such as data scientist or data analysis.
You Don’t Have to Work in Silicon Valley
There’s a common misconception that you have to be in Silicon Valley to get the best jobs in tech, but this is far from the only place where you’ll snag an outstanding job in this field. New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. all offer a plethora of options for tech positions. A growing number of tech jobs are going to remote workers who can complete their work from anywhere. It no longer matters where you live. If you’re interested in scoring an outstanding technology position, you can do it nearly anywhere.
The tech industry offers a seemingly endless range of opportunities for those who have an aptitude for science and math, as well as the right set of soft skills to round out their resumes. Start exploring the options now.
