We check our bank account online, couple our televisions to our in-home wireless networks, instant message our coworkers, stay connected via social networks, rely on the GPS navigation in our cars, and otherwise depend on information technology for our modern lifestyle. Behind all of these daily conveniences is a team of experts keeping systems up and running, securing our private data, and innovating new IT solutions.

Top IT Careers:  2013 – 2020

Almost every business you come in contact with each day uses information technology. Well-educated IT professionals who possess computer information systems degrees are truly surrounded by a world of opportunity. In fact, 4 of the top 10 jobs for 2013, as selected by U.S. News and World Report, are in the information technology field. These fast-growing, well-paying career choices are:

Computer Systems Analyst

This profession is projected to have a 22 percent growth rate through 2020, with a median salary of $78,770 (2011). It’s an outstanding opportunity for collaborative individuals who can work with system users, information technology managers, and fellow IT experts to analyze workflow and determine how data needs to be processed. Industries with a large demand for computer systems analysts include science, healthcare, banking, finance, and oil and gas.

Database Administrator

Selected for its 31 percent growth rate and median salary of $75,910 (2011), the database administrator career path is increasingly important as more and more data is created and processed with each passing day. Highest-paying markets for database administrators include northern California and the area surrounding Trenton, New Jersey. The profession is in great demand by employers in the computer and communications equipment manufacturing and natural gas distribution industries, along with other private and public sectors.

Software Developer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers are experiencing a 30 percent growth rate in their chosen field. Median pay of $90,530 (2010) makes the career path that much more desirable. Developers are needed to create, upgrade, and customize programs and apps for an endless array of uses, from gaming to shopping to research and beyond. The greatest number of opportunities exists at companies that publish software and design computer systems. Top pay can be found in California and the Northeast.

Web Developer

Any web site, including this one, has a developer who programmed the functionality of links, videos, sound, animation and more. Projected growth for this career path is 22 percent, with a median salary of $77,990 (2011). Web developers are in demand at large corporations, government agencies, consultancy firms, health systems, e-commerce companies, and all other organizations that require a strong online presence.

Information Security Professionals are In Demand

Information security is another rapidly growing career area, as demand for degreed professionals continues to exceed the available supply. It’s an evolving IT specialty as well. There are many trends driving the growth in information security careers:

• The huge jump in the number of companies that are now storing their data in “the cloud” versus in-house servers.
• The movement toward BYOD – Bring Your Own Device – where employees are connecting their personal devices to the corporate network.
• The proliferation of using mobile devices to access proprietary systems and data as employees work from anywhere in the world there is Internet access.
• The increased awareness of cyber threats from profit-minded criminals, disgruntled employees, and “hacktivists.”

The greatest threat to information security is cybercrime. Security breaches can be targeted by device or deployed network-wide, with sophisticated efforts going unnoticed for days. Cybersecurity career opportunities are prevalent at defense companies and other large government contractors that have access to sensitive data regarding the U.S. armed forces, foreign militaries, surveillance and intelligence activities, and top secret projects.

What’s Next?

The next big trend for information technology professionals is the “Internet of things,” which is the term used to describe the interconnectivity of devices and objects to the Web. It goes beyond mobile devices and televisions to include home automation technologies, cars with dashboard apps, smart watches, wearable computers, and more. It certainly seems that the opportunities of the future are already here today!

Sources

http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2012/12/18/the-best-jobs-of-2013 http://bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm http://www.atelier.net/en/trends/articles/despite-high-demand-industry-lacks-it-security-professionals

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Author Byline:
Laura Mingo writes in the field of higher education. This article aims to offer career advice for university students in relation to IT and promotes the benefits of advanced study regarding an online master’s in CIS.