What Can You Do with an Information Technology Degree? Career Paths, Salaries, and Benefits

  • Reading time:21 mins read
  • Post category:Degrees
  • Post comments:0 Comments

Information technology is also a major that is closely related to computer science. In information technology, scientists and engineers use computers to create, process, store, retrieve and exchange all kinds of electronic data and information. In this discipline, the focus is the transmission of information, storage, processing, and retrieval of the information. Information technology not only has uses in the business and industrial sector, but also in the entertainment, and personal usage sector as well. But it mainly focuses on the business application of technology.

Students who graduate with Information technology degrees can get many jobs in different business sectors and industries. For example, Information technology graduates run most of the computer networks and support service channels. Information technology offers some of the best jobs that provide good salaries and promise multiple chances of career growth. This is a major for those who are aware of the basic working of computers and want to get a deeper sense of how these machines, and networks, and technologies work. Below is a list of the top 15 jobs in Information technology that you can get after an IT degree.

Top 15 Career Choices After an Information Technology Degree:

Here are the top fifteen best and highest paying career choices after an Information Technology degree.

  • Information Research Scientist
  • Computer Support Specialist
  • Information Security Analyst
  • Computer Network Architect
  • Computer Systems Analyst
  • Quality Assurance Analyst
  • Systems Administrators
  • Database Administrator
  • Computer Programmer
  • Software Developer
  • Website Developer
  • Graphics Engineer
  • IT Project Manager
  • Software Tester
  • IT Teacher

Below is the detail about each of these career choices in Information Technology.

1. Information Research Scientist

After completing your education in the field of information technology, you can become an information research scientist. The job of an information research scientist is to research matters of interest. For example, research related to the use of data or information for improving business practices and how new policies or advancements will impact the business revenue or sales. Information and research scientists are also hired by governments and private companies who are looking forward to developing new technology projects or departments.

This job requires having a Master’s degree or a doctorate in information technology, but for junior researcher posts, bachelor’s graduates are also hired by companies. This is one of the highest-paying jobs after an information technology degree and can provide a six-figure income per year. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of an Information Research Scientist is about $126,830, with the top ten percent making $180,000, and the lowest ten percent making more than $70,000. The total number of jobs in the Information Research Scientist profession is about 33,000 and it has a 22% growth rate. This is one of the fastest predicted growth for the next decade in the IT sector.

2. Computer Support Specialist

You can also become a computer support specialist and work for the companies that sell products or provide customer support services for other companies as business processing outsourcing agents. It is one of those jobs that you can start soon after a bachelor’s degree and that does not require having a very good academic record, or a particular skill. You should be able to communicate with the customers and be able to help them and solve their problems. This job offers a stable source of income, but the salary is not as high as it is for most other information technology jobs.

This job can require some on-the-job training sessions about communication and problem solving specific to the company’s product or services. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Computer Support Specialist is about $55,510, with the top ten percent making $70,000, and the lowest ten percent making $40,000. The total number of jobs in the Computer Support Specialist profession is about 844,600 and it has a 9% growth rate. This is a medium-fast growth rate that indicates there will be more jobs in the profession in the future.

3. Information Security Analyst

You can also become an information security analyst after completing your degree. This is a cybersecurity-related job where you are tasked with keeping the company’s private data and information safe. This type of job requires knowing about white hat hacking, and networking, and network security. So that you can identify an attack and prevent the attackers from altering the data or stealing any information. This is one of the highest-paying career choices in the Information technology sector as it offers a six-figure income per year.

This job requires having an advanced degree but it also requires skills. So, if you have experience in information security, you can get a job even after a bachelor’s degree. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of an Information Security Analyst is about $103,590, with the top ten percent making $150,000, and the lowest ten percent making $75,000. The total number of jobs in the Information Security Analyst profession is about 141,200 and it has a 33% growth rate. According to this data, there will be a lot of new jobs in this profession in the next decade for people with the right type of skills and with the right type of education.

4. Computer Network Architect

The job of a computer network architect is one of the highest-paying jobs after a bachelor’s degree. It offers a six-figure income per year with the skills and education in the network architecture field. Most jobs in this profession require experience instead of education. You can acquire that experience by doing internships or working online as a freelancer. After that, you can get hired by the companies that provide networking architecture services and solutions. Computer network architects work for companies like CISCO, IBM, and other tech giants.

The job duties of a computer network architect include creating and providing layouts for data communication networks. These are big networks where a lot of data is transferred from one place to another and proper planning and coordination are required to lower the costs and maximize the output. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Computer Network Architect is about $116,780, with the top ten percent making $208,000, and the lowest ten percent making $80,000. The total number of jobs in the Computer Network Architect profession is about 165,200 and it has a 5% growth rate for the next ten years.

5. Computer Systems Analyst

You can also become a computer systems analyst after completing your education in Information technology. This job requires analyzing the computer systems and making sure that they are working fine. Computer systems are networks of computers working together to provide services, for example, Google servers provide search-related services to billions of people around the world. The job of a computer systems analyst is to make sure that all parts of the computer network, server, or data center are working properly. They also plan and present future expansion plans or new projects that can increase the revenue and decrease the costs of operations.

This job requires a deeper understanding of computer systems. You can get this job after a master’s in information technology or a doctorate. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Computer Systems Analyst is about $93,730, with the top ten percent making $140,000, and the lowest ten percent making $65,000. The total number of jobs in the Computer Systems Analyst profession is about 607,800 and it has a 7% growth rate. This is a medium-fast growth rate for the next decade. This data shows that there will be a lot of jobs in this profession in the future.

6. Quality Assurance Analyst

You can also get the job of a quality assurance analyst after completing your degree. This is a job that requires having a deeper knowledge of coding skills, and the ability to test and analyze software products. This process requires testing the software and trying to find possible bugs in the system and if there are bugs, you either report them or correct them. You can get this job after a bachelor’s degree, but having a master’s or doctorate would increase your chances of employment, and would also impact positively on the salary and other job benefits. It is one of those jobs that offer a six-figure salary after a bachelor’s degree.

This job also requires having some experience; you can get this experience by working as a freelancer or by doing internships at software companies. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Quality Assurance Analyst is about $110,140, with the top ten percent making $150,000, and the lowest ten percent making $76,000. The total number of jobs in the Quality Assurance Analyst profession is about 1,847,900 and it has a 22% growth rate which is one of the fastest growth rates for the next decade. According to this data, there are a lot of jobs and there will be a lot more jobs in the future in this field.

7. Database Administrator

After completing your bachelor’s in Information Technology, you can get the job of a database administrator. It is a job where you are responsible for managing databases. Apart from managing, this job also requires creating databases, updating databases, deleting and sorting data in databases to make it more accessible. There are a lot of other tasks that a database administrator also has to do, such as encrypting the data to make sure that data is protected while it is being transferred and cannot be hacked. Database administrators are hired by both private companies and government contractors and agencies.

Mostly, it does not require any experience, but if you want to get some experience before applying for the job, you can do that by working online as a freelancer. It is also one of those jobs that depend more on skills and less on qualifications or degrees. You can get a six-figure salary after a bachelor’s degree. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Database Administrator is about $98,860, with the top ten percent making $154,000, and the lowest ten percent making $67,000. The total number of jobs in the Database Administrator profession is about 168,000 and it has an 8% growth rate. That is an average fast growth rate for the next decade, indicating that there will be more jobs in the future, but there will be a lot of competition as well.

8. Systems Administrator

You can also become a systems administrator after completing your degree in information technology. This is a job that requires deeper knowledge of data centers, databases, computer networks, and the ability to organize a system. Computer systems require networking to connect, and a systems administrator is the one responsible for making sure that all the systems or subsystems are working fine. This is also one of the highest-paying jobs after a bachelor’s degree as you can easily make a six-figure income. Not only that, it is a job that provides you the freedom to work from as most of these jobs can be done remotely.

But many jobs also require physical presence. Having a professional degree or a higher education would increase your chances of employment as a systems administrator. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Systems Administrator is about $84,810, with the top ten percent making $145,000, and the lowest ten percent making $65,000. The total number of jobs in the Systems Administrator profession is about 350,300 and it has a 5% growth rate. This is one of the slow growth rates in computer science and IT-related fields indicating that only a few jobs are available in this field with a huge competition.

9. Computer Programmer

Another job that you can get after a degree in Information technology is the job of a computer programmer. This is a programming-related job, where you are responsible for creating code for software, or a computer game. Apart from that, many jobs and professions are related to computer programming. Apart from having a degree, this job also requires having a deeper knowledge of coding, and programming fundamentals. You should be able to work on multiple software platforms so that you can perform the tasks assigned. There are a lot of coding languages, and you must learn one or more of those to become a successful programmer.

All the skills and knowledge that you need for this job properly come from your degree. It is also one of the highest-paying jobs that provide a six-figure salary after a bachelor’s degree.  According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Computer Programmer is about $89,190, with the top ten percent making $150,000, and the lowest ten percent making $56,000. The total number of jobs in the Computer Programmer profession is about 185,700 and it has a -10% growth rate. This negative growth rate shows that this profession is slowly shrinking, but still, there are a lot of jobs in this profession.

10. Software Developer

Another six-figure salary providing a job that you can get after a degree in Information technology is also related to software skills. This is a job of software development, and you can become a software developer easily as information technology courses mostly include programming and software engineering courses that are essential for developing the skills of software development. Software developers sometimes work alone or within teams and create software based on the requirements of their clients.

To become a software developer, you need skills such as coding, programming, managing the development procedure, coordination, and communicating with other teams working on the same project and According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Software Developer is about $110,140, with the top ten percent making $140,000, and the lowest ten percent making $60,000. The total number of jobs in the Software Developer profession is about 1,847,900 and it has a 22% growth rate. This is one of the fastest growth rates in this type of profession, indicating that there will be a lot of opportunities in the future as well.

11. Full-stack Developer

You can also become a full-stack developer after completing your degree. This job is mostly related to website development. Full-stack developers learn more than one language and can complete smaller website development or software development projects without any external help. In website development, there are many languages that a person needs to learn to be able to work alone. That is why the full stack developers master more than one programming language and are fluent in writing code in any of the languages that they learn.

Having an advanced degree in information technology can improve your chances of employment, but this is a job where skill is mostly preferred over education. You can have a bachelor’s degree and make more than a person with a master’s degree because you are better skilled and have more experience. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Full-stack Developer is about $77,200, with the top ten percent making $110,000, and the lowest ten percent making $45,000. The total number of jobs in the Full-stack Developer profession is about 199,400 and it has a 13% growth rate. This is a medium-fast growth rate, meaning there will be more jobs in the future but with some competition.

12. Graphics Designer

You can also become a graphics designer after completing your education in information technology. The job of a graphics designer requires creating graphic design work, for social media and the branding of the company. There are a lot of graphic designing tools that can be used for this purpose. Graphics designers learn these graphics designing tools and ways to edit and create content. This is the knowledge that they can learn online while studying for their information technology degree. This job can provide you with a stable income source.

This job also requires some experience and skills in computer graphics and graphics design. Having an advanced degree in information technology would positively impact your employability and salary. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Graphics Designer is about $53,380, with the top ten percent making $78,000, and the lowest ten percent making 41,000. The total number of jobs in the Graphics Designer profession is about 254,100 and it has a 3% growth rate. This is one of the slowest growth rates in information technology-related jobs indicating competition and low availability of jobs. 

13. IT Project Manager

Another high-paying job that you can get after a bachelor’s degree is the job of an IT project manager. Many companies hire project managers to run their IT-related projects. This job requires having skills in information technology, management, communication, and the ability to control and also problem-solving skills. Your job will be to make sure that the IT project or IT department is working at its efficient pace, and there are no delays or any kind of risks or setbacks. Project managers also oversee the process of planning, execution, and delegation of IT projects. It is a highly competitive profession and that is why skills such as problem-solving are important.

This job requires a Master’s degree and some experience in this profession. If you do not have experience, you can easily get that by doing internships, and working online. You can also do this job as a freelancer or remote worker. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of an IT Project Manager is about $151,150, with the top ten percent making $208,000, and the lowest ten percent making $80,000. The total number of jobs in the IT Project Manager profession is about 482,000 and it has an 11% growth rate for the next ten years. This is one of the average fast growth rates, meaning there will be more jobs in the future.

14. Software Tester

You can also become a software tester. This is also a job that is related to the process of software development. The job of a software tester is to test the software products before release. So that the errors or bugs in the software can be identified before the final release. Software testers test the software in user mode and superuser mode. They look at the coding of the software to identify the coding bugs and errors, and they test the software’s working by using it as a user. This provides information such as if the software is doing the intended work accurately and consistently.

This job also requires having higher qualifications and experience in software testing. You can easily acquire the required experience by working online as a freelancer. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Software Tester is about $110,140, with the top ten percent making $150,000, and the lowest ten percent making $67,000. The total number of jobs in the Software Tester profession is about 1,847,900 and it has a 22% growth rate. This is also one of the fastest growth rates in this field, meaning that there will be a lot more jobs in the future in this profession. 

15. IT Teacher

Another stable job that you can get after a degree in information technology is the job of an IT teacher, lecturer, or a professor at university. There are multiple jobs available at different levels. Each of these jobs requires a different type of education and skills. For example, if you want to become a school teacher, you can do it after a bachelor’s degree but to become a college teacher or a university professor, master’s and doctorate degrees are required apart from research work in the field of information technology.

Secondary school teachers and post-secondary school teachers have different salaries. For example, high school teachers are paid $62,870 per year, and postsecondary teachers are paid, 80,560 per year. That means the highest-paid teachers make about $100,000 and the lowest-paid teachers make up to $50,000. The total number of jobs in the IT teacher profession is about 1,276,900 and it has a 12% growth rate. That means there are a lot of job opportunities in this field for those who want to become teachers after an IT degree.

Benefits and Salaries for Information Technology-Related Jobs:

Job PositionRequirementsNumber of JobsJob outlookMedian Income
Information Research ScientistBachelor-Master-Ph.D.33,00022%$126,830
Computer Support SpecialistBachelor-Master-Ph.D.844,6009%$55,510
Information Security AnalystBachelor-Master-Ph.D.141,20033%$103,590
Computer Network ArchitectBachelor-Master-Ph.D.165,2005%$116,780
Computer Systems AnalystBachelor-Master-Ph.D.607,8007%$93,730
Quality Assurance AnalystBachelor-Master-Ph.D. 1,847,90022%$110,140
Systems AdministratorsBachelor-Master-Ph.D.168,0008%$98,860
Database AdministratorBachelor-Master-Ph.D.350,3005%$84,810
Computer ProgrammerBachelor-Master-Ph.D.185,700-10%$89,190
Software DeveloperBachelor-Master-Ph.D. 1,847,90022%$110,140
Full-Stack DeveloperBachelor-Master-Ph.D.199,40013%$77,200
Graphics EngineerBachelor-Master-Ph.D.254,1003%$53,380
IT Project ManagerBachelor-Master-Ph.D.482,00011%$151,150
Software TesterBachelor-Master-Ph.D. 1,847,90022%$110,140
IT TeacherBachelor-Master-Ph.D.1,276,90012%$80,560

Note 🙁 Bachelors for the job and Masters for further promotion) data source BLS.

Types of Information Technology Degrees:

Here is the list of the top three degrees that you can do with an Information Technology major.

1.   Associate’s Degree:

It is a two-year-long college degree that you can do after passing the high-school. It is a degree that aims at building IT-related skills and providing a low-level workforce for IT companies. It can cost between $10,000 to $20,000. You can do it from your community college or colleges that provide associates degrees in IT.

2.   Bachelor’s Degree:

It is a professional degree that prepares students with some of the highest-paying jobs. A bachelor’s degree in Information technology prepares students who want to become programmers, network architects, database administrators, and other professions. It is a four-year-long college and university education degree that requires studying computer science and IT-related subjects. This degree can cost between $100,000 to $200,000 depending on your conditions.

3.   Master’s Degree:

This is a high-level degree in the field of Information Technology. It intends to provide skills for research and jobs such as systems managers, and project managers. This degree can take two or more years to complete. Apart from studying, this degree also requires doing research work in your field as well. It can cost you up to $100,000.

4.   Ph.D. or Doctorate:

This is the most advanced degree in the IT field. It is a purely research-based degree that requires studying the research work and doing some research of your own. This type of degree provides jobs such as professor of IT, and other high-paying professional options. It can take 6 years to complete and can cost up to $200,000 or more.

Skills You Will Learn From Information Technology Degree:

  • Coding
  • Programming
  • IT Skills
  • Computer knowledge and basic operations skills
  • Cyber Security skills and the ability to make your systems secure
  • IT Project management and administration skills
  • Communication and networking skills

Conclusion:

Information Technology degree offers some of the best and highest-paying jobs. In this degree, you learn a lot of valuable skills that you not only need in your professional life but also in your personal life as well. It helps you become aware of the current job market scene and the situation of the world that is moving at a faster rate towards technological advancements and the professionals from the IT fields are at the heart of this advancement. It is also one of those degrees that can provide a six-figure salary after a bachelor’s degree. So, if you are looking for a high-paying and advanced degree that is also easy, you should take Information technology as a college major.

FAQs:

Question: What is an IT degree?

Answer: IT stands for information technology degree, it is a degree related to the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve and exchange data and information.

Question: What is an IT degree good for?

Answer: IT degree is for those who want rapid career growth as it provides some of the fastest growth rates in the professions related to the IT field. IT degrees provide many high-paying jobs. Also, you learn many technical skills that can help you earn even if you do not get a formal job and decide to work as a freelancer. 

Question: What kind of jobs can you get with an IT degree?

Answer: Here are some of the jobs that you can get after an IT degree. Information Research Scientist, Computer Support Specialist, Information Security Analyst, Computer Network Architect, Computer Systems Analyst, Quality Assurance Analyst, and Systems Administrators. All of these are high-paying jobs that not only provide better salaries but also more chances of employment.

Leave a Reply