Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on
IT professionals across experience levels make a higher average salary than the average across all jobs.
Computer and information technology (IT) professionals in the US made a median salary of $97,430 in May 2021, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [1]. That’s significantly more than the $45,760 average salary for all occupations.
Keep in mind that many factors can influence your salary, including your level of experience, skill set, the cost of living of your location, your education level, and what certifications you have.
IT salaries by position
So what do IT workers in these roles actually make? The following are average annual salaries from different IT positions in the US.
*All salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of August 2022
Product support specialist: $71,139
Desktop support analyst: $76,221
Hardware analyst: $85,579
Systems administrator: $99,399
Systems analyst: $109,531
Scrum master: $109,071
Cloud computing analyst: $100,981
Database administrator: $103,977
Systems engineer: $109,392
Network/cloud engineer: $118,750
DevOps Engineer: $120,750
Site reliability engineer: $119,011
Network security engineer: $117,636
Big data engineer: $121,484
Security architect: $166,919
Network/cloud architect: $132,860
Information systems security manager: $127,895
What IT roles make the highest salaries?
The highest salaries in the IT world are tied to roles that are high in demand and currently have a shortage of qualified workers—typically positions related to cloud computing, cybersecurity, and big data. Managers, engineers, and architects indicate mid-career or senior positions and are also correlated with higher incomes.
Generally speaking, entry-level positions are correlated with lower salaries. These include help desk and troubleshooting positions like help desk analyst, IT technician, and IT associate. As you gain more experience and specialize your skills in areas like systems administration or cloud computing, you'll see your salary increase.
Learn more about entry-level IT positions and salaries.
IT salaries by location: US states and cities
Here’s what you’ll make across various states in the US, according to Salary Explorer [2]. The states listed below are the ten most populous, beginning with the largest population.
| State | Average salary (2022) |
|---|---|
| California | 112,000 |
| Texas | 105,000 |
| Florida | 112,000 |
| New York | 114,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 103,000 |
| Illinois | 111,000 |
| Ohio | 102,000 |
| Georgia | 110,000 |
| North Carolina | 101,000 |
| Michigan | 110,000 |
Here are the metro areas across the US that are correlated with the largest tech salaries. Salary data was provided by the Dice 2022 Tech Salary Report [3]. Keep in mind that these areas may also be more expensive to live in, leading to higher salaries.
| Metro area | Average salary (2021) |
|---|---|
| Silicon Valley, CA | $133,204 |
| New York City, NY | $115,510 |
| Boston, MA | $114,959 |
| San Diego, CA | $114,801 |
| Baltimore/D.C. | $112,697 |
| Seattle, WA | $118,729 |
| Denver, CO | $114,096 |
| Austin, TX | $109,176 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $113,658 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $102,341 |
Boosting your IT salary
Learning in-demand skills, through certifications or other means, has been linked to an increase in salaries. So has furthering your education.
How do skills and certifications impact your salary?
According to Global Knowledge, 12 percent of those who received a raise in 2020 credit gaining new skills, through training for certifications or otherwise. IT professionals who received raises related to getting new certifications saw their salaries rise by an average of $13,000 [4].
IT skills associated with higher salaries
Pursuing in-demand skills in the industry may make you more competitive for raises and higher-paying jobs. These technical skills include:
Cybersecurity
Data analysis
DevOps
Cloud computing
Machine learning
You can also speak with your employer to see what skills gaps your company is hoping to fill. Or browse job listings of roles similar to yours to see what skills are currently in demand.
IT certifications associated with higher salaries
According to the 2021 IT Skills and Salary Survey conducted by Global Knowledge, the following IT certifications were linked to the highest salaries [5]:
Google Certified Professional Data Engineer: $171,749
Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect:$169,029
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate: $159,033
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC):$151,995
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): $151,853
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM): $149,246
Project Management Professional (PMP®): $148,906
Nutanix Certified Professional – Multicloud Infrastructure (NCP-MCI): $142,810
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA):$134,460
VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization 2020 (VCP-DVC): $132,947
You can also look at cloud and security certifications, two areas that are currently in demand. Popular cybersecurity certifications include:
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
CompTIA Security+
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
If you're trying to incorporate cloud knowledge into your skill set, consider these entry-level cloud certifications:
AWS Solutions Architect - Associate
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Google Associate Cloud Engineer
IBM Certified Solution Advisor - IBM Cloud Foundations V2
Cloud Security Alliance: Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)
Just getting started in IT? Take a look at entry-level IT certifications.
Should I get an IT degree?
Degrees aren’t always necessary to land a job in IT. But higher education levels are linked to higher incomes—the BLS found that those with a bachelor’s degree made a median income of $1,474 a week in 2021. Compare that with high school graduates, who made $817 a week [7].
Employers may also still favor job candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree, or even master’s degrees, for certain IT positions. Though going back to school might be intimidating, the financial and career benefits can be rewarding. If you’ve already received a bachelor’s degree, pursuing a master’s degree in IT or computer science can help you advance in your current role, or pivot to a new one.
So yes—a degree in IT has its benefits. But it'll also cost you time and money. In making your decision, think about where you want your career to go. Are you willing to make a long-term investment for salary increases and a faster track to managerial positions? Then a degree might make sense. If you're looking for a quick way to find a new job or get a raise, other options like a certification might be what you're looking for.
Read more: Do I Need an Information Technology Degree? 4 Things to Consider
Start building your IT skills today
As technology develops and changes, so too does the IT landscape. Don't get left behind. Build valuable IT skills, or learn new ones, in these top-rated courses on Coursera:
For an introductory course, start with Google's Technical Support Fundamentals. In just 21 hours, you'll learn about the different facets of IT, how the binary system works, and even how to build a computer from scratch. Plus, if you enjoy the course, you'll already be on your way to earning a Professional Certificate in the field.
To prepare for a career in IT, try out Google's IT support Professional certificate. Here, you'll learn to perform day-to-day IT support tasks like computer assembly, wireless networking, installing programs, and customer support along with how to use Linux and binary code as you get job-ready for an entry-level IT position in just six months with industry leaders at Google.
To enhance your machine learning skills, explore Stanford and DeepLearning.AI's Machine Learning Specialization. Develop valuable machine learning skills in this three-course specialization, where you'll learn how to build machine learning models with NumPy and scikit-learn, build and train neural networks with TensorFlow, and discover best practices for machine learning development and use.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Though it might be true that large American tech companies and startups tend to be concentrated in large cities, IT jobs are plentiful in smaller cities and towns across the US. Local businesses, banks, hospitals, governments, and universities—any organization that uses a computer system—will likely need IT workers to help run their computers.
There are several ways a company may decide on your salary if you’re working remotely. Some companies will offer you a salary based on the marketplace of where they’re headquartered, regardless of where you’re located. Other companies might adjust for the cost of living in your area. If you’re curious about how you’ll be compensated, approach your human resources department to see what company policy is.
Related articles
5 Essential IT Certifications: Entry-Level and Beginner
7 IT Career Paths and How to Get Started
Key IT Skills for Your Career
10 Common IT Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
What is ITIL? A Beginner’s Guide to the ITIL Process
Article sources
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Computer and Information Technology Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm." Accessed August 11, 2022.
2. IT CareerFinder "IT Salaries, https://www.itcareerfinder.com/brain-food/it-salaries.html." Accessed August 11, 2022.
3. Dice. "Dice Tech Salary Report: Which Metro Areas Offer the Highest Salaries?, https://insights.dice.com/2022/02/02/dice-tech-salary-report-which-metro-areas-offer-the-highest-salaries/." Accessed August 11, 2022.
4. Global Knowledge. "25 Numbers to know in the 2022 IT skills and salary report, https://www.globalknowledge.com/us-en/resources/resource-library/articles/5-numbers-to-know-in-salary-report-2020/#gref." Accessed August 11, 2022.
5. Global Knowledge. "5 Numbers to Know in the 2020 IT Skills and Salary Report, https://www.globalknowledge.com/us-en/resources/resource-library/articles/5-numbers-to-know-in-salary-report-2020/#gref." Accessed November 12, 2021.
6. Global Knowledge. "15 Top-Paying IT Certifications for 2021, https://www.globalknowledge.com/us-en/resources/resource-library/articles/top-paying-certifications/." Accessed November 12, 2021.
7. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/wkyeng.pdf." Accessed November 12, 2021.
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