The Highest-Paying IT Jobs of 2024 & How to Get Hired

There’s a high-paying, in-demand area of tech that you might be overlooking: information technology, or IT.

Broadly speaking, IT is technology that stores, organizes, and processes information and communication. There are tons of fascinating careers that you can have in IT — from Computer Information Systems Manager to Cybersecurity Analyst — with rewarding salaries.

The Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary survey is one of the largest studies of IT salaries, skills, and certifications. In 2024, more than 5,100 people who work in technology answered anonymous questions about their salaries, how they feel about work, the certifications they want to get, and more.

Here are the jobs in IT with the top highest annual salaries, according to the survey. Learn what it takes to get hired in these roles, plus discover resources and relevant courses and skill paths that will help launch your career in IT.

(FYI: This list focuses on the salaries of survey respondents in North America. To see how IT salaries pan out around the world, download the full report.)

DevOps

Average salary: $112,762

DevOps (short for “Development Operations”) is an industry-standard approach to building software that prioritizes collaboration. DevOps practices enable businesses to be responsive, develop products quickly, and continuously improve them. IT professionals who specialize in DevOps help organizations put DevOps practices, tools, and platforms in place.

DevOps Engineers need to know how to work with data management, cloud architecture, automation, and programming languages. You can master DevOps practices and get an overview of modern infrastructure management in our free course Introduction to DevOps. As you prep your DevOps resume and start applying to jobs, be sure to review this guide to answering DevOps interview questions.

Application development, programming

Average salary: $113,195

An app developer or programmer is responsible for designing, coding, and maintaining software applications. They work on creating user-friendly and efficient apps for various platforms, like mobile devices, desktops, or web browsers. Their role involves writing code, debugging issues, and collaborating with other team members to ensure the application meets user needs and performs well. If this type of job excites you, get started with our Front-End Engineer, Back-End Engineer, and Full-Stack Engineer career paths — you’ll learn all of the skills you need for this career from the ground up.

Data Science, Analytics, and Business Intelligence

Average salary: $116,463

If you’re fascinated by data science and enjoy translating data into actionable business insights, you might thrive as a Business Intelligence Analyst. In these types of jobs, you’d use technologies like SQL, Python, or R to perform advanced data analysis and querying; you’d also work with data visualization dashboards like Tableau and Looker. You can learn all of these technical skills and get job-ready with our career path Data Scientist: Analytics Specialist.

Want to learn more about data and business? Check out our Business Intelligence Data Analyst career path to start analyzing data for business-advancing insights. And be sure to browse all of our data science courses to fill out your knowledge gaps — you can even start learning for free with Learn SQL and Getting Started Off-Platform for Data Science.

Cybersecurity, Information Security

Average salary: $120,449

There’s a huge demand for cybersecurity professionals who can protect an organization’s computer systems and networks from bad actors, attacks, and security breaches. Information Security (aka “InfoSec”) is a highly sought-after cybersecurity specialty that focuses on protecting information and data from unauthorized access and attacks.

Brand new to cybersecurity? Start with our beginner-friendly free course Introduction to Cybersecurity. If you want to explore further and learn to identify cyber attacks (and prevent them from happening), you can check out the path Fundamentals of Cybersecurity. And if you’re interested in pursuing a certification in cybersecurity, we just launched several test prep skill paths that prepare you for the top industry exams.

Business Operations

Average salary: $127,324

Business Operations Managers handle a company’s most important logistics and administrative systems, often reporting to the Chief Operations Officer (COO). A Business Operations Manager focuses on streamlining an organization’s internal operations and activities so they’re efficient and productive.

IT Auditing or Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Average salary: $128,355

Governance, Risk, and Compliance (or “GRC”) is the part of an organization that establishes best practices and security frameworks, and makes sure that team members follow them. An IT audit is essentially an investigation of an organization’s technologies and systems to make sure that they’re safe and meet regulatory requirements. Risk management is not only a lucrative specialty within cybersecurity, but it’s also in demand. To learn more about how companies establish secure practices and policies, try our path Fundamentals of Cyber Resilience and Risk Management.

Project Management

Average salary: $129,750

A Project Manager in a tech company oversees the day-to-day tasks required to make projects successful, ensuring that teams meet deadlines and work within budget constraints. They bring a blend of hard and soft skills, like risk management, communication, and leadership, to guide their teams towards achieving specific goals and deliverables. Project Managers often transition from other roles within the tech industry, but it’s also possible to enter the field with a willingness to learn new skills and tools.

You can start learning project management skills by taking the course Introduction to Project Management. If you decide to pursue a Project Manager career, you can also take our new skill path Certified Associate in Project Management, which prepares you for an industry-recognized certification exam.

Cloud

Average salary: $142,902

The vast world of cloud computing involves storing and accessing data and programs on the internet. There are plenty of job opportunities for folks with technical skills to work with the cloud. Some of the highest-paying cloud careers include Cloud Engineer and Computer and Information Systems Manager. We have lots of cloud computing courses for all levels that you can take, from free video-based courses to in-depth certification prep skill paths.

IT Architecture and Design

Average salary: $156,147

Enterprise Architect is a high-paying leadership role that deals with overall IT architecture and design. These IT pros are responsible for making high-level decisions about an organization’s overall IT strategy. An Enterprise Architect’s tasks can include things like setting up and creating a network infrastructure, maintaining software and hardware, communicating with business stakeholders, and managing cybersecurity systems.

You need a fair amount of professional experience under your belt to become an Enterprise Architect. Inspired to start working towards this career? Take a look at the beginner-friendly IT courses to learn the key skills used in IT architecture and design. Aspects of computer science and IT often overlap, so consider taking our Computer Science career path — you’ll learn how to code like a professional and understand the theory behind programming.

Executive

Average salary: $163,611

Dream of running a tech company someday? Unsurprisingly, C-Suite Executives — like Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information Officer — had the highest salaries in Skillsoft’s 2024 IT Skills and Salaries survey. Executives are responsible for calling the shots, making major decisions for the company, and often acting as the face of an organization (think Apple’s Tim Cook or Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg). In short, that’s why they get paid the big bucks.

Want to read more of the survey findings? Download the 2024 Skillsoft IT Skills and Salaries report here.

If you’re not sure which tech career is right for you, start by taking our programming personality quiz. You’ll answer questions about your personal preferences and get custom recommendations for programming languages and courses you might want to try.

This blog was originally published on November 1, 2022 and has been updated with information from the 2024 IT Skills and Salary Report.