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The 10 Highest-Paying Industries For IT Professionals

12/12/2023
4 minutes

As virtually every industry goes through a digital transformation, there are more opportunities for people with technical skills to work in exciting, high-paying fields. Folks with IT (or information technology) expertise, in particular, are well-positioned to get hired.

The Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary survey, surveyed over 5,700 tech workers about details like which IT certifications they have, what challenges they face in hybrid workplaces, and how likely they are to look for a new job.

The 2023 survey findings include thought-provoking insights about what it’s like to work in tech today, including the industries where IT professionals have the highest salaries on average.

Curious which industries pay IT professionals the most? Here are the industries where IT professionals earn the highest average salaries, according to the Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary survey, one of the largest studies of IT salaries, skills, and certifications.

(Heads up: This list highlights the salaries of survey respondents from North America. To check out how salaries in industries compare around the world, download the full report.)

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System integrator and VAR integrator

Average salary: $170,517

A system integrator is a business that coordinates and organizes computing systems, often using automation. (System Integrator is also a role you can have within an organization, where you specialize in designing and developing computing systems.)

VAR is short for Value Added Reseller, which is essentially a company that adds features to manufacturers’ products — like hardware, installation services, consulting, or troubleshooting — and resells them as turnkey operations.

IT software

Average salary: $152,463

Software refers to the non-tangible applications and programs we use on the computer. Our free course Introduction to IT will teach you the basics of core IT topics, including software development, operating systems and applications, databases, and cybersecurity.

IT hardware

Average salary: $139,128

If you want a better understanding of how the physical components of a computer — aka the hardware — work, consider taking our Computer Architecture course. You can also start with the beginner-friendly course Fundamentals of Operating Systems to learn how software and hardware interact and make computers functional.

Telecommunications

Average salary: $138,746

Broadly speaking, telecommunication refers to the exchange of information through various communication technologies. These include voice communication, data transmission, and multimedia services, delivered through wired and wireless networks. IT professionals in telecommunications need to stay up-to-date on emerging technologies, like 5G and IoT, so they can enhance network capabilities and meet the evolving demands of the telecommunications landscape.

Hospitality, travel, and recreation

Average salary: $134,609

This is any business that caters to travelers and people who are seeking leisure activities, like hotels, restaurants, airlines, theme parks, and other recreational facilities. This fast-paced industry is heavily influenced by global trends and technological advancements.

IT consulting

Average salary: $133,479

“Consulting” is a very broad term that can mean different things to different organizations. An IT consulting company, for example, typically advises an organization’s IT strategies from soup to nuts.

Average salary: $126,263

There are a variety of ways that insurance, real estate, and legal businesses utilize software. For example, they might use CRM (customer relationship management) software to manage relationships with customers or cloud computing to store and access large amounts of data.

Professional business services

Average salary: $129,943

Professional business services are nonphysical services or products that help businesses. In tech, professional services can include things like IT support, web development, and cybersecurity management.

Natural resources: Mining, oil, and gas

Average salary: $126,682

The mining sector is made up of establishments that extract naturally occurring mineral solids, like coal, natural gas, and oil. In the U.S., there are around 587,700 people in the mining, oil, and gas workforce. Oil and gas companies are using new technologies, from artificial intelligence to IoT, to innovate their operations.

Construction, architecture, and engineering

Average salary: $120,926

Construction tech (or “contech”) is the intersection of construction and technology. For example, a construction company might use AR/VR technology to model and visualize a project before they begin building. There’s demand for people who not only understand the fundamentals of building and construction, but also have the data-oriented technical skills needed to future-proof the industry.

Whether you’re considering a completely new career, or want to know how much people with your job make on average, check out the full Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary report. You can also read a breakdown of the highest-paying IT jobs from the survey here.

If you’re feeling inspired to take the next step in your career, you’re in the right place! Be sure to check out our full course catalog to start learning valuable technical skills. The free courses Introduction to IT and Introduction to Cybersecurity are great starting points for beginners. Then get job-ready with our tips for breaking into IT and helpful advice for acing an IT job interview.

This blog was originally published on November 1, 2022 and has been updated with information from the 2023 IT Skills and Salary Report.

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