If you want a future-proofed career, then tech is the industry to look at. CompTia projects that there will be 8.9 million people working in the wider U.S. tech sector by the end of the year, with 178,000 new jobs created in 2022 alone. The industry output is $1.8 trillion, which represents 9% of the national economy too.
So despite global fears of looming recession, economic pressures and worries over recent layoffs in many tech firms over the spring and summer as they culled under-performing projects or looked to preserve cash, the jobs picture is still broadly good. Many areas within the IT industry are thought to be – so far – relatively recession-proof, particularly sectors such as AI, cybersecurity and cloud services.
Programming also represents a solid career choice. This is a fundamental skill for so many different applications, not just software development, a programmer has had a hand in almost every single thing you do online. From the ecommerce order you placed to the online banking app you use, they are also crucial in cutting-edge research into artificial intelligence, cloud architecture – and so much more.
Deloitte’s 2022 technology industry outlook report points to key growth areas within the tech sector being those of cloud and service-based IT – specifically hybrid, multi-cloud approaches; new-generation supply chains incorporating better resilience and visibility; collaborative solutions around hybrid working, and an increased focus on sustainability in the world of tech in general.
When it comes to what pays the best, we’ve highlighted three careers below with growth potential and high earning power too.
Full stack developers
When it comes to where the big bucks are for programmers, full-stack developers are top of the pole in web development as they can command bigger salaries based on the fact they can do it all: A full-stack developer can create databases and manage servers, and they do the front end piece of a project too, designing the client-facing side of a web application.
Cloud architects
Cloud in general is a growth area. As the pandemic revealed technology deficits, many companies accelerated their move to cloud computing, spurring on its growth. There are many roles within this sector of the tech industry but cloud architects are in high demand, and thus highly paid. Cloud architects and cloud engineers work with companies to set up their cloud, liaise with third-party cloud vendors, and maintain and monitor systems. Many cloud architects will be proficient in Java, Python or C#.
Machine learning engineer
If you’ve used Alexa or Siri, then you’ve interacted with the work done by machine learning engineers, who develop software designed to improve on its job without human assistance, which can also navigate change and problem using past experience. From virtual assistants like Siri to self-driving cars, the field is expanding rapidly, and as a result, experts are in high demand.
Ready to look for a new role now? We have three to check out below.
Test Engineer, BAE Systems, Annapolis Junction
The Test Engineer analyzes system requirements and concept of operations documents, acquisition plans, and system descriptions to develop evaluation and test plans and procedures, prepare for and conduct the data collection and analysis, and report status and results. You’ll support the development of government test and evaluation documentation and work with other test organizations to support T&E program integration. You’ll need five years’ experience as a test engineer in programs and contracts of similar scope, type and complexity. You will also require a Bachelor’s degree in math, science, engineering, statistics, engineering management, or a related discipline from an accredited college or university. Get full information here.
Principal / Senior Software Engineer – Creator Connection, Roblox, San Mateo
As a Principal / Senior Software Engineer, you will have the independence, opportunity, and the end-to-end responsibility to help Roblox create an important and complex set of backend features. You will create and own mission-critical services in this cross-discipline team within the Roblox ecosystem. The company believes in fast iteration and is biased toward action while keeping the long view. it has numerous exciting projects ahead and if you’d like to be a part of the company then you will need to be an outstanding software engineer with eight or more years’ experience shipping high complexity code and high impact projects, a team player, who loves collaborating with others to push the boundaries as well as proficient in C#, Java, Go or any other object-oriented programming language. Find out more about the role here.
Senior Staff Software Engineer, Mobile, Android, Google, Mountain View
Google’s software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. The company is looking for a Senior Staff Software Engineer to bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. You’ll need a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience, eight years’ in software development, and with data structures/algorithms along with five years’ of experience with design and architecture plus seven years’ of experience with Android application development. Apply for the position here.
