There's no secret that the tech industry is booming. In President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, he made note of this expanding job market, explaining he hears from "many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that – openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.”
If you're in college and beginning to consider a career, or thinking about switching your established career, consider a job in one of these well-paying tech-related fields.
Science and Biotech
Whether you’re an aspiring biologist, chemical laboratory or technical clinical laboratory scientist, or medical assistant, there are jobs waiting for you – and these jobs not only pay well, but are trending to keep paying better. Wages for workers in science and biotech jobs grew 1.1 percent at the end of 2011 compared to the previous quarter, ending the year up 2.4 percent from 2010. 2011 was generally good for science and biotech workers, with a continued upward movement in wages that began in 2010. Many jobs in the science and biotech industry range between $40,000 and $60,000 per year.
Professional, Scientific & Tech Services
Are you an IT whiz, or armed with other technical knowledge? Wages in these fields have been rising since the end of 2011, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects pay to continue to grow briskly through 2020. Those in the IT sector can expect to make anywhere between $59,000 to over $100,000 per year.
Engineering
If you’re an undergraduate and have yet to decide on a major, consider a form of engineering. Petroleum engineering is one of the highest paying undergraduate college degrees, followed by chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and materials and science engineering. These majors aren’t for the faint, but you can be assured that with good grades, you’ll find a great job with a great salary to match. Many engineering jobs, such as HVAC Design Engineer and Product Design Engineer, pay well over $60,000 per year.
Software Developer
Some of the richest people in America, including Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and now Mark Zuckerberg, have been software developers. If are in in college majoring in computer science, or have an extensive hobby of developing code, you will find a plethora of jobs available to you such as software developer and software architect. These jobs start can paying anywhere between $60,000 to over $120,000 per year.
Are you looking for a job in the tech industry? Get a free PayScale compensation report and see the salary range for position of your choice.
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