The information technology (IT) industry has been experiencing significant growth in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue in 2024. As a result, IT professionals are in high demand, and salaries in the industry are rising. Understanding the average IT salary in 2024 is essential for both IT professionals and employers. This blog post will provide an overview of the IT industry in 2024, including the average IT salary by job title and region, as well as the factors influencing IT salaries.
Overview of the IT Industry in 2024
The IT industry is a behemoth in the business world, characterized by its astronomical growth and a broad spectrum of operations. From software engineering to network management, cybersecurity to data mining, the IT industry is a multifaceted arena that continues to expand in the face of rising demand for technological advancements and digital solutions in both private and public sectors. Predictions for 2024 foresee no slowing down for this thriving industry.
The IT industry is undergoing significant transformations in 2024, shaped by numerous groundbreaking trends and advancements. Cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity are attracting the attention of many organizations as focal points for their investments. The shift towards remote work has amplified the need for virtual collaboration tools and strengthened security measures. With data privacy and security becoming increasingly crucial, the data protection and management sector are poised for significant growth in the coming years.
Average IT Salaries by Job Title in 2024
So, how much do IT professionals in these roles earn? The following salaries are from Robert Half’s 2022 Technology Salary Guide and represent professionals in the fiftieth percentile—defined as individuals with average experience and most of the required skills for the job.
The highest salaries in the IT industry are associated with roles that are in high demand and currently have a shortage of qualified workers, such as positions related to cybersecurity, cloud computing, and big data. Engineers, architects, and managers indicate mid-career or senior positions and are also correlated with higher incomes.
In general, lower salaries are associated with entry-level positions. Help desk and troubleshooting roles such as IT technician, help desk analyst, and IT associate. Your salary will increase as you gain more experience and specialize your skills in areas such as systems administration or cloud computing.
The following list of salaries is in order of lowest to highest:
- Product support specialist: $57,750
- Desktop support analyst: $62,750
- Hardware analyst: $78,250
- Systems administrator: $88,750
- Systems analyst: $99,500
- Scrum master: $104,000
- Cloud computing analyst: $106,000
- Database administrator: $107,750
- Systems engineer: $111,500
- Network/cloud engineer: $118,750
- DevOps Engineer: $125,750
- Site reliability engineer: $126,750
- Network security engineer: $131,250
- Big data engineer: $141,500
- Security architect: $143,250
- Network/cloud architect: $153,750
- Information systems security manager: $157,250
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IT Salaries by Location in the U.S.
The average IT salary in 2024 can vary greatly depending on the region in which the IT professional is located. Major metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, New York City, and Boston tend to have higher average IT salaries compared to mid-size cities and smaller cities. In this section, we will compare the average IT salaries in these three categories of cities.
Average IT Salary Varies Among States
| American State / Territory | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $41.69 | $86,720 |
| Alaska | $40.02 | $83,250 |
| Arizona | $41.84 | $87,030 |
| Arkansas | $35.28 | $73,390 |
| California | $56.16 | $116,820 |
| Colorado | $48.33 | $100,520 |
| Connecticut | $45.94 | $95,550 |
| Delaware | $47.76 | $99,340 |
| District of Columbia | $54.78 | $113,930 |
| Florida | $39.81 | $82,810 |
| Georgia | $44.00 | $91,510 |
| Hawaii | $40.32 | $83,870 |
| Idaho | $37.65 | $78,320 |
| Illinois | $44.87 | $93,320 |
| Indiana | $37.66 | $78,340 |
| Iowa | $39.34 | $81,820 |
| Kansas | $37.70 | $78,420 |
| Kentucky | $36.21 | $75,330 |
| Louisiana | $35.50 | $73,840 |
| Maine | $38.48 | $80,030 |
| Maryland | $50.55 | $105,150 |
| Massachusetts | $50.67 | $105,400 |
| Michigan | $39.32 | $81,780 |
| Minnesota | $45.47 | $94,570 |
| Mississippi | $34.48 | $71,720 |
| Missouri | $39.44 | $82,040 |
| Montana | $34.40 | $71,540 |
| Nebraska | $38.83 | $80,770 |
| Nevada | $38.29 | $79,650 |
| New Hampshire | $45.50 | $94,650 |
| New Jersey | $50.04 | $104,090 |
| New Mexico | $38.06 | $79,160 |
| New York | $49.65 | $103,280 |
| North Carolina | $44.19 | $91,920 |
| North Dakota | $34.53 | $71,820 |
| Ohio | $41.48 | $86,270 |
| Oklahoma | $36.33 | $75,560 |
| Oregon | $44.25 | $92,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $42.29 | $87,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $21.42 | $44,550 |
| Rhode Island | $44.43 | $92,410 |
| South Carolina | $37.06 | $77,080 |
| South Dakota | $33.65 | $70,000 |
| Tennessee | $36.86 | $76,660 |
| Texas | $45.04 | $93,690 |
| Utah | $39.82 | $82,830 |
| Vermont | $38.55 | $80,180 |
| Virginia | $51.50 | $107,130 |
| Washington | $58.96 | $122,640 |
| West Virginia | $35.29 | $73,410 |
| Wisconsin | $39.55 | $82,270 |
| Wyoming | $32.52 | $67,640 |
Average IT Salaries in Major Metropolitan Areas
San Francisco: A city renowned for its technological advancements, it’s no wonder that the average IT salary in this hub is among the top in the nation. The IT professionals of San Francisco bask in the luxury of an average yearly salary of approximately $130,000.
New York City: The Big Apple is not far behind, with IT salaries averaging a substantial $120,000 per annum.
Boston: A city flourishing with an abundance of technology startups and established tech giants, Boston’s IT industry is thriving. The average IT salary in the city hovers around $115,000 annually.
Average IT Salaries in Mid-Size Cities
Austin: With a flourishing IT industry and the influx of numerous tech companies, it’s no surprise that the average IT salary in Austin is a healthy $95,000 per year.
Seattle: The city boasts of major tech powerhouses like Amazon and Microsoft, and the average IT salary reflects its tech prominence at around $110,000 per annum.
Denver: The Mile High City is attracting an increasing number of technology companies, driving its IT industry forward. The average IT salary in Denver stands at around $100,000 per year.
Average IT Salaries in Smaller Cities
Charlotte: The city’s thriving IT industry, favorable business environment, and lower cost of living are drawing numerous companies, and the average IT salary in Charlotte is approximately $85,000 per year.
Salt Lake City: With its favorable business environment, Salt Lake City’s IT industry is growing, and the average IT salary stands at around $90,000 per annum.
Raleigh-Durham: The IT industry in Raleigh-Durham is also on the rise, with the city’s favorable business environment attracting technology companies, and the average IT salary is around $85,000 per year.
What Makes Salaries Vary So Much?
But why is there such a difference in IT job salary for the same job? First, as the saying goes, location, location, location. Someone who lives in a lower cost-of-living area might make a lower salary than someone living in a major metropolitan area with a higher cost of living.
Similarly, salary ranges will differ from employer to employer depending on the type – organization, government, or nonprofit – size and earnings of the organization. A global Fortune 100 company, for example, will typically pay more than a local nonprofit.
It’s also possible that the number is based on experience; someone who is new to cybersecurity will earn less than someone who has worked in the field for years. Referring back to the CompTIA IT Salary Calculator, an entry-level cybersecurity analyst tends to earn a salary between the 10th percentile and median salary, in an advanced-level cybersecurity analyst might earn a salary between the median and 90th percentile. Besides years on the job, learning new skills and acquiring IT certifications to validate them play a role in the salary offered.
How to Boost Your IT Salary
Salary increases have been related to learning in-demand skills through certifications or other means. Therefore, continuing your education has also been beneficial.
According to Global Knowledge, through training for certifications or otherwise, 12% of those who received a raise in 2020 credit gained new skills. IT professionals who received raises related to obtaining new certifications saw a $13,000 increase in their salary on average.
IT skills associated with higher salaries
Pursuing in-demand skills in this industry could make you more competitive for raises and higher-paying jobs. These technical skills include the following:
- Cybersecurity
- Data analysis
- DevOps
- Cloud computing
- Machine learning
You can also speak with your employer to find out what skills gap your company is looking to fill. Alternatively, look through job listings of roles that are similar to yours to determine what skills are currently in demand.
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IT certifications associated with higher salaries
According to Global Knowledge’s 2022 IT Skills and Salary Survey, the following IT certifications are linked to the highest salaries:
- Google Certified Professional Data Engineer: $171,749
- Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect: $169,029
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate: $159,033
- Certified 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, which are both in high demand currently. The following are some of the popular cybersecurity certifications:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- CompTIA Security+
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Consider these entry-level cloud certifications if you are attempting to incorporate cloud knowledge into your skillset:
- 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)
Conclusion
IT jobs, as diverse as they are, offer an average IT salary that is higher than other jobs. To get a job in IT, you don’t always need a degree. Higher education, on the other hand, is linked to higher incomes. Furthermore, for many IT positions, employers may still favor job candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree, if not a master’s degree. So yes, an IT degree has its benefits. It’s essential to create a plan for your IT career.
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