5 Top-Paying IT Jobs for Every Stage of Tech Careers

Whether you're entry level, mid-level or C-level, CIO.com has you covered as we identify the highest-paying IT roles in each of those three categories.

5 Top-Paying IT Jobs for Every Stage of Tech Careers
Demand for highly skilled IT workers isn't slowing down - research, managed services and staffing firm Upp reports that the unemployment rate for IT careers is hovering under 4 percent in every U.S. state, well below unemployment rates for other industries. But some hot, in-demand roles pay more than others.

Using data from research and compensation benchmarking provider PayScale's databases, we've put together the top five highest-paying IT roles for every career stage -- whether you're just starting your IT career, have a few years of experience under your belt or are moving into the C-suite.

Compensation data is median pay based on total cash compensation (TCC). Median pay is the 50th percentile - half of workers doing the job are paid more, half are paid less. TCC combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions and other forms of cash earnings. It does not include stock, retirement benefits or the value of healthcare benefits, for example.

5 Highest Paid Entry-Level Roles
If you're just getting started in your IT career, consider these five IT roles. Not only are they in high demand, the compensation's highly competitive for these entry-level positions. For our purposes, entry-level is defined as having zero to five years of experience in all applicable jobs in the field, not just the current job.

Business Intelligence Architect
The primary responsibility of the business intelligence architect is data standards and procedures; warehousing; design and development of logical and physical data models and databases; distributed data management; information management functions.

The business intelligence architect designs, develops and enforces standards and architecture for installing, configuring and using business intelligence applications for the purpose of directing and managing the organization. The role usually requires a bachelor's degree and at least some experience in a BI role.
Median Pay: $81,200

ASIC Design Engineer
The role produces application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designs and modifications by identifying design objectives and issues; researching and developing ASIC engineering techniques and approaches; verifying and validating designs; maintaining documentation; and mentoring team members, if applicable.
The role usually requires a bachelor's degree and experience with general ASIC designs, concepts and usage.
Median Pay: $83,300

Solutions Architect
While the title might seem vague, a solutions architect (SA) plays a key role in the software development lifecycle: in the conversion of the product, application or solution requirements taken from the business or customer into an architecture and design that will become the blueprint for the solution being created. This conversion is based largely upon the previous design patterns that the solutions architect has been involved with in the past through reading and staying abreast of the latest techniques, or through personal experience.
The role requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
Median Pay: $91,500

Software Architect
A software architect (SA) is responsible for the initial design and development of new software or extensive software revisions. The software architect defines product requirements and creates high-level architectural specifications, ensuring feasibility, functionality and integration with existing systems/platforms for internal use or for customers.

The role requires a bachelor's degree and, while still considered an entry level position, a solutions architect may be expected to have an advanced degree in area of specialty and may manage or guide other developers through the project to completion.
Median Pay: $94,100

Data Scientist, IT
Also known as "the sexiest job in IT," a data scientist's role is to use predictive analytics and machine learning experience to extract insight and actionable information from a firm's data stores. The role is fairly new and still evolving, but requires a bachelor's degree and at least familiarity with data mining, structured data modeling and predictive analytics.
Median Pay: $97,600

5 Highest Paid Mid-Level Roles
You've paid your dues in entry level jobs and you're looking to move up the ladder. Well, hopefully one of these lucrative and high-demand roles is in your career path.
A mid-level role is defined as having five to 10 years of experience in all applicable jobs in the field, not just the current job.

Principal Software Engineer
Principal software engineers are in charge of most of the technical aspects of an organization's software projects. Their primary function is scaling software projects efficiently while maximizing performance and minimizing costs. They also oversee development teams and coordinate strategies to make sure the technologies are interconnected and product lines are working smoothly. Principal software engineers focus on best practices and standards of design, application requirements and proper maintenance. Engineers in this role often manage teams of developers.

A bachelor's degree in computer science is usually the minimum educational requirement, although a (CSDP) Certified Software Development Professional certification along with hands-on experience in a previous position is also generally accepted.
Median Pay: $133,000

Data Scientist, IT
The role so nice, it appears on our list twice. As stated before, a data scientist's role is to use predictive analytics and machine learning experience to extract insight and actionable information from a firm's data stores. In a mid-level role, data scientists could be required to have software engineering experience, as well as higher-level strategic thinking and communication skills to more accurately make the case for business action based on the results generated by machine learning algorithms and insight gained from data mining.
The role is fairly new and still evolving, but requires a bachelor's degree and extensive experience with software development, data mining, structured data modeling and predictive analytics.
Median Pay: $134,000

Scrum Coach
The scrum coach role teaches and coaches all agile software development best practices and Scrum adoption to an IT organization or an agile development environment. Ideally, a scrum coach will have extensive experience with an agile development environment and will use his or her broad experience to help businesses adopt best practices as related to an agile framework.
Most scrum coaches have a bachelor's degree and experience in software development, engineering or architecture. While there is a specific scrum coach certification, experience and previous demonstrable success is most often used as criteria for hiring.
Median Pay: $151,000

Principal Software Architect
A principal software architect is tasked with identifying and evaluating software product requirements and their limitations to make sure solutions will work within larger business system functions. Principal software architects solicit the input of users, solution sponsors and executives to make sure the software meets the requirements, vision and needs of the business and customers; they work to drive innovation and research into new methods and technologies and also help position overall IT department and software development strategy.
The principal software architect role requires a bachelor's degree, as well as proven "soft skills" like business analysis, research skills, communications and negotiation skills.
Median Pay: $151,000

Chief Architect, IT
The chief architect role is one that's highly political and complex, and the job description varies widely from company to company. That said, there are some commonalities; the chief architect of IT must understand all aspects of a business' processes, infrastructure, applications and initiatives - in other words, the entire organization's IT blueprint. They are then tasked with ensuring that every part of the business operates in sync with these strategic IT initiatives.
The role requires a bachelor's degree and extensive technical and "soft skills" experience, and often reports directly to the CIO.
Median Pay: $155,000

5 Highest Paid Senior and Executive Roles
Ah, senior management - this is where all your hard work and political maneuvering pays off, literally. Senior and executive roles not only come with big responsibility, in the IT field, they also come with big paychecks.
Senior and executive roles are defined has having more than 10 years of experience in all applicable jobs, not just the current job, and include only management, senior and executive-level roles.

Project Management Director, IT
An IT project management director supervises and governs all corporate IT projects. The role is responsible for all aspects of project management direction, including reviewing proposals, determining costs, timelines, funding, identifying sponsors, setting and maintaining staffing requirements, and making sure goals and objectives are met. Professionals in this role are also likely to oversee project managers and their teams.
The role requires a bachelor's degree and requires not only technical skills, but also a degree of creativity, problem-solving, negotiation and management skills.
Median Pay: $142,000

Business Intelligence Director
The business intelligence director is responsible for developing and maintaining an organization's business intelligence reporting frameworks, tools and data stores. The role works cross-functionally with various business unit heads to determine their reporting and analytics needs and determines how best to meet them given constrains of time, budget and staffing. The business intelligence director is also charged with making sure that information is delivered on time and is of high quality - making sure business has the necessary data for ongoing daily operations as well as forward-looking strategy and competitive data.
A bachelor's degree is necessary, but in some instances an advanced degree in a related field is required.
Median Pay: $143,000

Senior Computer Scientist
Computer scientists often work as part of a research team with computer programmers, mechanical or electrical engineers, and other IT professionals. Their role leans more toward the theoretical than the practical - their research often is used to design new technology in areas like artificial intelligence, robotics or virtual reality. Computer scientists are also tasked with improving performance of existing computer systems and software as well as the development of new hardware or computing techniques and materials.
Most computer scientists hold a bachelor's degree with a major in computer science, information systems or software engineering, but at this senior level, many hold a Ph.D. in computer science, computer engineering or a similar field.
Median Pay: $145,000

Vice President, IT
The vice president of IT is responsible for strategizing and planning an organization's IT future, as well as implementing new technology and maintaining current systems. The vice president of IT also ensures teams are effectively supporting maximum uptime and stability in the company's computer systems and networks. The essence of the role is technology leadership, and the vice president of IT must use both technical skills and soft skills - leadership, communication, negotiation and analysis - to lead an IT focused business successfully.
In many organizations, the vice president of IT role is a stepping stone to the CIO position. Most companies require a master's degree in computer science or IT, while some organizations require an MBA, since extensive business knowledge is critical to the role.
Median Pay: $157,000

Vice President, Ecommerce
The vice president of ecommerce is responsible for all of a business' ecommerce activities, including channel development strategies, Web architecture and infrastructure requirements, and collaboration with IT, sales, supply chain and operations teams to successfully execute on e-commerce business strategies. The vice president of ecommerce must have extensive experience with ecommerce concepts, best practices, processes and strategies, as well as excellent communications, negotiations and strategic planning skills.
The role requires a bachelor's degree and, at many organizations, a minimum of 15 years of experience in the field.
Median Pay: $164,000

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11 ways to re-energize your IT career

Mid-career blues, begone. Here are 11 actionable items tech pros can tackle to keep moving on up in IT.

Stuck in the middle -- and blue?
Eric Reed knows a thing or two about mid-career pitfalls. He's seen some mid-level IT managers get too enamored with technology for its own sake, rather than viewing it as a way to advance business goals. Other would-be leaders didn't know how to communicate or collaborate with non-IT colleagues and were sidelined as techies rather than ID'd as future business leaders.

Reed is grateful he was able to overcome those challenges in his own career and sustain his momentum -- he's now CTO at GE Capital. With that goal in mind, Computerworld asked Reed and other seasoned IT pros for advice on how to keep your tech career from getting bogged down. Read on for their tips.

Develop a road map
It's smart to know not just where you want to land but how best to get there. Piera Palazzolo, senior vice president at Dale Carnegie Training, which specializes in business-oriented improvement, recommends starting with self-reflection. Map out the exact positions you'd like to hold and the ultimate title you'd like to achieve. "Then set a course for yourself and find out what you need to learn," Palazzolo says. Talk to your supervisor and other higher-ups in the company to determine how they can help you and whether your company's plans for you mesh with your own.

Bob Flynn, manager of IT community partnerships at Indiana University, says his organization requires each worker to have a career management plan, which he says helps him and his colleagues to map out their goals.

Gain new perspective
Managers often pay lip service to the concept of "walking the shop floor," but James Stanger, senior director of product development at CompTIA, an IT trade association, suggests going beyond the typical pat-on-the-back mentality. Instead, get to know how your direct reports, your colleagues and your customers view the world.

"In middle management, due to the demands of the job and just trying to get it done, people get these blinders on, and they don't think about how others think," Stanger says. Try asking: What do you think about this problem? What's your perspective? Can you explain your need here?

"Take those blinders off and you'll find yourself much more nimble in your thinking," Stanger says, which in turn will make you a better problem-solver -- a valued leadership quality.

Find leadership opportunities
To continue honing your leadership skills, look for opportunities that will get you noticed -- especially ones outside of your department. "Volunteer for a cross-functional task force that exposes you to senior leaders. Get out of your silo, and get more people in your organization to know who you are," says Carly Goldsmith, a career coach specializing in guiding mid-career professionals. She suggests seeking out projects and committees that will help you grow your skills.

One of her clients took Goldsmith's advice, joining a project that required her to have more interactions and strategic conversations with senior leaders. The move paid off: She was offered a promotion shortly after the project wrapped up.

Be a perfectionist
Sure, no one's perfect, but if you're gunning for more responsibilities, you have to make sure you're doing your current job as close to perfect as possible.

Sean Andersen, director of interactive services at Six Flags Entertainment Corp., works with IT managers across the company's 18 theme parks. He says he notices the ones who "keep their house in order" -- consistently fulfilling all of their assigned duties, including routine and mundane tasks that often get overlooked. Andersen taps those individuals for special projects because they're most likely to be able to handle additional responsibilities.

Case in point: When the company launched a pilot program with the new Chromebox two years ago, he went to the manager who had everything else already under control.

Learn constantly, and share what you discover
To protect yourself from becoming technically obsolete as you move up in management and away from the tech trenches, you need to be constantly building and refreshing a well-rounded set of skills. "The idea is to be constantly learning," CompTIA's Stanger says. Take more classes, get another certification, earn an advanced degree, he says.

If you're like most workers, your current job requirements already fill your work week, which means you'll have to dig hard to find more hours for learning something new. Andersen, the Six Flags executive, says he carves out time -- usually late at night -- to read up on and test out new technologies. And he says he likewise has doled out plum assignments to direct reports who show similar initiative.

Compensate for your blind spots
Reed, the CTO at GE Capital, admits that in the past he often didn't think about the impact his decisions had on other people. "I'd sign onto an objective and put together a plan, but I was not thinking about the ramifications on the team," he says. He didn't realize the problem until someone on his team called him out on it.

Reed says his headlong decision-making style didn't kill his career, but it had done some damage with his business partners. Now that he's became aware of his blind spot, he works to keep it front of mind as he makes commitments that affect his team.

Bernadette Rasmussen, divisional senior vice president of information management and CTO of Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC), agrees with Reed's approach. "Listen to your team members, listen to your peers and listen to your business leaders," she advises.

Know how your business makes money…
It's not enough to have generic business acumen. That's required for most technologists these days.

To gain a leadership position, you have to know how your organization operates and, more importantly, how it makes money. "Some people get into middle management and they don't understand that. They don't understand that we're not here to implement neat technology. We're here to help the business make money," Reed says.

He recommends spending more time meeting with business colleagues to develop that insight and then using it to make smarter decisions within IT. Understanding which technologies have the biggest impact on the company's bottom line will help you prioritize projects and deliver the big bang that draws attention, Reed says.

… then use that knowledge to drive business results
As an IT middle manager, you most certainly need to know technology and must consistently deliver on your technology projects. As an aspiring C-level leader, your priority should be making sure those projects deliver a tangible benefit to the company. In other words, show your ROI.

"You must change your perspective from mastering technology to helping your organization drive results," says HCSC's Rasmussen. "Help connect the dots, drive change with perspective beyond your own and add your unique value," she advises.

Be the expert that people seek out
You need to be more than an expert to attain a corner office -- you need to be the expert.

Theresa Caragol learned that lesson during her upward climb. "You have to be the best and have the deepest expertise so someone says, 'If I want to understand this, I have to go talk to this person.' And if you're the expert in more than one technology, that's even better," she says.

Caragol, now global vice president for channels and partners at Extreme Networks Inc., positioned herself as an expert in software-defined networking at a previous employer. Her mentors helped line up opportunities for her to speak on the topic, which brought her to the attention of those in positions to promote her. She worked her way up to vice president of global channel, alliances and partners at Ciena Corp., her previous employer, a role that in turn served as a stepping stone to her current position.

Manage up and manage down
If you really want to shine, make sure your team does. And make your manager look good, too. After all, in almost all cases your boss will be the one to recommend you for top assignments and promotions. Have regular face-to-face conversations where you can talk about company objectives, professional goals and, yes, even your personal interests, says Dale Carnegie Training's Palazzolo.

Put the same effort into building relationships with your team, because you're only as good as the output you get from them. Vidhya Ranganathan, senior vice president of products and engineering at cloud-services firm Accellion Inc., takes a commonsense approach to building relationships. She regularly has lunch with her team and chats over coffee. "It's not to give them [formal] guidance, but to just listen and let them know I'm available," she says.

Avoid missteps

To make your rise through the ranks as painless as possible:
Don't wait for your manager to offer you opportunities. There's a reason why Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently found himself embroiled a firestorm of criticism when he urged women seeking a raise to "have faith in the system" rather than asking for what they want -- it's bad advice for all employees. "Too often, middle managers take a passive approach to their career advancement" -- including raises and promotions, career-coach Goldsmith says. "Go out and find the opportunities yourself.
Don't linger in a job you dislike or that's not well suited for you. "Motivation plummets, mistakes are made, stress increases. And whether you're conscious of it or not, you start to be seen as a poor performer," Goldsmith explains.
Don't get trapped in the weeds. According to Goldsmith, middle managers often do more hands-on work than they should. You need to move out of the tech trenches and lead your team, not code with them.

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