Some employers may be desperately scrambling to fill those job openings. Seventy-two percent of tech workers surveyed in the fall of 2021 by TalentLMS and Workable<\/a> said they were considering quitting their jobs or exploring new career opportunities within the next 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Between the ongoing demand and the potential exit of some employees, someone interested in tech \u2014 particularly someone with tech knowledge and experience \u2014 might find a career path in tech especially smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlthough you may have seen headlines about job cuts in the tech sector, technology remains a good career path,\u201d says Erica Mobley, business development manager at New Orleans-based Sentient Digital, a provider of software and tech services for businesses and government agencies. \u201cThe tech sector is very broad and hiring needs vary widely by company. In constantly developing fields such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, new talent will always be needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t Explore a career in software engineering with Walmart's free job simulation. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t3.5 to 4 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJava, data structures, software architectures, SQL, Python, data munging\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The tech sector offers an array of careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA career in technology is an excellent choice,\u201d tech entrepreneur Brian David Crane says. \u201cThere are so many different niches within the field of technology, from software and app development to database management, cybersecurity<\/a> to artificial intelligence (AI)<\/a>. Whatever your interest may be, tech workers are always in demand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Computer programmers, software engineers<\/a>, and software developers use programming skills<\/a> to build apps, websites, and software, while data scientists<\/a>, database architects, and data engineers<\/a> specialize in storing, sorting, and analyzing massive amounts of data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n >>MORE:<\/strong> Learn the differences between software engineers and developers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other roles in tech include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a career in tech, you can work in a diverse array of industries. For instance, tech specialists can work for finance and banking companies<\/a>, maintaining highly confidential client information or performing quantitative analysis to predict how the stock market will behave. You could also work in manufacturing, perfecting supply chains to keep products moving, or in health care<\/a>, developing new processes for medical diagnostics. The options are nearly limitless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t Develop a new feature for the Sims 4 game as a Junior Software Engineer in this free job simulation from EA.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t5 to 6 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCommunication, feature design, feature proposal, object-oriented design, class design, code analysis, data structures, code readability, game engine technology\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t While many tech employers prefer to hire workers with bachelor\u2019s or master\u2019s degrees, some are willing to take a chance on entry-level workers who don\u2019t have college degrees or even any tech experience. Among these jobs are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tech jobs generally pay far more than typical jobs do. For example, the BLS says the median annual pay for computer and IT jobs in May 2023 was $104,420, more than double the median annual pay for all occupations ($48,060).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCompensation varies widely by position and company, but in the tech industry in general, with its demand for rare skill sets, earning potential may be higher than in many other fields,\u201d Mobley says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Average annual salaries for some common roles in tech include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use data to advise a client on how to retain their customers with this free job simulation from BCG.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t6 to 7 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness understanding, hypothesis framing, communication, programming, exploratory data analysis, data visualization, creativity, mathematical modelling\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t While most tech careers require a degree in a relevant field, it’s possible to break into a technology career path if you can show you have the right hard skills<\/a> to get the job done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The most straightforward path into a tech role is by going to school for a relevant degree. Studying computer science<\/a>, information technology, data science<\/a>, or information research science can help you build a strong foundation in the necessary hard skills. Depending on the role or employer, an advanced degree in tech can help, too. For instance, a Ph.D. in data science can be a great way to advance a career in data and research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you don’t always need a degree to get a career in tech. You may be able to get your foot in the door straight out of high school with certain roles like computer user support specialists, quality assurance analysts, or information technology (IT) analysts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, your skills are the most important factor for many employers, so alternative ways to learn the required skills may be an option. Using coding bootcamps<\/a>, online courses, and self-study practices, you can build an online portfolio of work that displays your skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n >>MORE:<\/strong> Build your cybersecurity skills with our picks for the best cybersecurity bootcamps for 2026<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tech jobs generally require more hard skills versus soft skills<\/a>, but both kinds of skills are important to succeeding in the tech industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hard skills you might need include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soft skills<\/a> you might need include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn which tech career path is right for you with our free quiz!<\/p>\n\n\n\n No career is perfect, and a tech career is no exception. Here are some of the pros and cons of tech careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the pluses of a tech career is the myriad options for someone heading down this career path. As Crane points out, the range of specialties in the tech sector includes app development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, database management, and software development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a field with a lot of growth potential,\u201d Crane says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, Crane emphasizes that many tech workers enjoy great flexibility in terms of work schedules and remote work. A 2023 study<\/a> by OwlLabs found that one in four workers surveyed would be willing to take pay cuts if it meant an increase in flexible working hours. For tech workers, 73% said working remotely is extremely or very important to them, according to Dice’s 2023 Tech Sentiment Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mobley also notes that a tech career allows someone to apply their skills in a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry, ensuring that you\u2019ll seldom be bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you\u2019re a lifelong learner<\/a>, you\u2019ll do well in the field of technology, as skills need to constantly be maintained and improved,\u201d Crane says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crane cites stress as one of the drawbacks of a tech career, most notably if you\u2019re on the frontlines of ensuring technology is running smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBugs and breaches can always happen,\u201d he says, \u201cand you\u2019re responsible for resolving these issues as soon as possible. If a website is down, it\u2019s lost money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, although some people might view it as a pro, others might view it as burdensome to need to continually learn and adapt to succeed in tech, Mobley says. For instance, you might have to regularly become certified in emerging facets of technology, such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And while tech workers are generally in high demand, industry layoffs can and do happen, particularly at cash-strapped tech startups. As of mid-April, 74,000 tech workers have been laid off<\/a> in 2024, and more than 260,000 lost their jobs in 2023. At the same time, some tech companies have been yanking job offers before new hires have started work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany technology startups that saw tremendous growth in 2020, particularly in the real estate, financial and delivery sectors, are beginning to see a slowdown in users,\u201d wrote Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explore more career paths:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Working](\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/working-at-walmart-150x100.jpg\")
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Types of Careers in Tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Entry-Level Tech Jobs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What Do Tech Jobs Pay?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Get Into a Technology Career Path<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Core Tech Skills Required<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Find Your Career Fit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros and Cons of Tech Careers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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