10 hottest IT jobs for salary growth in 2023

5. IT management

In the past decade, the IT department has grown to become a key department in any organization, bolstering the need for IT management professionals such as CTO, CIO, and vice president of IT. The average salary for IT management professionals has grown just over 8% since 2021. Companies need qualified CTOs, CIOs, vice presidents, and directors who are focused on developing and overseeing the business’ overall technology strategy and goals. Skills and responsibilities vary depending on the position, but anyone in an IT management role, especially at the executive level, will need a strong understanding of leadership skills — such as transformational leadership — to properly lead successful IT teams and strategies. 

Average salary: US$164,814

Increase since 2021: 8.4%

6. Cybersecurity engineer/architect

Cybersecurity is at the forefront of every modern business, ensuring that company and client data stay private and secure. Cybersecurity engineers and architects are at the helm of IT security, tasked with designing and implementing protective cybersecurity solutions to keep systems, data, and networks safe from potential threats. Companies increasingly rely on technology for every aspect of daily business, and as the demand has grown, salaries for cybersecurity engineers and architects have also grown nearly 8% since 2021, according to Dice. Relevant skills include security architecture design, threat modeling, compliance and regulations, security operations, risk assessment and management, and security infrastructure implementation.

Average salary: US$145,512

Increase since 2021: 7.7%

7. Systems engineer

For organizations running complex hardware, software, and network systems, the role of a systems engineer is a vital part of daily operations. Systems engineers are tasked with designing projects, collaborating with key stakeholders to identify necessary requirements and potential constraints, and ensuring that the company’s IT systems are functioning effectively. This role helps oversee the development of new systems, working alongside software developers and hardware engineers with an eye on quality control measures and maintaining a steady pace toward established milestone goals. These IT pros also have a hand in system testing, ensuring that the final product meets expectations, and analyze test results to identify issues or discrepancies. It’s a vital technical role for organizations in the digital age, with the average salary for systems engineers growing nearly 8% since 2021, according to Dice.

Average salary: US$120,800

Increase since 2021: 7.5%

8. Help desk technician

Help desk technicians are responsible for supporting end-users and helping them work through software and hardware related issues. These IT pros provide technical support, with a strong knowledge of hardware and software maintenance, whether it’s about updates, bug-fixes, configuring computer systems, or managing hardware and software installations. This pivotal customer service role has grown in demand, with the average salary growing 7% since 2021, according to Dice. While help desk technicians need strong technical skills to help end-users troubleshoot and solve problems, it’s a role that also requires a lot of communication and collaboration skills. As a main, and often first, point of contact for end-users, help desk technicians need the right skills to interact with customers and clients.

Average salary: US$55,872

Increase since 2021: 6.9%

9. Application support engineer

A lot goes into maintaining an organization’s software applications, and ensuring that they remain stable and available for end-users, which is where application support engineers come in. It’s a crucial role for businesses to ensure they have the right IT pros to handle troubleshooting, incident and risk management, application maintenance and monitoring, and maintaining proper documentation of issues. It’s a role that requires regular collaboration with developers, vendors, infrastructure teams, QA teams, and other key stakeholders to escalate problems to the correct point of contact, while also suggesting potential solutions and improvements for the user experience. The role helps ensure that end-users have a positive user experience, whether they’re internal users or external clients, and the average salary for application support engineers has grown just over 6% since 2021, according to Dice.

Average salary: US$96,961

Increase since 2021: 6.3%

10. Network engineer

Ensuring that an organization’s IT and network infrastructure is reliable, efficient, and secure falls on the shoulders of network engineers. It’s a role that requires a wide set of technical skills, including knowledge of network design, implementation, maintenance, security, documentation, and monitoring. Network engineers work closely alongside system administrators, developers, and security analysts to ensure that all network infrastructure seamlessly functions and blends into the organization’s IT systems and applications. The role has grown in popularity, with salaries for network engineers increasing by just over 6% since 2021, according to Dice.

Average salary: US$99,103

Increase since 2021: 6.1%