IT salaries in 2026: pay and job outlook by role
Median pay, projected growth, and typical entry requirements for 19 information technology occupations, based on the latest federal wage estimates (May 2025) and employment projections for 2025 to 2035.
Computer and IT occupations
All U.S. occupations
Median annual wage, May 2025. Updated October 2026 with data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Key findings
What the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows for technology careers.
- Computer and IT occupations had a median annual wage of $109,470 in May 2025, more than double the $50,980 median for all U.S. occupations.
- BLS projects about 280,000 openings a year in computer and IT occupations from 2025 to 2035, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or change careers.
- Data scientists (+34.6%), computer and information research scientists (+21.8%), and information security analysts (+21.0%) are projected to grow fastest. All three rank among the 12 fastest-growing of the 831 occupations BLS projects.
- Computer and information systems managers have the highest median pay on this page at $175,140. Computer programmers (−7.3%), network and systems administrators (−4.1%), and IT support specialists (−3.5%) are projected to decline.
Salary and outlook by occupation
Median annual pay from May 2025 and projected employment change from 2025 to 2035. Select a column heading to sort, filter by field, or search for a job title.
| Typical entry education | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IT managerIT director, chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO), IT security manager | $175,140 |
+15.8% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Computer hardware engineerHardware engineer, hardware design engineer, digital hardware engineer | $161,740 |
+9% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Computer and information research scientistResearch scientist, AI research scientist | $140,300 |
+21.8% | Master’s degree |
| Database architectData architect, database architect | $139,500 |
+9.4% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Software developerSoftware engineer, application developer, mobile app developer | $135,980 |
+10.2% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Network architectNetwork architect, network engineer | $134,050 |
+7.7% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Information security analystCybersecurity analyst, IT security analyst, network security analyst | $129,180 |
+21.0% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Data scientistData scientist, business intelligence analyst | $120,230 |
+34.6% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Other IT specialistsIT project manager, security engineer, systems engineer, solutions architect, penetration tester | $116,580 |
+5.1% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Computer systems analystSystems analyst, programmer analyst, health informatics specialist | $105,850 |
+7.9% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Database administratorDatabase administrator, DBA | $104,620 |
−0.1% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Software QA analyst and testerQA analyst, QA engineer, software test engineer | $104,300 |
+5.7% | Bachelor’s degree |
| UX and web designerUX designer, UI designer, web designer | $104,000 |
+6.0% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Computer programmerProgrammer, applications programmer | $100,390 |
−7.3% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Network and systems administratorNetwork administrator, systems administrator | $99,130 |
−4.1% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Web developerFront-end developer, back-end web developer, webmaster | $92,650 |
+3.8% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Technical writerTechnical writer, IT technical writer, documentation specialist | $90,390 |
+1% | Bachelor’s degree |
| Network support specialistNetwork support specialist, network technician | $76,220 |
+1.2% | Associate’s degree |
| Help desk and IT support specialistHelp desk technician, IT support specialist, desktop support technician | $61,860 |
−3.5% | Some college, no degree |
No occupations match “.” Try a broader term such as developer, security, data, or support, or choose All fields. Some titles, such as DevOps engineer or product manager, are covered under job titles BLS doesn’t track separately.
Role profiles
What each occupation involves, the job titles it covers, and what it typically takes to get hired.
Software and web
Software developer
$135,980
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +10.2%
- Openings per year, projected
- 95,300
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Software developers (SOC 15-1252)
Design, build, and maintain software applications and the systems that run them, from mobile and web apps to enterprise platforms, turning user and business requirements into working, tested code.
Common job titles: Software engineer, application developer, mobile app developer.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field, along with strong programming skills.
The largest occupation on this page, with about 1.7 million jobs in 2025, and the one with the most projected openings, about 95,300 a year.
BLS profile: software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers
Software QA analyst and tester
$104,300
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +5.7%
- Openings per year, projected
- 10,700
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Software quality assurance analysts and testers (SOC 15-1253)
Plan and run tests on software, write automated test suites, document defects, and work with developers to make sure releases meet quality, performance, and security standards.
Common job titles: QA analyst, QA engineer, software test engineer.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field.
BLS profile: software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers
UX and web designer
$104,000
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +6.0%
- Openings per year, projected
- 8,300
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Web and digital interface designers (SOC 15-1255)
Design how websites and apps look and work, including layout, navigation, and interaction, and test designs with users to improve usability and accessibility.
Common job titles: UX designer, UI designer, web designer.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree, and employers commonly ask for a portfolio of design work.
Computer programmer
$100,390
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- −7.3%
- Openings per year, projected
- 4,400
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Computer programmers (SOC 15-1251)
Write, test, and debug the code that turns software designs into working programs, and update and maintain existing applications.
Common job titles: Programmer, applications programmer.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field.
Projected to decline 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, while employment of software developers, whose work spans design as well as coding, is projected to grow 10.2%.
Web developer
$92,650
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +3.8%
- Openings per year, projected
- 5,300
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Web developers (SOC 15-1254)
Build and maintain websites, writing both the code that runs in the browser and the server-side logic and data connections behind it.
Common job titles: Front-end developer, back-end web developer, webmaster.
How to get in: Requirements range from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree, and BLS lists a bachelor’s as typical. Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is fundamental.
About 17.5% of web developers were self-employed in 2025, a higher share than any other computer occupation on this page. BLS wage figures cover only wage and salary workers.
Data and AI
Computer and information research scientist
$140,300
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +21.8%
- Openings per year, projected
- 2,900
- Typical entry education
- Master’s degree
BLS occupation: Computer and information research scientists (SOC 15-1221)
Create and improve the methods computers use to solve problems, including new algorithms, programming approaches, and artificial intelligence and machine learning models, and apply them in business, science, medicine, and other fields.
Common job titles: Research scientist, AI research scientist.
How to get in: BLS lists a master’s degree in computer science or a related field as the typical entry requirement.
Ranked eighth among the fastest-growing of the 831 occupations BLS projects for 2025 to 2035.
Database architect
$139,500
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +9.4%
- Openings per year, projected
- 3,900
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years in a related occupation
BLS occupation: Database architects (SOC 15-1243)
Design the structure of an organization’s databases and data platforms, deciding how data is modeled, stored, integrated, and protected so it can support applications and analytics as volumes grow.
Common job titles: Data architect, database architect.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree in a computer or information field, plus some prior experience in a related role.
Projected growth of 9.4% is well above the 3.5% average for all occupations.
Data scientist
$120,230
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +34.6%
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Data scientists (SOC 15-2051)
Collect, clean, and analyze large datasets, then build statistical and machine learning models that help organizations forecast outcomes, find patterns, and make decisions.
Common job titles: Data scientist, business intelligence analyst.
How to get in: Typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in a field such as mathematics, statistics, or computer science; some employers prefer a master’s.
The third-fastest-growing of the 831 occupations BLS projects, adding about 95,400 jobs from 2025 to 2035.
Database administrator
$104,620
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- −0.1%
- Openings per year, projected
- 3,300
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Database administrators (SOC 15-1242)
Keep databases available, fast, and secure by managing user access, backups and recovery, performance tuning, and software upgrades.
Common job titles: Database administrator, DBA.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree in an information or computer-related field.
Employment is projected to be essentially flat from 2025 to 2035.
Security and networks
Network architect
$134,050
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +7.7%
- Openings per year, projected
- 9,600
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more in a related occupation
BLS occupation: Computer network architects (SOC 15-1241)
Design and build data communication networks, including local area networks, wide area networks, and intranets, and plan upgrades as an organization’s capacity and security needs change.
Common job titles: Network architect, network engineer.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree and five or more years of experience in a related role, such as network and computer systems administrator.
Information security analyst
$129,180
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +21.0%
- Openings per year, projected
- 14,100
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years in a related occupation
BLS occupation: Information security analysts (SOC 15-1212)
Protect an organization’s networks, systems, and data by monitoring for threats, investigating incidents, testing for weaknesses, and putting security controls and policies in place.
Common job titles: Cybersecurity analyst, IT security analyst, network security analyst.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree and some experience in a related role, such as network or systems administration. Security certifications are common in job requirements.
Ranked 12th among the fastest-growing occupations BLS projects for 2025 to 2035, adding about 40,600 jobs.
Network and systems administrator
$99,130
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- −4.1%
- Openings per year, projected
- 13,400
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Network and computer systems administrators (SOC 15-1244)
Install, configure, and maintain an organization’s networks, servers, and computer systems, handling updates, user access, backups, and troubleshooting.
Common job titles: Network administrator, systems administrator.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree, although some positions accept an associate’s degree or a postsecondary certificate combined with experience.
Projected to decline 4.1% from 2025 to 2035, but about 13,400 openings a year are expected as workers retire or move to other occupations.
Network support specialist
$76,220
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +1.2%
- Openings per year, projected
- 9,000
- Typical entry education
- Associate’s degree
BLS occupation: Computer network support specialists (SOC 15-1231)
Test, maintain, and troubleshoot an organization’s networks, keeping connections running for users and diagnosing and fixing outages.
Common job titles: Network support specialist, network technician.
How to get in: BLS lists an associate’s degree as the typical entry requirement, followed by moderate-term on-the-job training.
Systems and support
Computer hardware engineer
$161,740
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +9%
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Computer hardware engineers (SOC 17-2061)
Research, design, and test computer systems and components such as processors, circuit boards, memory devices, and networking hardware, and work with software teams so the hardware and code function together.
Common job titles: Hardware engineer, hardware design engineer, digital hardware engineer.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering or a related field such as electrical engineering or computer science.
Highest median pay of the non-management occupations on this page.
Computer systems analyst
$105,850
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +7.9%
- Openings per year, projected
- 32,900
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Computer systems analysts (SOC 15-1211)
Study how an organization uses technology and design better systems and processes, translating business needs into technical requirements, evaluating options, and overseeing implementation.
Common job titles: Systems analyst, programmer analyst, health informatics specialist.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree in a computer or information science field. Some employers prefer candidates with an MBA concentrating in information systems.
Help desk and IT support specialist
$61,860
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- −3.5%
- Openings per year, projected
- 39,700
- Typical entry education
- Some college, no degree
BLS occupation: Computer user support specialists (SOC 15-1232)
Help people solve problems with computers, software, and accounts by phone, chat, or in person, and set up and configure equipment for users.
Common job titles: Help desk technician, IT support specialist, desktop support technician.
How to get in: BLS lists some college coursework as the typical entry requirement, followed by moderate-term on-the-job training. Many employers also look for industry certifications.
A common entry point into IT. Employment is projected to decline 3.5%, but about 39,700 openings a year are expected as workers leave the occupation.
Management and specialists
IT manager
$175,140
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +15.8%
- Openings per year, projected
- 53,500
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more in a related occupation
BLS occupation: Computer and information systems managers (SOC 11-3021)
Plans and directs an organization’s technology work: setting IT strategy and budgets, hiring and leading technical teams, choosing systems and vendors, and making sure infrastructure and security keep pace with business needs.
Common job titles: IT director, chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO), IT security manager.
How to get in: Most reach the role after several years as developers, analysts, or administrators. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree and at least five years of related experience as typical, and some employers prefer a graduate degree such as an MBA.
Highest median pay of the occupations on this page. Employment is projected to grow 15.8% from 2025 to 2035, more than four times the 3.5% average for all occupations.
Other IT specialists
$116,580
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +5.1%
- Openings per year, projected
- 27,000
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Computer occupations, all other (SOC 15-1299)
BLS reports several specialized IT jobs together in one category, “computer occupations, all other,” rather than publishing a separate wage estimate for each. O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor’s occupational database, places IT project managers, information security engineers, computer systems engineers and architects, penetration testers, digital forensics analysts, blockchain engineers, and web administrators in this group.
Common job titles: IT project manager, security engineer, systems engineer, solutions architect, penetration tester.
How to get in: Requirements vary by specialty. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as typical for the category.
Because this category mixes very different jobs, its median is a rough guide for any single title.
Technical writer
$90,390
Median annual pay, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- +1%
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
BLS occupation: Technical writers (SOC 27-3042)
Turn complex technical information into clear documentation, including user guides, API references, how-to articles, and in-product help, working closely with engineers and product teams.
Common job titles: Technical writer, IT technical writer, documentation specialist.
How to get in: Typically need a bachelor’s degree. Employers often prefer candidates with knowledge of a technical field such as computer science or engineering.
Employment is projected to grow 1% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the average for all occupations.
How AI is shaping IT employment
BLS projects employment in computer and mathematical occupations to grow 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, the fifth-fastest of 22 major occupational groups and roughly twice the 3.5% average for all occupations. BLS attributes much of that growth to the continued spread of digital tools and AI across the economy.
The fastest growth is concentrated in roles that build, analyze, and protect data and AI systems: data scientists (+34.6%), computer and information research scientists (+21.8%), and information security analysts (+21.0%). BLS also expects the industry that includes computing infrastructure providers, data processing, and web hosting to grow 25.1% and add about 120,400 jobs, largely because of AI adoption.
The same projections show declines for several established roles: computer programmers (−7.3%), network and computer systems administrators (−4.1%), and computer user support specialists (−3.5%), with database administrators essentially flat. BLS notes that the labor market effects of AI remain highly uncertain and that technology has historically changed occupations gradually rather than suddenly.
BLS AI exposure categories
Alongside the 2025–35 projections, BLS introduced AI exposure categories that sort every occupation BLS projects into low, moderate, high, or very high relative exposure. The ratings combine three research-based measures of what AI could theoretically do with two measures of observed AI use. BLS stresses that exposure is not a forecast of job loss, wage change, or automation.
The pay premium for AI skills
Dice’s 2025 Tech Salary Report, based on a survey of 2,835 technology professionals conducted in late 2024, found that those working in AI-related roles earned a 17.7% premium over their peers.
Job titles BLS doesn’t track separately
BLS classifies jobs by the work performed, not by job title. Titles such as DevOps engineer, cloud engineer, site reliability engineer, machine learning engineer, product manager, and IT consultant don’t have their own BLS wage estimates. Workers in those jobs are counted in whichever occupation best matches their main duties.
Several specialized titles fall under computer occupations, all other, which had a median of $116,580 in May 2025. O*NET lists IT project managers, information security engineers, computer systems engineers and architects (including solutions architects and infrastructure engineers), penetration testers, digital forensics analysts, blockchain engineers, and web administrators in that group.
Private salary surveys and job-posting data can fill gaps for these titles, but their methods and role definitions vary widely. Compare more than one source and check how each defines the job before relying on a single number.
How to read these numbers
Federal wage and projection data are the most consistent figures available across occupations, but they measure specific things.
- Median, not averageHalf of workers in an occupation earn more than the median and half earn less. The average (mean) wage for computer occupations was $120,100 in May 2025, higher than the $109,470 median because a smaller number of high earners pull the average up.
- What the wages includeBase pay plus items such as commissions, production bonuses, and cost-of-living allowances. They exclude overtime, bonuses not tied to output (such as year-end bonuses), and employer-paid benefits like health insurance and retirement contributions.
- Who is coveredWage and salary workers at nonfarm employers. Self-employed workers and business owners are not included, which matters most for fields with many freelancers, such as web development.
- Location and industryPay varies widely by state, metro area, and industry. BLS publishes state, metro, and industry wage estimates for each occupation.
- Projections are scenariosBLS projections describe what is expected under specific assumptions based on historical patterns, not a forecast of what will happen. BLS updates them every year; the 2026–36 projections are scheduled for 2027.
- TimingThe wage figures reflect May 2025 and were released in May 2026. Growth figures cover 2025 to 2035 and were released in August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average IT salary in 2026?
The most recent federal data, for May 2025 and released in May 2026, put the median annual wage for computer and IT occupations at $109,470 and the mean at $120,100. Medians for the individual occupations on this page range from $61,860 for computer user support specialists to $175,140 for computer and information systems managers.
Which IT job pays the most?
Computer and information systems managers, which includes IT managers, IT directors, CIOs, and CTOs, had the highest median on this page at $175,140. Among non-management roles, the highest medians were computer hardware engineers ($161,740), computer and information research scientists ($140,300), database architects ($139,500), and software developers ($135,980).
Which IT jobs are growing fastest?
For 2025 to 2035, BLS projects the fastest growth for data scientists (34.6%), computer and information research scientists (21.8%), information security analysts (21.0%), and computer and information systems managers (15.8%). The average for all occupations is 3.5%.
Can you get an IT job without a bachelor’s degree?
BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry requirement for most of the occupations on this page. The exceptions are computer user support specialists, where some college coursework is typical, and computer network support specialists, where an associate’s degree is typical. Web developer requirements range from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree.
Is AI reducing demand for IT workers?
BLS projects computer and mathematical occupations as a group to grow 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, about twice the average for all occupations, with the strongest growth in data, AI research, and security roles. At the same time, it projects declines for computer programmers, network and computer systems administrators, and computer user support specialists. BLS describes the long-term employment effects of AI as highly uncertain.
How often are these figures updated?
BLS releases new occupational wage estimates each spring and new employment projections each late summer. This page reflects the May 2025 wage estimates and the 2025–35 projections. The 2026–36 projections are scheduled for release in 2027.
Sources and methodology
Wage figures are national median annual wages for May 2025 from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. Growth figures are projected employment changes for 2025 to 2035 from the BLS Employment Projections program. Job-title groupings follow the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification and O*NET.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025 (news release, May 15, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025–2035 (news release, August 27, 2026)
- BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025
- BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.3: Fastest growing occupations, 2025 and projected 2035
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer and Information Technology Occupations
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Hardware Engineers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Technical Writers
- BLS Employment Projections, Artificial Intelligence (AI) exposure categories
- O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
- Dice, 2025 Tech Salary Report (announcement, January 2025)
Figures describe national medians for wage and salary workers and are not a guarantee of pay for any individual job. Pay for a specific position depends on location, industry, employer size, experience, and specialization.