Tech and Engineering Jobs 2026, Salaries and Skills

Tech and engineering both pay well above the typical US job, and both reward skills you can show on the job. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $109,470 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all occupations, while the architecture and engineering group had a median of $99,520 in the same month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 280,000 openings each year in computer and information technology occupations and about 174,800 a year in architecture and engineering occupations. This guide walks through each branch, what it pays, which skills employers look for, how licensing and certification work, and which of our detailed guides to read next. For Metaintro readers, it works as a map, so start with the branch that matches the training you already have. All pay and job figures here are US data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How Big Is Tech and Engineering and What Does It Pay Overall?

Tech and engineering look like one world from the outside, but they hire differently. The BLS pages for computer and IT jobs talk about certification from vendors and vendor-neutral providers rather than a state license. Engineering jobs lean harder on an accredited degree, and engineers who provide services directly to the public typically must be licensed by a state.

Both groups pay far above the national median. The computer and IT group sat at a median of $109,470 in May 2025, and the BLS describes overall employment in those jobs as projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035. The architecture and engineering group had a median of $99,520, and its overall employment is projected to grow much faster than the average over the same decade.

Inside each group the spread is wide. On the BLS computer and IT table, computer support specialists show a median of $62,890 and computer and information research scientists show $140,300. On the BLS architecture and engineering table, surveying and mapping technicians show a median of $54,240 while computer hardware engineers show $161,740. The job you choose inside the family matters far more than the family itself.

If you are still sorting out what the different job titles mean, our guide to IT job titles from help desk to chief information officer lays out the ladder in plain language. For a short list of the main computing roles, see our roundup of computer science jobs with salaries, and for the engineering side, our guide to how much engineers make by discipline compares the branches.

What Do Software Developers and Web Developers Earn?

Software is a major door into tech, and it pays near the top of the computer and IT group.

Software developers had a median of $135,980 in May 2025, with a median of $104,300 for software quality assurance analysts and testers on the same page. The combined group of developers, QA analysts and testers is projected to have about 106,100 openings each year over the decade. These jobs typically need a bachelor's degree in computer and information technology or a related field, such as engineering or mathematics, and some employers prefer a master's degree.

Our guide to software developer salary and what moves it beyond the median explains how pay grows with level, and our page on junior software developer salary covers what to expect from a first offer. If you want to see which directions a software career can take, our list of software engineering career paths that pay maps them out.

Computer programmers are a separate BLS job, and their outlook is very different. The BLS puts the computer programmer median at $100,390 and projects employment to decline 7 percent from 2025 to 2035. The same page expects many companies to use technologies, including AI, to automate repetitive programming tasks, and that some higher skilled programming work will likely shift to other workers, such as software developers. Our guide on how much computer programmers make looks at the role in more detail.

Web work splits into two jobs with different pay. Web developers had a median of $92,650 and web and digital interface designers $104,000, and the combined group is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035. Our guide to web developer salary and how to earn more covers the developer side, and our page on jobs in UX design covers the interface side.

What Do Data Science and Database Jobs Pay?

Data jobs sit in two different parts of the BLS handbook, which is a useful reminder that the work blends math and computing.

Data scientists are grouped with math occupations rather than computer jobs. They had a median of $120,230 in May 2025, and the occupation is projected to have about 24,800 openings each year. Data scientists typically need at least a bachelor's degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or a related field, and some employers require or prefer a master's or doctoral degree. Our data scientist salary guide by experience and city breaks the figure down further.

Analyst work is another route into data. Our data analyst salary guide from entry level to senior shows that ladder, and our guide on how to become a data analyst without a degree covers a self-taught route. For the AI end of the field, see our guide to machine learning engineer salary.

Database work has its own ladder. Database administrators had a median of $104,620 and database architects $139,500, and experienced database administrators may advance to become database architects. These roles typically need a bachelor's degree and an understanding of database languages such as SQL, and employers may require their database administrators and architects to be certified in the products they use.

What Do Cybersecurity, Network and IT Support Jobs Pay?

Security and infrastructure jobs keep the systems running, and they include some of the clearest step by step ladders in tech.

Information security analysts are the standout, with a median of $129,180 in May 2025, and their employment is projected to grow 21 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,100 openings a year. Many analysts have experience in an IT department, often as a network and computer systems administrator, and many employers prefer to hire candidates who hold information security certification. Our guide on how much a cyber security analyst makes explains what the title covers, and our list of cybersecurity career paths that pay shows where the work leads.

Network jobs pay well, but their outlook is split. Network and computer systems administrators had a median of $99,130, and their employment is projected to decline 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. Computer network architects, who design the networks, show a median of $134,050 and 8 percent projected growth on their own BLS page. Network administrators may also advance to become computer network architects.

IT support can be a way into tech without a degree. Computer network support specialists had a median of $76,220 and computer user support specialists $61,860, and overall employment of computer support specialists is projected to decline 3 percent from 2025 to 2035. The page links the decline for user support specialists to organizations using automated tools, such as chatbots, for troubleshooting. Many support specialists advance to other IT positions, such as information security analysts or network and computer systems administrators. Our guide to becoming an IT engineer covers the climb out of support.

Computer systems analysts sit between business and technology, and they had a median of $105,850, with about 32,900 openings projected each year.

What Do Engineers Earn in the Biggest Disciplines?

The best known engineering branches pay close to the group median, with a few clear exceptions.

Civil engineers plan, design and supervise building and infrastructure projects, and they had a median of $100,840 in May 2025, with about 22,700 openings projected each year. Civil engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field, and they usually must be licensed if they provide services directly to the public. Our guide on how much civil engineers make looks at what employers advertise.

Mechanical engineers design, build and test mechanical and thermal devices, and they had a median of $104,110. Their employment is projected to grow 11 percent from 2025 to 2035. The same page links that growth to automation and innovation creating demand for engineers who design, develop, test and maintain products and systems. Our guide to mechanical engineering certification courses that move your career forward covers optional credentials, and our automotive engineering career guide follows one popular specialty.

Electrical work pays a little more. Electrical engineers had a median of $120,630, and electronics engineers, except computer, had $130,220, and the combined group is projected to have about 16,300 openings each year. Our guide to electrical engineer salary and how to earn more covers the moves that raise it.

Chemical and industrial engineers round out the core. Chemical engineers had a median of $125,040, and their bachelor's degree programs usually take 4 years. Industrial engineers, who design production systems, show a median of $102,440 and 12 percent projected growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,100 openings a year. If you are weighing engineering against medicine, our comparison of doctor vs engineer pay, training time and lifestyle sets the two side by side.

What Do Aerospace, Nuclear, Biomedical and Hardware Engineers Earn?

Several specialist branches pay well above the group median.

Computer hardware engineers bridge engineering and tech. They had a median of $161,740 in May 2025, and employment is projected to grow 9 percent from 2025 to 2035. They typically need a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related field such as electrical engineering, and familiarity with computer programming is helpful because hardware engineers commonly work with software systems. Our guide to computer engineer salary looks at the numbers behind the title.

Aerospace engineers design aircraft, spacecraft, satellites and missiles, and they had a median of $134,960, with 8 percent projected growth from 2025 to 2035. Engineers on defense projects may need a security clearance, and some types and levels of clearance require US citizenship. Our guide to aerospace engineer salary explains how to move up the range.

Nuclear engineers earn a similar amount with a flat outlook, at a median of $133,970, and their employment is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035. At a nuclear power plant, new employees usually must complete onsite training in safety procedures, practices and regulations.

Bioengineers and biomedical engineers combine engineering with the sciences. They had a median of $109,370, and leading a research team typically takes a graduate degree. If you lean toward the lab side of that work, our guides to biotech career salary and how much medical scientists make cover the research roles next door.

Which Tech and Engineering Jobs Are Growing Fastest?

Growth rates hint at where demand will rise over the next decade, and the picture inside tech is mixed.

Among the jobs in this guide, data scientists have the fastest projected growth, at 35 percent from 2025 to 2035. The BLS links that to rising demand for data-driven decisions and to firms building AI-based systems into their work. Computer and information research scientists follow at 22 percent, and information security analysts at 21 percent.

In engineering, industrial engineers are projected to grow 12 percent and mechanical engineers 11 percent. Software developers, QA analysts and testers as a group are projected to grow 10 percent, and the BLS links that demand to software development for AI, the Internet of Things, robotics and other automation.

Several familiar tech jobs are projected to shrink. Computer programmers are projected to decline 7 percent from 2025 to 2035. Network and computer systems administrators are projected to decline 4 percent over the same decade. Overall employment of computer support specialists is projected to decline 3 percent as well. Shrinking does not mean zero openings, because people still retire and change jobs, but it does mean you should plan the next step up before you start.

Which Skills Do Tech and Engineering Employers Want?

The BLS lists the qualities each job needs, and the same few skills show up again and again across the family.

Programming sits underneath almost everything. Software developers must have a strong background in computer programming, even though writing code is not their main job, and database administrators need SQL. Web developers need a thorough understanding of HTML, and many employers also want them to understand languages such as JavaScript or SQL.

Throughout their career, developers must keep up to date on new tools and computer languages, according to the BLS software developers page.

Math matters more than many people expect. Data scientists need extensive study in mathematics and statistics, and the BLS suggests that high school students take linear algebra, calculus, and probability and statistics. Electrical engineering programs cover digital systems design, calculus and electrical circuit theory, and industrial engineering programs include statistics and production systems planning.

Communication is on nearly every list. The BLS says data scientists must be able to convey the results of their analysis to technical and nontechnical audiences, and software developers must explain how software works to nontechnical users such as customers. Problem-solving skills appear on the software, data and engineering pages alike.

Practical experience counts in both halves of the family. The engineering pages point again and again to internships and cooperative education programs, where students gain work experience while finishing their degree. In tech, students may gain experience through an internship while in college. Our guide to essential data analyst skills shows how to turn that into a skills list, and our guide to data analyst portfolio projects shows how to prove it.

How Do Licensing and Certification Work in Tech and Engineering?

This is where the two halves of the family split most clearly, and it helps to know who does what.

In engineering, the state grants the license. The BLS civil engineers page says each state issues its own licenses, and that state licensure generally requires a degree from an accredited engineering program, a passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, several years of relevant work experience and a passing score on the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. Licensure is not required for entry-level engineers in the major branches, but a licensed professional engineer can oversee other engineers, sign off on projects and provide services directly to the public.

The exams themselves come from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, which says many states provide additional paths and encourages candidates to verify the requirements where they plan to practice. The FE exam is computer-based, has 110 questions and carries a $225 fee, and it is designed for recent graduates and students close to finishing an engineering degree from an accredited program. The PE exam is designed for engineers with a minimum of four years of post-college work experience in their discipline, and NCEES offers more than 20 different PE exams.

Accreditation is a separate step again, and ABET accredits programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology, and it says it accredits programs only, not degrees, departments, colleges or individuals. Before you enroll, check that your specific engineering program is accredited, because a degree from an accredited program is usually necessary to become a licensed professional engineer.

In tech, the BLS pages point to certification rather than licensing. Certification programs are generally offered by vendors or vendor-neutral providers, and employers may require it for the products they use. One entry-level credential is CompTIA A+, which CompTIA calls the industry standard to start an IT career, and it requires passing two core exams, one on hardware and networking and one on operating systems and security. At the senior end of security, the ISC2 CISSP page lists 5 years of required work experience for its certification. Our guide to the best cybersecurity certifications compares more of them, and our page on how to pick a certification program employers recognize helps you avoid paying for one that does not count.

Which Tech and Engineering Jobs Need No Four-Year Degree?

Several solid jobs in this family open after an associate degree, a certificate or a portfolio, which makes this the right section for career changers.

IT support is one entry point. The BLS says network support specialists typically need an associate's degree and user support specialists typically need some college courses, but candidates for either type of position may qualify with a high school diploma plus relevant IT certifications.

Web work can also open without a degree. Educational requirements for web developers and digital designers range from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree, depending on the work setting.

Web developers and digital designers may not need specific education credentials if they can demonstrate their abilities through prior work experience or projects, according to the BLS web developers page.

Our guides on how to become a software engineer without a degree and how to break into cybersecurity with zero experience cover self-taught routes, though most software and security jobs on the BLS pages still typically ask for a bachelor's degree.

On the engineering side, technicians are a strong route without a four-year degree. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians had a median of $78,190, and they typically need an associate's degree. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians show a median of $74,510 and typically need an associate's degree or a certificate, and civil engineering technologists and technicians show a median of $64,950. Our guides on how to become a mechanical technician and what an automation and controls technician does cover two of these paths.

Drafters convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. They had a median of $68,090, and an associate's degree generally takes about 2 years of full-time education. Drafters or CAD operators working for an engineering firm may advance to civil engineering technician roles as their knowledge grows.

How Can You Raise Your Tech or Engineering Pay?

Pay in this family rises in a few predictable ways, and not all of them need another degree.

Move up the ladder inside your track. A database administrator who becomes a database architect moves from a median of $104,620 to $139,500, and a network administrator who becomes a network architect moves toward the $134,050 median for computer network architects. In engineering, the PE license is a key step up, because it lets you sign off on work and serve the public directly.

Choose your industry. The BLS shows software developers at a median of $164,550 in software publishers, the highest of the top industries that page lists for developers, so the same skills can pay differently depending on who you work for.

Add a specialty that is growing. Security, data science and research are the fastest growing tech jobs in this guide, and a move from support or administration into security is a path the BLS itself describes.

Negotiate the whole offer. Base pay is only part of a tech or engineering package, and bonuses and benefits can differ a lot between two offers with the same salary. Our guide on how to negotiate salary, with scripts gives the wording, our walkthrough of how to negotiate a job offer once it is in writing covers the final round, and our guide on how to ask for a raise helps once you are already in the job.

Lacey Kaelani, Metaintro's CEO, puts it this way: Your salary is decided by the homework you do before the offer call, not the call itself. In tech and engineering that homework is the skill you can prove next and the industry you choose to prove it in.

What Do These Numbers Leave Out?

Every figure in this guide is a national median, which means half of workers earn more and half earn less. Your own pay depends on your state, your city, your industry and your experience.

The figures come from a federal wage survey of employees. That survey does not cover the self-employed or owners and partners in unincorporated firms, which matters for freelance developers and engineers who run their own firms. Its wage estimates also do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of nonwage benefits, such as health insurance, so a bonus or a strong retirement match will not show up here.

Some job titles are grouped. The software figure on the group table blends developers with QA analysts and testers, and the web figure blends developers with digital designers, so read the detailed pages before assuming one number describes your path. Projections are also estimates, and the BLS pages for programmers and support specialists name automation and AI among the reasons for their projected declines.

Finally, these are US figures. If you are outside the US, the licensing rules, training paths and pay will differ.

What this means for your next move

The best move in tech and engineering is rarely the highest median on the page. It is the job whose skills you can prove soon, with a clear next step above it that is still growing. If you are starting in support or a technician role, plan the jump to security, data, architecture or a PE license from day one. Build proof as you go, because in this family a portfolio, a certification or a signed project often opens the door faster than a title.

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People Also Asked

Q: What is the highest paying tech or engineering job?

A: Among the jobs in this guide, computer hardware engineers have the highest median at $161,740 in May 2025. Software developers have a median of $135,980, and both typically start with a bachelor's degree.

Q: Do you need a license to work as an engineer?

A: Not at entry level. The BLS says licensure is not required for entry-level civil engineers, but they typically must be licensed if they provide services directly to the public. The state grants the PE license, and the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying offers the PE exams.

Q: Which tech job can you start without a degree?

A: Computer support is one realistic entry point, since candidates may qualify with a high school diploma plus relevant IT certifications. Pay starts lower, with user support specialists at a median of $61,860, but the BLS notes that many support specialists advance to other IT positions.

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