IT professionals in the U.S. earned the highest average annual salary in the world for 2018, which amounted between $100,000 and $125,000 based on a survey.
Those in Asia have begun to catch up as well, while salaries in Europe fell to the third spot. Experience serves a significant role in determining a professional’s compensation, but it is no secret that certification also contributes to a higher income. If you still have no certificates, some of the good choices for beginners include CompTIA Network+ (N10-007). An exam or review course for these certificates will be necessary before you could obtain the extra credentials.
Average Salaries by Region
The survey gathered feedback from around 3,000 professionals worldwide. It showed that the average annual salaries in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Japan and Singapore, ranged between $75,000 and $100,000 on average. European professionals said that they earned between $50,000 and $75,000 on average.
U.S. professionals also dominated the above-average income earners in the industry. Around 19% of the respondents said that they earn up to $250,000 per year. The industries with the most generous compensation for IT workers include the retail, healthcare, and financial sectors. If you are looking for a job with a better ratio between employment and salary growth, you should consider becoming a software application developer. The annual median salary for this job amounts to around $102,000, while there is an anticipated 31% job growth outlook for this niche as more people use their smartphones to browse the Internet.
Top U.S. Cities for IT Professionals
Silicon Valley has been among the top destinations for employment among IT workers, but you would have to take the cost of living in the region into account before planning to move in. Other cities may not offer six-figure salaries, but the cheap cost of living more than makes up for it.
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia region in North Carolina and South Carolina is an example. The median salary for an IT professional only costs around $87,755 per year, but the cost of living is 1.3% lower than the national average. Compare that against San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara in California, where it is 43.6% more expensive than the national average. You may be earning around $122,000, but it essentially becomes countered with the high cost of necessary expenses.
It is even harder in San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward. Median salaries in the region are around $110,450, but the cost of living is more than 64% higher than the nationwide average. By contrast, you could earn $109,740 on average in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington, where the cost of living is almost 20% lower than the national average. Other good places for IT professionals include Denver-Aurora-Lakewood in Colorado and Austin-Round Rock in Texas.
Average annual salaries for IT professionals in the U.S. are high, but competition for jobs will likely be the same. Many professionals from other industries have decided to switch careers in search of better pay. You could prevent yourself from being irrelevant to your preferred segment by seeking further training or industry certification.
