Key Takeaways:
- Graduates with tech degrees often start with high salaries. For instance, computer science, information technology, and engineering graduates typically see starting salaries ranging from $60,000 to $90,000 or more, depending on location and specific job roles.
- Mid-career professionals with a tech degree can earn between $100,000 to $150,000 or more annually, particularly in high-demand fields like software development, data science, and cybersecurity.
- The demand for tech professionals continues to grow across various industries, contributing to strong job security. Tech skills are versatile and can be applied in multiple industries, from finance to healthcare to entertainment.
- Tech degrees typically lead to low unemployment rates compared to other fields. This is especially true in sectors like software engineering, IT, and data science.
Most potential STEM majors want to know what tech degrees offer the best ROI. Fortunately, most of these degrees do offer very respectable salaries and are a solid investment. Read on to learn about the degrees in the tech field that provide the best financial returns for students. For instance, you can find incredibly cheap online degrees in computer networking, which is a subcategory of IT with a good median salary.
Engineering
Almost all engineering fields are in demand and pay very well. In the tech sector, these include mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering and more. Just about all engineering-focused tech degrees offer the best ROI, so students are free to choose the one that best fits their interests. Mechanical engineers, for example, design and build various types of machinery for commercial and private use. Electrical engineers build electrical infrastructure. Engineers almost always command six-figure salaries on average, making it one of the most lucrative career options available. Even though many of these positions require an advanced degree, they still offer a phenomenal return on investment.
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Computer Science
Computer science degrees continue to be highly in demand. These degrees open the door to a wide variety of high-paying jobs in the tech field, making them a popular choice for many. Students graduating with a computer science degree can land careers working as a software developer, database administrator, cybersecurity analyst, network architect and many other high-paying, growing jobs. Computer science majors learn the programming languages, allowing them to become successful software or app developers. Like in all tech fields, computer science majors need to have a strong inclination towards continuing education so their skills and knowledge will stay fresh as technology rapidly changes. If you want to be a software developer especially, this is the degree for you.
Information Technology
As more companies expand their information technology systems, they will need professionals to administer these systems. This is a more specialized degree, but a great number of colleges and universities offer it. Information technology degrees also offer a very high return on investment, with even the lowest salaries around $50,000 annually. Students going into information technology need to be very good at explaining technical subjects to people not in IT. This is because much of their job revolves around troubleshooting technical problems other employees are having and explaining important IT strategy to management. IT degrees can lead to a number of careers in IT, including system administration and analysis, which typically pay very well.
Web Development
For students who like to infuse some creative design into their technical work, web development is a great degree choice. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, web developers make an average of just under $70,000 annually with the potential for more. This career is also highly in demand, with a projected 15% growth rate. This is considered much faster than average. Web developers are in charge of designing, programming, testing and repairing websites. The demand for web developers is high because most businesses and organizations know they need a website to remain competitive in the modern world. This is also a career where self-employment is common, making it a good choice for students who might want to work for themselves.
With the cost of a college education so high, most students are at least somewhat concerned with the return on investment their degree of choice will bring. There are many good options, but the STEM fields do continue to be a reliable choice. These tech degrees offer the best ROI without a doubt.
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