We used the latest data and insights to identify the highest paying programming jobs so that you can learn and earn more.
Programming is a hot job market right now. It’s easy to see why. This job pays well, is in high demand, and it’s fun!
But how do you know which programming job is right for you? Should you work as an analyst or developer? What kind of salary can you expect? How much will you have to study?
We’ve done the research so that you don’t have to! In this post, we’ll explore the highest-paying programming jobs and what they entail to help you make your choice.
Statistics are extracted from data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Payscale, and other top job websites.
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Table of Contents
#10. Information Technology Specialist
How do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $49,000 per year
- High Range: $128,000 per year
- Median Pay: $78,875 per year
What do they do?
As an information technology specialist, you’ll be responsible for managing computer networks and troubleshooting problems. Although this is a relatively new position, it’s now one of the most in-demand jobs in the tech sector.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Most employers require at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a similar field. You can also enhance your chances of finding a job by taking additional courses related to data networking, hardware support, and programming languages.
Who’s hiring for this job?
IT specialists work for companies like Google and Microsoft but can also find jobs at smaller companies.
What is the best way to get this job?
The first step to becoming an IT specialist is finding a college program to teach you the skills you need. Once you’re done with school, you can begin applying for jobs in this field.
What is it like to be an information technology specialist?
#9. Database Developer
How do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $58,000 per year
- High Range: $130,000 per year
- Median Pay: $86,800 per yearÂ
What do they do?
Database developers are the geniuses behind the scenes that make our lives better. They are responsible for building, maintaining, and improving databases to ensure that they are secure and reliable.Â
These IT professionals also design the database architecture for new projects, ensuring it meets the business requirements.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
This job requires high-level technical skills, including database architecture, data modeling, and analysis. Database developers have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. They must also have strong communication skills and be able to work with a team of other IT professionals.
Who’s hiring for this job?
Database developers work for a variety of companies, including software developers, banks and financial institutions, healthcare organizations, and government agencies.
With the growing popularity of cloud computing, database developers are in high demand. Many companies are looking for candidates with experience in data storage and processing in the cloud.
What is the best way to get this job?
To get hired, it’s important to focus on your technical skills and experience with databases and cloud computing.Â
Your resume should highlight the systems you’ve worked with and the number of years in the industry. You can also include relevant projects you’ve completed.
What is it like to be a database developer?
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#8. Full Stack Web Developer
How do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $55,000 per year
- High Range: $139,000 per year
- Median Pay: $87,094 per year
What do they do?
Quite simply, you are the person who makes websites work. You’re the one who codes them and makes them function properly. A full-stack web developer is a jack of all trades. You will be responsible for everything from front-end design to back-end programming.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
The educational requirements to become a full-stack web developer are relatively low. Some experience in web development and good knowledge of computer programming languages are enough to get started on your way to this high-paying career path.Â
While a college degree can help you become a full-stack developer, it isn’t necessary. Most employers will be more concerned with your ability to program and design than the letters after your name.
Who’s hiring for this job?
Full-stack web developers work for all types of companies, including large corporations, small businesses, and startups. You can also find full-stack developer jobs in the education sector or for government organizations.
What is the best way to get this job?
To get hired, you must have a portfolio showcasing your coding skills. This can be as simple as a website you’ve built or a portfolio of projects you’ve worked on.
Should you become a full-stack web developer?
#7. Software Engineer
How do they get paid?
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $65,000 per year
- High Range: $131,000 per year
- Median Pay: $89,161 per year
What do they do?
Software engineers are a highly sought-after group of professionals and for a good reason. These high-level techies design, develop and test software applications for companies to improve efficiency and productivity.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
If you’re interested in this type of work, you’ll need to be well-educated. Software engineers typically have at least a bachelor’s degree with advanced computer science or software engineering training. You may also want to take classes in mathematics and statistics if your future job prospects are especially bright.
Who’s hiring for this job?
Software engineers work for companies like Google and Microsoft and smaller companies specializing in software development. You could even go into business for yourself as a freelance software engineer.
What is the best way to get this job?
Once you’ve got the required qualifications under your belt, it’s time to get out there and land yourself that dream job. You can start by applying online through job boards such as Indeed or Monster.Â
These sites will help match employers with candidates who meet their needs. So make sure that everything on your resume reflects exactly what they’re looking for.
What is it like to be a software engineer?
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#6. Machine Learning Engineer
How do they get paid?
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $77,000 per year
- High Range: $154,000 per year
- Median Pay: $112,476 per year
What do they do?
Machine learning engineers are the real-life versions of scientists from TV shows like Breaking Bad and The Big Bang Theory. They use computers to figure out things that would take humans months or years to do, like:
- identifying a person’s face.
- teaching a robot how to move and respond to its environment.
- predicting whether an email might be spam or not.
There’s no set path for becoming a machine learning engineer. Most people get their undergrad degrees in computer science or math (and often both), while others go through master’s programs in data science.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Many employers require a computer science degree and some experience with coding. But if you want to get into machine learning without going back to school, there are plenty of resources online that teach you everything from data analysis to algorithms.
Who’s hiring for this job?
Machine learning engineers work for companies that use machine learning in their products and services, like Google and Facebook. They also work for companies that build software that automates tasks and makes decisions without human input, like self-driving cars or robots.
What is the best way to get this job?
After meeting the necessary educational qualification, you can start applying your skills to real-world problems. You could build an app that predicts what movies people will enjoy based on their past preferences or create a website that recommends products based on similar purchases.
This will prepare you to enter the job market. Once you have some experience under your belt, it’s time to start looking for a job. You can do this by networking with people in the field and attending meetups where people talk about machine learning or AI projects they’re working on.
What is it like to be a machine learning engineer?
#5. Data Scientist
How do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $77,000 per year
- High Range: $202,000 per year
- Median Pay: $124,051 per yearÂ
What do they do?
Data Scientists are highly skilled professionals who use statistics, data mining, and predictive analytics to analyze large volumes of data. These professionals use their expertise to turn raw data into meaningful information that can help businesses make better decisions about product design or market trends.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Many employers prefer candidates with either an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree in data science or computer science. However, some employers may accept a degree in another field, such as mathematics or statistics, if the candidate has relevant experience.
Who’s hiring for this job?
They work in many industries, including healthcare, finance, insurance, manufacturing, retail, and technology. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for these professionals is $124,051 per year.
What is the best way to get this job?
Once you have acquired the skills and experience required for a data scientist position, you’ll need to be able to prove that you have what it takes. Data science is an extremely competitive field, so employers will be looking for evidence of your ability.
What is it like to be a data scientist?
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#4. Cloud Architect
How do they get paid?
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $80,000 per year
- High Range: $167,000 per year
- Median Pay: $128,000 per year
What do they do?
Cloud architects are the people who design, build and manage cloud computing systems. They’re essentially IT project managers for cloud technology teams.
As a cloud architect, you’ll be responsible for helping your company adopt or integrate with cloud technologies. This could mean writing specifications for new projects, managing existing systems, or mentoring junior engineers within your organization.
If you’re an experienced developer specializing in one type of cloud environment, then you may focus more on implementation than management.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Cloud architects have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. They also need several years of experience working with cloud technologies, preferably in a tech industry.Â
The best cloud architects have experience managing large-scale projects within the cloud or in another type of IT environment.
Who’s hiring for this job?
These techies work for IT consulting firms, software companies, and cloud providers.
What is the best way to get this job?
Once you have the right experience and education, you can look for jobs on Indeed and Monster. You can also apply directly to companies that offer cloud architect roles.
Should you become a cloud architect?
#3. Embedded Software Developer
How do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $87,000 per year
- High Range: $203,000 per year
- Median Pay: $131,956 per yearÂ
What do they do?
An embedded software developer creates software that runs inside a computer, mobile device, or other electronic systems.Â
They may work with hardware engineers and other programmers to create new products or on existing products to improve performance or fix bugs.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Education requirements vary depending on what kind of business you want to work for. Some employers may require college degrees, while others require experience working in the field.
Who’s hiring for this job?
Embedded software developers work for a wide range of employers, including aerospace companies, medical device manufacturers, and software development firms.
What is the best way to get this job?
The first step to becoming an embedded software developer is to study computer science in college or take classes that teach programming languages such as C and Java. After you graduate, it’s important to gain experience working with real-world software applications and systems.
What is it like to be an embedded software developer?
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#2. DevOps Engineer
How do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $85,000 per year
- High Range: $209,000 per year
- Median Pay: $132,108 per yearÂ
What do they do?
DevOps engineers are the people who ensure that new software works perfectly with the existing one. They are responsible for the smooth running of a company’s IT infrastructure. These engineers also build, test, and deploy applications.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
This job requires a strong technical background, including knowledge of different programming languages, operating systems, and databases.
As with most coding jobs, you’ll want a computer science degree or at least some experience with programming before starting down this path.
Who’s hiring for this job?
DevOps engineers work for companies that are building complex applications, such as social media platforms and e-commerce websites. They also work at companies that manage large data centers, like Google and Facebook.
What is the best way to get this job?
Once you have the education, experience, and certification you need to be a DevOps engineer, the field is wide open. You can work for any company that relies on technology to operate its business.
What is it like to be a DevOps engineer?
#1. Artificial Intelligence Engineer
How do they get paid?
- Source: ZipRecruiter
- Low Range: $79,500 per year
- High Range: $266,500 per year
- Median Pay: $156,648 per yearÂ
What do they do?
Artificial intelligence engineers are responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining applications that use artificial intelligence.Â
They develop AI systems that can perform tasks that traditionally required human intelligence, like computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language processing.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
A bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field is typically required. However, it may be possible to find entry-level jobs as an artificial intelligence engineer with just an associate degree or higher-level certification.
Many employers prefer candidates who have completed college coursework in machine learning or AI-related topics before hiring them as artificial intelligence engineers.
Who’s hiring for this job?
Artificial intelligence engineers work for companies that develop AI software and hardware, including Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft. They also work for companies that use AI algorithms to make their products more efficient or user-friendly, such as Netflix and Uber.
What is the best way to get this job?
After graduating from college, you can apply for jobs at technology companies or other organizations that use AI. Entry-level jobs in this field often require just an associate degree or a certificate in computer science.Â
As new technologies emerge, however, more opportunities will become available for people with higher levels of education.
Should you become an artificial intelligence engineer?
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Conclusion
It’s time to start making your dreams a reality, and one of the best places to start is programming. You can get paid well for doing what you love.Â
You’ll also be satisfied knowing that you’re helping people—whether by building websites for their businesses or creating an app that makes their lives easier.
Getting started as a programmer can be difficult, but if you’re willing to put in the time, energy, and effort, these top-paying programming jobs will be yours in no time.
