14 In-Demand Tech Jobs That Could Earn You $100K or More

A 2022 Center on Rural Innovation study showed that while 60% of rural residents are interested in tech jobs, only around 244,000 tech jobs are performed in rural America.

Whether you live in rural America, a suburb, or a city center, tech jobs are among the most lucrative careers on the job market. 

Learn more about 14 top-paying tech jobs, including average salaries and job descriptions, so you can make an informed decision about your next career move and get ahead financially.

The average salary for app developers ranges from $134,000 a year to $195,000, per data from Robert Half Staffing Solutions. Mobile application developers design apps across operating systems, including Windows, iOS, and Android.

Since around 85% of Americans use smartphones, there’s always a demand for app developers to create, test, and update apps of all kinds.

DevOps engineers (an abbreviation of development operations) can make a starting salary of $113,000, though top-tier engineers make an average of up to $170,000.

As a DevOps engineer, you would oversee software development and deployment across a larger organization. The job requires top-notch organizational and management skills and in-depth knowledge of streamlining and updating crucial business software.

Site reliability engineers typically start at around $110,250, but with enough experience, their salaries can range up to an average of $135,000. 

Site reliability engineers maintain a software application’s reliability across an organization to ensure operations run smoothly amid developer updates and deployments.

While a front-end developer’s average starting salary is under $104,250 (closer to $85,000 to start), experienced front-end developers can earn up to $160,000 a year. 

Front-end devs maintain user interfaces on a website, creating components and designing site layouts to ensure users have a smooth, seamless site experience.

The average starting salary for a web developer is around $91,000, though senior web developers with years of experience can earn up to $160,000. 

While front-end developers focus solely on the portion of a website users interact with, web developers usually build a site from the ground up. 

As a result, they usually work on both the front and back ends of a site’s development.

A typical ecommerce analyst starts out earning around $94,250, but once they gain experience, they can earn up to $132,000 on average. As the title suggests, ecommerce analysts spend their time analyzing a site’s e-commerce performance.

You’d likely analyze your company’s website’s sales trends in this role. You’d also create reports and collaborate with advertisers, marketers, and developers to improve user experience with the site and increase online sales.

An AI architect is a relatively new career with an average starting salary of $132,000. At the high end, AI architects can make as much as $183,000 annually.

AI architects create strategies for implementing artificial intelligence systems across enterprises. The position requires architects to understand the needs of every tech specialist on the team, from DevOps engineers to data security specialists.

As a business intelligence analyst in the tech field, you could start making $101,250 a year, but that salary could range up to $146,500 with enough experience.

Generally speaking, a business intelligence analyst curates data about a business’s performance, offers insights into the data, and helps its stakeholders make wise decisions that improve its financial standing. 

Analysts need to know the best methods of curating data, sorting through vast amounts of information, and condensing that information into actionable insights.

A typical database manager’s starting salary is around $122,250 and can increase to $170,000. 

As a database manager, you’d ensure your company’s databases stay safe and secure. You’d also maintain the database and ensure company stakeholders can securely access the data they need.

Data architects can start making $134,500, but with time and experience, they can earn as much as $186,500 a year. They strategize modes of data collection and conceptualize systems that can manage and extract that data.

In other words, data architects draft the blueprints for critical company structures, though their building blocks are coding languages rather than physical materials.

The average starting salary for a big data engineer is around $122,000, though the salary ranges up to $174,250. Big data engineers are responsible for building systems that accommodate a company’s data.

Typically, they work closely with data architects to bring their database structures and systems to life. They also update and maintain those systems and extract large data sets that help company analysts make informed decisions about business operations.

An entry-level data scientist can expect to make an average of $119,000, though advanced data scientists can make as much as $167,000 per annum.

Data scientists analyze the data sets curated, maintained, and extracted by big data engineers and other IT professionals. Their findings can help a business stay fiscally viable, understand its customer base and personnel, and grow its bottom line.

The average IT auditor starts their career on a salary of $105,250, but they may eventually make up to $151,000. 

IT auditors oversee a company or organization’s technological systems, frequently reviewing them to ensure they’re safe, secure, and functional. 

IT auditors also create and implement the methodical review processes that ensure company systems are up to date.

Entry-level QA engineers can expect to make an average of $81,250, but salaries can range upwards of $114,500 with time and experience.

As a quality assurance engineer, you would ensure your company’s software products are up to par before they’re sold to consumers, including testing products at each developmental stage and troubleshooting for bugs and other issues. 

Quality assurance engineers also create testing procedures and might set company product standards before they hit the market.

Getting into a six-figure tech job requires a good deal of training and on-the-job experience. 

Fortunately, there are many online coding schools and hands-on training programs that can help you move beyond living paycheck to paycheck. 

With some training, it’s entirely possible to move into a career that pays you what you’re worth.