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.
Get paid up to $225 a month while watching viral videos
Instead of sitting around watching viral videos on YouTube, you could be getting paid actual cash taking surveys for InboxDollars instead.
It's simple. You sign up here and confirm your email. Then you watch videos and take surveys. Then you earn cash (yes, actual cash … not "points"). Log in during your spare time and see how you can earn up to an extra $225 every month.
BONUS: Free $5 when you sign up, confirm your email and phone.
Sign up and start getting paid today
Mobile application developer
![male website developer posing for picture](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/happy-male-web-developer-in-office.jpeg)
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 engineer
![happy african american female web developer](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/african-american-web-developer-coding.jpeg)
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 engineer
![male programmer coding late at night](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/male-programmer-coding-late-at-night.jpeg)
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.
Borrow up to $50k to finally crush your debt
If you have thousands in debt and you’re barely making it paycheck to paycheck, you know how suffocating it is. Debt is always on your mind. It controls your life. And even if you make on-time payments, they’re so expensive that you have nothing left over.
A personal loan could help you get out of this situation and lift your monthly debt burden significantly. You could finally pay off all of your debt at once, get rid of the sky-high interest rates, and slash your debt load to one manageable monthly payment.
AmONE is a marketplace where you can find some of the best personal loans available. They match you with loans up to $50,000 with rates as low as 2.49%. That’s better than most credit cards. And easier than draining your bank account every month. Seeing what you qualify for doesn’t affect your credit score, and if you’re approved, you could get money the next day.
Front-end developer
![colleagues coding at work together](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/business-team-working-on-codes.jpeg)
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.
Web developer
![asian web developer working with colleague](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/asian-web-developer-coding.jpeg)
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.
Trending Stories
Ecommerce analyst
![businessman analysing progress on tablet](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/businessman-calculating-data-on-tablet.jpeg)
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.
AI architect
![confident female web developer at work](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/confident-female-software-engineer-at-work.jpeg)
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.
Business intelligence analyst
![asian business woman working on laptop](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/asian-business-woman-working-at-office.jpeg)
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.
Database manager
![business woman checking virtual checklist](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/business-woman-marking-on-virtual-checklist.jpeg)
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.
Earn cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account
Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover®️ Cashback Debit Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!1 <p>See website for details.</p>
With no credit check to apply and no monthly fees to worry about, you can earn nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!
This rare checking account has other great perks too, like access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with Early Pay, no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements, over 60K fee-free ATMs, and the ability to add cash to your account at Walmart stores nationwide.
Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.
Data architect
![lawyer thinking about judiciary at table](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/lawyer-sitting-at-table.jpeg)
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.
Big data engineer
![man using laptop to develop codes](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/man-programing-on-laptop-at-work.jpeg)
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.
Data scientist
![business woman standing beside coding monitors](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/business-woman-looking-at-coding-screen.jpeg)
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.
IT auditor
![man looking thoughtfully through office budget](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/man-stressed-while-reviewing-office-budget.jpeg)
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.
Quality assurance (QA) engineer
![businessman checking quality controls using laptop](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/businessman-applying-for-insurance-on-laptop.jpeg)
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.
Bottom line
![asian woman with laptop at work](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/02/happy-asian-woman-using-laptop.jpeg)
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.
Subscribe Today
Want extra-cash moves to come right to you?
Stop browsing endlessly. Get proven ways to earn pocket money, help cover rent, and crush your debt — sent to your inbox daily.