Different IT and tech career paths you can take in 2022

The IT and tech industry is rapidly growing and one of the great benefits of getting involved in this sector is the variety of jobs that you can open yourself up to. Some of the most in-demand skills at the moment are IT and tech-related, and there are a number of full-time and part-time courses available so you can land yourself an entry-level IT job, which will set you on your way to starting your career in tech.

We’ve put together just a few of the IT career paths you can take.

Entry-level job average salary per annum is £25,500

Mid-level job average salary per annum is £39,750

Senior-level job average salary per annum is £63,000

People who work within IT support are responsible for maintaining the technology within a company, whether it’s a PC, the product, or the system infrastructure, the role can be either in-house or customer-facing. An entry-level role will focus more on day-to-day issues including updating company software and assisting customers or staff members on troubleshooting issues. Whereas a more senior role will be involved in developing and executing long-term projects to help improve technologies within the company.

What skills are required for IT support jobs?

• Troubleshooting and IT diagnostics

• Knowledge of different

• Programming and coding skills

• Communication skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Attention to detail

• Business acumen

Entry-level job average salary per annum is £45,000

Mid-level job average salary per annum is £60,000

Senior-level job average salary per annum is £80,250

Web Developers are responsible for creating and developing web-based applications or services. They can focus on either the software (back-end) or the interface (front-end), to begin with, then when taking on a more senior role they might take on both then becoming a Full Stack Developer. Beyond web design, you can work in DevOps, which means you are responsible for evolving and improving products and software for the company within a certain time period. This speed enables organisations to better serve their customers and compete more effectively in the market.

What skills are required for web development jobs?

• HTML/CSS

• Programming and coding

• Testing and debugging

• SEO

• User experience

• Attention to detail

• Creativity

• Communication skills

• Business acumen

Entry-level job average salary per annum is £42,750

Mid-level job average salary per annum is £63,000

Senior-level job average salary per annum is £87,750

Cyber Security specialists are responsible for detecting threats and monitoring a company’s security system. In order to predict potential breaches, Cyber Security specialists need to be able to perform testing to see where the faults may lie, they need to understand evolving threats within the cyber security space. Then when taking on a more senior role, such as an IT Security Architect, responsibilities include creating and designing the software that protects the business sensitive data.

What skills are required for cyber security jobs?

• Network Security

• Firewalls

• Cloud Security

• Intrusion detection

• Risk management

• Governance

• Mathematical skills

• Communication skills

• Problem-solving skills

Entry-level job average salary per annum is £41,500

Mid-level job average salary per annum is £50,750

Senior-level job average salary per annum is £79,000

Network jobs involve a lot of technical knowledge and therefore it is best to either look into a computer science degree or a course, as well as some industry experience as that helps you get an entry-level related role such as Systems Administrator. After a few years of hands-on technical experience, you might progress to Network Engineer and later on Computer Network Architect. These roles are responsible for designing and implementing security measures to strengthen the company infrastructure.

What skills are required for network jobs?

• Analytical skills

• Knowledge of different operating systems and software

• Firewalls and governance

• Network and infrastructure design

• Cloud computing

• Programming and coding

• Troubleshooting and problem solving

• Communications skills

• Leadership skills

Entry-level job average salary per annum is £45,000

Mid-level job average salary per annum is £62,500

Senior-level job average salary per annum is £80,250

The demand for data jobs has increased by 300% in the past year as companies will continue to rely on data-driven decision-making. There are now a variety of data jobs to get involved in, and one of the best entry-level roles to get involved in is data analysis. A Data Analyst is responsible for collecting, cleaning, and processing data, they then need to transform it into a meaningful format for business analysts to understand. After a few years of experience, a Data Analyst can progress to a Data Scientist or Data Architect. These roles need a greater understanding of data insight and data framework. Data Scientists raise questions that will help improve business processes and Data Architects design a company’s data management framework.

What skills are required for data jobs?

• Data mining, visualisation, and cleaning

• Data migration and warehousing

• Programming and coding

• Machine Learning

• Communication skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Attention to detail

Entry-level job average salary per annum is £52,500

Mid-level job average salary per annum is £63,750

Senior-level job average salary per annum is £87,000

Cloud jobs have accelerated by 155% over the past year, as companies are storing and accessing their data over the internet rather than buying physical data servers. Therefore, cloud skills are in high demand. For an entry-level cloud role such as Cloud Administrator, responsibilities include system configuration, maintenance, and provisioning as per the set parameters. After gaining at least three to five years of experience, you could be promoted to Cloud Engineer where you will be more responsible for fixing any technical issues that arise. A Cloud Architect is then responsible for creating and maintaining the cloud structure, with the aim to increase productivity and processes within the company.

What skills are required for cloud jobs?

• Cloud service platforms

• Cloud security

• Machine learning and AI

• Cloud deployment and migration

• Programming and coding

• Database and network management

• Problem-solving

• Communication skills

• Creative thinking

If you are thinking about getting a career in IT or tech, then you need to be prepared to undertake continuous professional and personal development. As the industry grows you will need to keep up with trends to remain employable and in demand.