6 of the Fastest Growing IT Salaries in 2021

The pandemic shocked the world when the economy took a nosedive and unemployment soared. With millions of jobs lost, many still feel its effect today. However, despite the unexpected, average IT salaries in the U.S. increased 3.6 percent between 2019 and 2020, reaching an average of $97,859.

As organizations transformed to a fully remote landscape, the need for specialized technical skills accelerated. Employers also needed to maintain minimal cybersecurity risks with low-cost and high performance. Therefore, researchers indicate a 2021 salary increase forecast for those in the tech industry. Here are six of the fastest growing IT salaries in 2021.

2021 Salary Increase Forecast

Dice recently released their 2021 Tech Salary Report that breaks down top IT salaries based on location, experience, and skill sets. In their 2021 salary increase forecast, they list some of the highest paying jobs in 2021 based on salary growth.

Source: Dice 2021 Tech Salary Report

1. Cybersecurity Analysts

It is no surprise that Cyber Security Analysts rank first on the list of fastest-growing IT salaries in 2021. In 2019, the average salary for a Cyber Security Analyst was $88,663.

In 2020 that salary increased to $103,106.

COVID-19 and cybersecurity served as critical landmarks of 2020. The 2020 Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey of over 4,200 IT leaders discovered that two in five companies reported an increase in cybersecurity attacks. The growth came shortly after the significant shift in remote work. According to the survey, 35% of these organizations say cybersecurity professionals as high in demand.

2. Data Scientists

Data Scientists rank second on our 2021 salary increase forecast with a 12.8% increase from $106,298 in 2019 to $119,898 in 2020. As the massive amounts of data produced by companies increases, so does the need for skilled professionals. They must analyze, extract value, and effectively present that value from the data to decision-makers has become a top hiring priority for many organizations.

3. DevOps Engineers

Third on the list, we find DevOps Engineers, with a 12.2 percent growth from 2019 to 2020. The average salary in 2019 for DevOps Engineer was $102,606, which increased to $115,125 in 2020. DevOps Engineers rank high in priority this year. DevOps Engineers help drive efficiency through continuous integration and delivery with employers focusing on low cost and high performance.

4. Technical Support Engineers

The accelerated shift to remote work in 2020 had an impact on the growth of Technical Support Engineers. Ranking fourth on the list with an 8.2 percent growth, a Technical Support Engineer’s average salary increased from $63,420 to $68,651, making them one of the fastest-growing IT salaries in 2021.

5. Cloud Engineers

Cloud Engineers had a 6.3 percent salary growth rate from 2019 to 2020. As companies transitioned their systems to the cloud, the demand for experienced cloud engineers increased dramatically. As the cloud infrastructure growth accelerates, businesses must pay a premium to acquire the experienced cloud professionals they need to guide their cloud efforts into the future. With an average salary of $136,479, Cloud Engineers are among the highest paying jobs in 2021 industry-wide.

6. Business Analysts

To successfully implement long-term strategies, business analysts must react to changing circumstances quickly. These analysts’ skills include systems development, data warehousing, and verification and validation requirements. Salaries here rose 5.3% between 2019 and 2020, with an average salary of $93,633 in 2020.

IT Salary Guide in 2021

If your hiring strategies have been on pause, now is the time to put a recruitment plan in place to hire top talent and drive your business forward in the new year. Our IT Salary Guide in 2021 lends insight to ensure the offers companies are sending out are as competitive as they need to be.

The guide contains the latest salary data for a wide array of jobs in IT, ranging from quality assurance to executive/enterprise leadership. Examples of some of the different types of positions the salary breaks down includes:

• Business Analysts
• Project & Product Managers
• Security & Cloud Engineers
• Data Analysts
• IT Engineers & Administrators
• Database Developers
• Enterprise Leadership
• & Dozens More!