Programming: A High-paying Field That's Likely to Grow

Careers in Information Technology (IT) are growing at an extremely quick rate.

Projected growth in IT jobs over the next 8 years

There are plenty of reasons to learn programming and other computer-related skill sets, but if it's a job you're looking for, you've made a good choice. According to IT Career Finder, there are plenty of high-paying jobs that are going to grow exponentially over the next eight years. These jobs vary from IT Support, Cyber Security, to specific analysts and programming roles. Certain jobs such as Mobile Application Development, Software Engineers, Video Game Designers, and Systems Analysts are especially primed to grow. These jobs are expected to increase by up to 26% their current growth rate in the next eight years. Computer jobs have been trending upwards over the last ten years, and with the Coronavirus pandemic, things have only gotten better for the Information Technology job market. Many employees are working remotely now, whether they be in the Information Technology field or not. Due to this, companies must hire employees to support the infrastructure for online work, manage the security of the remote jobs, and create the needed applications for employees to work remotely. Many companies that didn't previously hire employees for remote work, such as Amazon and Facebook, are now doing so due to the changes that were made during the pandemic. By incorporating remote work, company's are able to hire productive employees without the need to provide office space for them, saving them money and resources. The amount of Information Technology jobs is already high, but will only increase with the advancement of technology over the years.

Salary for IT Jobs

Technology jobs have been higher-paying for a while now, but with the extreme importance of computers in the workplace today this have improved further. The average salary depends on the location, experience, company, etc., but for many programming roles the average salary is between 80-110k a year. Industries such as the gaming and mobile industries are growing fast, creating a demand for video game and mobile app designers. With this demand, comes a needed supply and therefore a higher average pay. The salary alone should definitely be the leading force in why you want a programming job, but it's a great benefit that should definitely not go unnoticed. If you would like a programming job in the future, or just want to learn skills and program as a hobby, right now is the perfect time to start.

Freelance Work and Indie Programming 

By learning how to program you open up opportunities for both personal and professional success. Many skilled individuals are working remotely for companies, or do freelance jobs for companies and get paid for the work that they do. Along with those opportunities, there are avenues to make custom projects that people will purchase. Whether this be publishing a useful app, creating games for app stores, or something entirely different, there are multiple ways to find success using computer skills. The most important thing for an individual to do, is to do his best and find something that works well for them. For some people, that would be finding a job that pays well and interests them. For others, it might be doing contract work or creating personal projects that can then be sold. Programming is certainly a great hobby to have and is something that can be developed to become more than a hobby. Whatever path you may take, the most important thing is to remember to enjoy what you do and continue to learn and grow. It is very important to do your best and to always remember the Joys of Programming.