These Are the Highest Paying Tech Jobs in the USA

Right now, all the headlines, and the investment, are going to generative AI (gen AI), and the pace at which everything from coding to image generation can now be created with a few short keystrokes. It won’t be long before we will do away with keyboards, mice and touchpads altogether, and simply ask the technology to do our bidding.

Job listings reflect this, and we are now seeing vacancies for newer roles such as prompt engineers, at salaries of up to $375,000, being offered by barnstorming companies such as Anthropic, developer of Claude AI.

AI is reaching into all kinds of career corners, not just cutting edge, deep tech start-ups like OpenAI and Inflection AI. 

The current government-wide AI hiring surge is soaking up the talent needed to build and govern AI. That includes those with the skills to leverage AI in government, build AI regulatory capacity, and strengthen the AI R&D ecosystem.

But even amidst this rapidly changing environment, and, perhaps because of it, certain tech skills will remain sought after. That includes machine learning engineers and data scientists—those with the skills we rely on to leverage data, derive valuable insights, and develop intelligent algorithms.

Across markets, the tech skills most in demand are similar, with the most sought-after being the aforementioned machine learning engineers and data scientists, plus software developers.

According to Indeed, the average base salary for a machine learning engineer in the U.S. is $162,740, with the typical figure ranging from $103,000 to $256,000. The salary range for a data scientist runs from $80,291 to $191,885, while software engineers run from a low of $75,000 to a high of just over $191,000, averaging out at $120,112. A cash bonus of $5,000, plus 401(k) and other benefits may also be on offer.

Software development managers, who manage the planning, execution and delivery of software projects, will also remain much in demand, thanks to their skills bridging the gaps between business objectives and development teams. 

For such skills, an experienced one can reasonably expect to pick up an annual salary of between $150,000 and $190,000.

Cybersecurity specialists will also remain hotly sought after, given that the more AI proliferates, the greater the risk of scams too. Cloud engineers aren’t going anywhere either, and can expect to take home around $123,000.

According to Coursera, the training innovator, the average annual salary in the U.S. tech sector was just over $111,000 last year, more than twice the average salary for all U.S. occupations.

Computer network architects pull in an average base salary of just over $128,000, while fullstack developers have an average base salary of around $91,000, it found. Enterprise architects took home just under $157,000.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, whose research was conducted just before GenAI exploded onto the scene, computer and information research scientists top the salary scale at $136,000, with computer network architects coming in at $126,000 and software developers not far behind, at $124,000.

The good news, whatever your tech skills, is that overall employment in U.S. computer and IT occupations is set to grow “much faster” than the average for all occupations between now and 2032, with around 377,500 openings projected a year.

If you fancy developing your tech career in the USA, check out these and more jobs on the nextpit Job Board.

Software Developer, AI Trainer (contract), Islip NY

DataAnnotator is looking for proficient Software Developers to join the team that trains its AI chatbots to code. For this remote job, which is available full or part-time, you will need to be proficient in at least one programming language, and able to solve coding problems. Projects are paid hourly starting at $40-plus per hour.

IT Innovation Manager, Nestle IT, Arlington, VA

This full-time IT Innovation Manager job, which comes with a salary of between $115,000 - $175,000 a year, will see you work with the digital arm of the well-known food company, executing its digital initiatives.

Network Engineer, Merge IT, Orlando

This three-to-six-month contract as a Network Engineer comes with the possibility to extend and convert to permanent for the right candidate, who will be responsible for the delivery of network services. 

Start your search for a high-paying tech job today on the nextpit Job Board. This article is written by Sandra O’Connell.