The IT sector is one area that graduates are flocking to.
It’s a huge area and it can be a little daunting trying to choose where to specialise.
Are you a computer programmer or an app developer? A data engineer or a cybersecurity specialist? With so much on offer, choosing the best IT job for you can be difficult.
While there’s plenty more to think about than just money, the financial reward involved with a position is going to likely have a bearing on your decision.
This article will look at the highest paying IT jobs for those starting out.
7 IT jobs with the highest starting salaries
- Dev Ops Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Python Developer
- Data Scientist
- Software Developer
- Cyber Security Specialist
- Mobile Application Developer
1. Dev Ops Engineer
Average Starting Salary: £40,000
Most companies have several different departments, sometimes even within IT.
The DevOps engineers are the ones that promote communication and collaboration between the different teams.
They merge multiple tasks, including; development, quality control, deployment, and integration into a single process that can be continued over time.
It’s a hugely important job and currently among the highest paying jobs in IT for graduates.
But competition for DevOps engineering positions can be fierce, so if you’ve got your sights set high - good for you - but get ready for a complex, testing recruitment process.
Also read: Highest paying computer science jobs
2. Software Engineer
Average Starting Salary: £35,000
In case you missed it, almost everything uses software nowadays, from traffic lights to home computers, from aviation technology to computer games. Software engineers are absolutely vital and it’s no surprise that this particular job has become one of the most in-demand IT jobs.
Software engineers are usually involved in multiple areas, including designing, development, maintenance, testing, and the evaluation of computer software.
Related article: Highest Paying Degrees in the UK
3. Python Developer
Average Starting Salary: £35,000
If there was an award for the coolest sounding IT job, then surely we would have to give it to the Python developers.
These developers are responsible for writing server-side web application logic and usually focus on developing the back-end components and making sure they are well connected to web services.
Python developers work behind the scenes, and are often responsible for the servers and databases which so much else around them depends on.
It might not seem as immediately glamorous as some other IT jobs, but a position as a python developer is still close to the top of the best paying jobs in the IT industry.
Also read: Can international postgraduate students work in UK?
4. Data Scientist
Average Starting Salary: £31,000
This position combines computer science, modelling, statistics, analytics, math skills, and of course solid business know-how to help organisations make actionable plans for the future.
As you can imagine, with the word ‘data’ in the job title, this is one job that requires a large amount of time analysing, cleaning and processing data.
But when you think about how much of our lives is now dependent on data, whether it’s algorithms, online advertising or social media feeds, you begin to understand that this is a job where its relevance and importance is only going to grow.
Also read: Part-time jobs in the UK for international students
5. Software Developer
Average Starting Salary: £27,000
You’re probably wondering what’s the difference between a software engineer and a software developer.
The big difference is that a software developer is more involved in the building of software used across various computers, while an engineer takes a much broader approach.
It’s generally agreed that software engineers can do the job of a software developer, but that’s not often the same for the other way around - hence the higher starting salary for engineers.
Related article: List of degrees that make the most millionaires
6. Cyber Security Specialist
Average Starting Salary: £25,000
Barely a week goes past without us hearing about some kind of cyber attack. As our lives and the way we do business move further into the online world, the need for high-quality cyber security specialists is booming.
This position involves coordinating with engineers about new software or hardware, while monitoring networks and data centres for any vulnerabilities and potential risks.
Related Topic: High demand jobs in the UK
7. Mobile Application Developer
Average Starting Salary: £20,000
Mobile applications, or apps as we often just say, have quickly become fundamental to our lives. There’s an app for everything these days, and each one of them has been carefully crafted and built by a single or team of mobile application developers.
The role of a mobile application developer can include just about everything under the sun, from coordinating with clients in the development to the building of the app itself and the continued maintenance.
And there we have it. Seven jobs in the IT industry that not only have good starting salaries but huge prospects in the future.
To sweeten the deal even further, these are all positions where your yearly salary rises quickly, and it’s perfectly conceivable for some to be making over £100,000 per year within ten years.
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- Jobs that are in high demand in the UK
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Top 7 Tech jobs with the highest starting salaries in the UK
| S No | Job Title | Average starting salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dev Ops Engineer | £40,000 |
| 2 | Software Engineer | £35,000 |
| 3 | Python Developer | £35,000 |
| 4 | Data Scientist | £31,000 |
| 5 | Software Developer | £27,000 |
| 6 | Cyber Security Specialist | £25,000 |
| 7 | Mobile Application Developer | £20,000 |
If you’re not set on IT, why not take a look at our blog on the top 10 highest paying degrees in the UK.
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