43% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
Highest-Paying Jobs in Technology (2026)
Computer and Information Research Scientist tops this list at $140,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +19.7% projected employment change over 2024–2034. Below are 21 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
Every occupation in the SOC computer and mathematical group, which is where BLS files tech roles from software developer to data scientist, ranked by national median wage.
- Careers on this list
- 21
- Median pay on the list
- $105,650
- Projected to grow
- 16 of 21
- Openings a year
- 355,400
From 923 in the bank
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Combined, BLS EP
How we built this list
- Included when the occupation sits in the "computer and mathematical" SOC major group (15-0000), which is where BLS files software, data, security, networking and actuarial/statistical work.
- Hardware engineering sits under architecture and engineering in the SOC scheme, so it appears on the engineering list rather than this one.
- Ranked by national median annual wage from BLS OEWS.
- BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The top 21 highest-paying jobs in technology
1. Computer and Information Research Scientist
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $140,300
- Growth
- +19.7%
- Openings/yr
- 3,200
- Education
- Master's
Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
2. Database Architect
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $139,500
- Growth
- +8.7%
- Openings/yr
- 4,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Design strategies for enterprise databases, data warehouse systems, and multidimensional networks.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
3. Software Developer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $135,980
- Growth
- +15.8%
- Openings/yr
- 115,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
Software Developer salary & outlook →4. Computer Network Architect
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $134,050
- Growth
- +11.9%
- Openings/yr
- 11,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks.
Computer Network Architect salary & outlook →5. Actuary
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $130,000
- Growth
- +21.8%
- Openings/yr
- 2,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Analyze statistical data, such as mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates and construct probability tables to forecast risk and liability for payment of future benefits.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
6. Information Security Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $129,180
- Growth
- +28.5%
- Openings/yr
- 16,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information.
Information Security Analyst salary & outlook →7. Mathematician
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $126,710
- Growth
- -0.7%
- Openings/yr
- 100
- Education
- Master's
Conduct research in fundamental mathematics or in application of mathematical techniques to science, management, and other fields.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
8. Data Scientist
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $120,230
- Growth
- +33.5%
- Openings/yr
- 23,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software.
Data Scientist salary & outlook →9. Web Administrator
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $116,580
- Growth
- +8.2%
- Openings/yr
- 31,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Manage web environment design, deployment, development and maintenance activities.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
10. Computer Systems Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $105,850
- Growth
- +8.7%
- Openings/yr
- 34,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Analyze science, engineering, business, and other data processing problems to develop and implement solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns.
Computer Systems Analyst salary & outlook →11. Statistician
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $105,650
- Growth
- +8.5%
- Openings/yr
- 2,000
- Education
- Master's
Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
12. Database Administrator
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $104,620
- Growth
- -0.7%
- Openings/yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
13. QA Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $104,300
- Growth
- +10.0%
- Openings/yr
- 14,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes.
QA Analyst salary & outlook →14. Web Designer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $104,000
- Growth
- +7.0%
- Openings/yr
- 9,100
- Education
- Bachelor's
Design digital user interfaces or websites.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
15. Computer Programmer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $100,390
- Growth
- -6.0%
- Openings/yr
- 5,500
- Education
- Bachelor's
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
16. Network and Computer Systems Administrator
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $99,130
- Growth
- -4.2%
- Openings/yr
- 14,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Install, configure, and maintain an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers.
Network and Computer Systems Administrator salary & outlook →17. Web Developer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $92,650
- Growth
- +7.5%
- Openings/yr
- 5,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Develop and implement websites, web applications, application databases, and interactive web interfaces.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
18. Operations Research Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $88,940
- Growth
- +21.5%
- Openings/yr
- 9,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
Formulate and apply mathematical modeling and other optimizing methods to develop and interpret information that assists management with decisionmaking, policy formulation, or other managerial functions.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
19. Bioinformatics Technician
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $81,490
- Growth
- +4.0%
- Openings/yr
- 300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Apply principles and methods of bioinformatics to assist scientists in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and med…
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
20. Computer Network Support Specialist
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $76,220
- Growth
- +1.8%
- Openings/yr
- 9,600
- Education
- Associate's
Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers, and other data communications networks.
Computer Network Support Specialist salary & outlook →21. Computer User Support Specialist
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $61,860
- Growth
- -3.7%
- Openings/yr
- 40,800
- Education
- Some college
Provide technical assistance to computer users.
Computer User Support Specialist salary & outlook →
Highest-Paying Jobs in Technology: FAQ
What is the top career on the highest-paying jobs in technology list?
Computer and Information Research Scientist leads the list with a median wage of $140,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +19.7% over 2024–2034. Typical entry-level education is master's.
How was this list put together?
Every occupation in the SOC computer and mathematical group, which is where BLS files tech roles from software developer to data scientist, ranked by national median wage. Included when the occupation sits in the "computer and mathematical" SOC major group (15-0000), which is where BLS files software, data, security, networking and actuarial/statistical work. Hardware engineering sits under architecture and engineering in the SOC scheme, so it appears on the engineering list rather than this one. Ranked by national median annual wage from BLS OEWS. BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET 30.3 Database.
How much do highest-paying jobs in technology pay?
Across the 21 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $105,650 a year, from $61,860 at the bottom to $140,300 at the top (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.
How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?
1 of the 21 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034).