Online Degrees in Computer Technology

The electronics and computer technology industry is characterized by significant development activity and rapid technological change. The technological revolutions taking place in computers, semiconductors, and telecommunications will provide thousands of new employment and advancement opportunities for skilled professionals. 

Every company requires a growing number of individuals that are knowledgeable when it comes to working with a variety of technological devices for communications, operations, and security needs of the company. These professionals are needed in order to keep the world going, because nothing is worse than when a device is needed and it fails.

Careers in Computer Technology

Salary and job growth potential are excellent reasons to consider computer technology. According the the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of computer technology professionals is expected to increase in the next ten years. These professionals work in a variety of different environments including professional offices, small businesses, government organizations, and large corporations. Entry-level professionals typically work behind the scenes, but after gaining experience and expertise, often advance to more senior-level work.

Computer Technology Salary Guide

As with any degree, salaries vary by industry, location and experience. If you’re interested in studying Computer Technology, however, it’s helpful to know some broad figures and statistics related to each specialty to help you plan for your future:

Computer Support Specialists

Computer support specialists held about 565,700 jobs in 2008. Although they worked in a varying industries, about 18 percent were employed in computer systems design and related service industries. Employment of these professionals is expected to increase by 14 percent in the next ten years, which is faster than the average for all occupations.

Job prospects are expected to be good; those who possess a bachelor’s degree, relevant technical and communication skills, and previous work experience should have even better opportunities than applicants with an associate degree or professional certification.

Median annual wages of wage-and-salary computer support specialists were $49,930 in May 2010. The middle 50 percent earned between $35,860 and $60,020. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,300 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $76,970. Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of computer support specialists in May 2010 were as follows:

For more details and geographic statistics you can view the Occupational and Employment Wages related to Computer Support Specialists by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Computer Programming

Computer programmers held about 426,700 jobs in 2008. Although computer programmers can be found in a wide range of industries about 32 percent were employed in computer systems design and related services. Many also worked for software publishers, manufacturers of computers and related equipment, financial institutions, and insurance providers. About 10 percent of computer programmers were self-employed in 2008. Due to widespread offshoring, programmers will have to keep abreast of changing programming languages and techniques to fill the openings of workers who leave the labor force or transfer to other occupations.

Median annual wages of wage-and-salary computer programmers were $74,900 in May 2010. The middle 50 percent earned between $53,940 and $71,380. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,820 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $114.180. Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of computer support specialists in May 2010 were as follows:

For more details and geographic statistics you can view the most recent Occupational and Employment Wages related to Computer Programmers by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Computer Systems Analysts

Computer systems analysts held about 532,200 jobs in 2008. Industry employment was widespread, but 24 percent of these workers were in the computer systems design and related services industry. Computer systems analysts also were employed by governments, insurance companies, financial institutions and business management firms. About 30,300 computer systems analysts were self-employed in 2008. Employment of computer systems analysts is expected to grow by 20 percent in the next 10 years. Demand for these workers will increase as organizations continue to adopt and integrate increasingly sophisticated technologies and as the need for information security grows. As with other technology jobs, growth may be tempered by offshoring but systems analysts are less likely to be offshored than other IT occupations.

Median annual wages of wage-and-salary computer programmers were $81,250 in May 2010. The middle 50 percent earned between $61,050 and $97,320. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $48,360 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $119,070. Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of computer support specialists in May 2010 were as follows:

For more details and geographic statistics you can view the most recent Occupational and Employment Wages related to Computer Systems Analysts by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Computer Service and Repair

Computer repair specialists can work for companies, government agencies, college and universities or be self-employed. Computer repair specialists can acquire certifications for working on various types of equipment and software, increasing their salary earning potential. Technicians with the most experience earn the highest salaries in this field.

Payscale.com offers the best information and statistics as of June 2011 related to computer service and repair jobs. Median hourly wages for a computer repair technician are $14.95 with $8.45 the lowest and $21.45 the highest. Computer repair technicians also often receive compensation from overtime hours, bonuses and commissions. Figuring in those additional factors, the median total pay is $34,227 with the lowest $18,470 and the highest $49,984.

Following is a list of the most popular employers and their hourly rates, followed by the most popular industries and their hourly rates:

For more information related to hourly pay and salary estimates along with additional geographic information, you can visit PayScale.com and view information related to Computer Repair Technicians, or the Bureau of Labor Statistics and view information related to Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers.