IT Career Juice Blog

AI is changing the IT job market, but it isn't replacing core technical skills. Employers still need people to secure systems, build software, run infrastructure, work with data, and fix what breaks.

Demand for IT skills is shifting, not shrinking. In August 2026, tech companies cut about 14,700 jobs, yet employment in tech occupations across the wider economy grew by 86,000. More IT hiring is happening outside the tech industry, and employers still had nearly 600,000 active tech job postings, according to a September 2026 CompTIA analysis.

The long-term outlook for technology jobs is strong. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 280,000 openings per year in computer and IT positions through 2035, and the group's median wage of $109,470 is more than double that of all U.S. occupations. On the skills side, the World Economic Forum ranks AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy as the three fastest-growing skill areas through 2030.

The skills highlighted below aren't predictions about next year's hottest tools. They're the areas most likely to stay valuable as IT jobs keep changing.

Updated by Daniel Greenspan

The average cost of college is now $38,270 per year, or about $153,000 over the 4-year degree. While money isn’t everything when choosing a career, you certainly want to invest in a program that increases your chances of landing a high-paying job after graduation and achieving long-term success.

For many students, a degree in information technology or computing is a solid bet. Our analysis of U.S. Census data found that bachelor’s degree holders in computer engineering and computer science earn some of the highest salaries among technology majors, followed by information science, computer information systems, and networking.

Computer and information technology careers pay a significant premium over most jobs. The median annual wage for computer and IT occupations reached $109,470 in 2025, compared with $50,980 for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Read on for the top-paying bachelor’s degrees that can help you land your dream job in IT.

The computer and technology job market is changing fast. Artificial intelligence is creating new jobs and specialties, even while it automates others. At the same time, tech hiring has become more competitive, especially for those breaking into the field. This guide identifies the computer jobs with the best future prospects, along with the trends shaping demand and the likely impact of AI.

For this ranking, we looked at the latest 2025-2035 employment projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), annual job openings, median pay, current hiring conditions, and the long-term outlook of each career.

AI received special attention in our 2026 update. The new BLS AI exposure categories reinforce that being more affected by AI doesn’t automatically mean job losses. AI can replace some tasks while making workers more productive and creating new jobs.

In Fortinet's 2025 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report, 89% of IT decision-makers said they prefer to hire candidates with certifications. The biggest reasons given were that certs validate cybersecurity knowledge (67%), show that skills are current (61%), and indicate familiarity with key vendor tools (56%). But the pay that comes with each certification varies widely: for the top 10 security certs below, average U.S. salaries range from $102,333 for CompTIA Security+ to $203,597 for AWS Certified Security - Specialty.

We ranked every certification on the same salary data to keep things consistent. Each entry also covers the exam cost, the experience you'll want before testing, and where the cert fits in a cybersecurity career.

How we ranked them: Salaries are U.S. averages reported by certification holders in Skillsoft's latest IT Skills and Salary Survey (2,217 respondents). Job-posting demand comes from CyberSeek and exam costs from the certifying bodies. Keep in mind that salaries reflect holders' experience and positions, not the certification alone; the typical CISSP holder in the survey was 44, and most were managers.

Explore the benefits of pursuing an IT degree with certifications and determine which tech credentials align with your education and career goals.

The debate over formal education versus IT certifications has been raging for decades. One compelling solution to this conundrum is earning an IT degree that includes industry-recognized certifications. This rapidly popularizing approach offers the best of both worlds, blending the deep theoretical knowledge of a college education with the contemporary real-world skills of IT certification.

In this post, I will outline the benefits of pursuing an information technology degree with certifications and highlight which IT credentials you should look for in an accredited degree program.

Find out what you can do with a degree in information technology.

Considering an IT degree or about to frame that hard-earned diploma? With proper motivation and a well-structured learning plan, the career potential for information technology graduates is boundless.

This article will explore some of the most sought-after jobs you can pursue with an IT degree. We'll also look at how much you can earn upon graduation and which training and degree programs can help you get there.

Compare the top-ranked historically black colleges and universities for computer science.

Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) provide high-quality, affordable education to African American students. Within the fast-growing and lucrative field of computer science, certain HBCUs stand out not just for their academic excellence but through impactful partnerships, groundbreaking research opportunities, and a steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion. This article will highlight the HBCUs with the best computer science programs.

We selected the best historically black colleges and universities for computer science based on numerous factors, including the relevance of the curriculum to the needs of the CS workforce, industry partnerships, school reputation, faculty expertise, program features, institutional statistics, affordability, and overall value.

A guide to the most valuable CompTIA certifications, broken down by IT career path.

This article will be updated annually with the best CompTIA certifications.

CompTIA certifications have long been a staple for IT professionals looking to solidify their skills and advance their careers. Their global recognition, career-focused subject matter, vendor-neutrality, and respect among employers and workers make them the first choice for many in the field.

But which CompTIA certification(s) should you pursue?

This guide will provide an overview of today’s best CompTIA certifications, organized by IT career path and skill level, to help you decide which credentials are right for you.