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.

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.

ITCareerFinder analyzes the latest data on tech salaries, employment, cost of living and quality of life to uncover the best cities for IT professionals to call home.

Many of the best computer jobs can now be done remotely, but plenty of tech roles still come with a commute. And even if you work from home, where you live shapes what you earn, what you spend and how much you enjoy life after hours. This study compares 74 U.S. metro areas with at least 10,000 computer and math jobs to find the best places to live in or relocate to as an IT professional.

To rank the best cities for tech jobs, we weighed what tech pros actually take home after local prices, how many tech jobs each metro offers and how concentrated they are, and quality of life, because after all, once the 9-to-5 is over you still have to live there.

Jump down to the bottom of the page for the ranking methodology and source list, or read on for this year's top 10 cities for IT professionals.

An increase in high-profile cyber security breaches is driving new and emerging opportunities in the IT job market. This article presents a look at noteworthy attacks and the in-demand skills and cyber security job roles employers must fill to combat future threats.

Despite recent advancements in cyber security infrastructure and technologies, the frequency and severity of high-profile attacks is on the rise. A January 2013 attack on the U.S. Energy Department is the latest in a string of malicious technological assaults targeting The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and social media giant Twitter. During the last several years, governments and corporations alike have seen critical digital defenses circumvented by sport-hackers, political dissidents and technologically-inclined malcontents. These attacks and thousands of others have reinforced the demand for a competent cadre of next-generation IT security specialists.

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.

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.

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.

The Internet boasts a wealth of free computer training for those who know where to look. Here are some of the best free online courses available right now.

This article will be updated continually with the latest and greatest schools and courses.

Rankings are unbiased; ITCareerFinder receives no compensation to be featured in the best free online courses.

Nonprofit organizations, technology companies, and educational institutions provide free computer courses across all IT subjects and skill levels. Some do this to expose more people to their software or hardware, while others strive to make top-notch education more accessible. Regardless of the training provider’s mission, self-motivated learners can capitalize on this massive cache of free online computer training to grow their skill set, earn certifications to validate their expertise to prospective employers, and gain exposure to new IT careers.

To compile our list of the best free computer courses, we looked at numerous factors, including relevance of curriculum, ease of accessibility, course quality, and provider reputation. We also endeavored to represent the top training options across multiple categories and skill levels.

In no particular order, here are our favorite online training providers and their best free computing courses: