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, hiring has become more competitive in certain tech careers, 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.

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.

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 new survey from Computerworld indicates the most in-demand IT skills for 2012.

Computerworld polled 353 IT executives about their technology and hiring plans for 2012 in its annual IT forecast survey. The results provide valuable insight into which IT skills and expertise are likely to be the most sought-after in 2012. Companies will make significant investments in their IT workforces to bolster business in the year ahead; nearly 29% of respondents plan to take on new IT staffers through Summer 2012 – a whopping 45% increase in IT hiring expectations over last year's poll. The survey also reveals that companies will seek to gain a competitive advantage through technological innovation, not just “keeping the lights on,” as they plan next year’s IT hiring.

Here are the top IT skills in demand for 2012:

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:

ITCareerFinder breaks down ten core and niche technology skills to boost your job prospects in 2025 (and beyond).

As it does each and every year, technology will evolve at a breakneck pace in 2025. To land the best tech jobs and stay competitive in this shifting market, IT professionals must develop a strategic mix of foundational and specialized computing skills.

This post will outline ten of the hottest IT skills for 2025 - featuring five emerging specialties and five core competencies - you can learn to capitalize on workforce trends. We’ll also highlight some real-world applications and examples of industries hiring for each skill set.

A quality college education isn't cheap - especially in a hot field like computer science - but deals abound if you know where to look. Here are some of our favorite affordable online CS degrees.

This article will be updated continually with the best cheap online computer science programs.

Some of today’s most lucrative IT careers are in fields like cloud computing, cyber security, software development, data analytics and artificial intelligence. While courses and certificates can help you get your foot in the door, the best jobs in these domains require at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. This article will highlight some of the best online CS degrees in these fields that won’t break the bank.

With the proliferation of online learning, obtaining a computer science degree has never been easier or more affordable. According to the latest data from the Education Data Initiative, the average tuition price for an online bachelor’s program is a whopping $51,091 before financial aid and scholarships are applied. We analyzed the field of accredited comp-sci degrees under this price - most of which came in at a far lower cost - and selected the most relevant, high-quality and economical programs to compile this list of the cheapest online bachelor’s in computer science.

ITCareerFinder analyzes salaries and hiring trends to uncover this year's best-paying cyber security roles.

Data breaches are becoming so ubiquitous that it’s easy to gloss over the headlines, but the fallout is much harder for companies to ignore -- hacks are not just embarrassing but can lead to serious financial and reputational damage. So, it’s not surprising that there’s high demand for IT security specialists, and that those who are up to the task are generously compensated. In fact, cyber security is the 3rd most highly sought-after skill set in 2023, and many companies report info-sec vacancies due to their inability to find qualified candidates.

Not only are these skills in peak demand, but cyber security is one of the highest-paying IT specialties, bringing in an average salary of $102,600 (more than double the $45,760 average for all occupations) according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. But not all cyber-sec jobs pay the same. A handful of positions stand above the rest, at least in terms of compensation.

Here are some of the highest paying cyber security careers for 2023: