Changing careers is difficult, and sometimes people put it off because they don’t know where to start. But the first step should always be to understand why you want to make a career change.
When you know why you will be able to research career options that will give you what you want. And if you are looking for new professions with higher salaries, these are the tech careers with the highest salaries. The information was taken from Glassdoor.
Quality Assurance Engineers
As the name suggests, quality assurance engineers ensure the end product meets all the required standards. By “product,” we mean anything, from software and applications to machines. If the product is software or applications, the QA engineer has the task of reviewing all the code to ensure it meets the company’s quality standards
QA engineers also are on top of every part of the developing process. They have to be able to catch bugs before the deadline. Generally, QA engineers or analysts are software developers or computer scientists with years of experience in the industry. So much so that they can debug code in their sleep. To become a quality assurance engineer, you can enroll in a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software engineering.
A much faster route would be to enroll in a coding bootcamp to become a software engineer and start earning experience in the QA field. The average wage for a quality assurance engineer is $70k.
Sales Representative
Sales representatives are professionals that promote and showcase products. The difference with other sales experts is that they sell the product to companies, organizations, or government agencies instead of to consumers. They must be experts on the products they promote.
Sales representatives must be able to answer any question the clients have, negotiate prices, and understand how to make a successful sale. They have plenty of job opportunities in many industries. For example, sales representatives in the tech industry have to know more than the average person about software, devices, programs, and applications to explain them to potential customers.
If you are interested in this field, there are tech sales bootcamps where you will learn everything you need to be a sales engineer. Plus, some offer free courses if you later find a job with a partnered company. Sales workers have an average salary of $82K, and that can reach over $150k with commissions.
UX/UI Designer
The user interface (UI) is what you see on the screen. UI designers create what you see on the screen when you use your computer, smartphone, or any other device. On the other hand, the user experience (UX) designers are the ones that create a smooth and intuitive interface that goes beyond how it looks. Part of the UX designer’s tasks is to create the user interface, but it includes other things too.
For example, UX designers are experts on understanding what the user wants and expect on an interface. And they design features that will make the user experience better. If you’ve always been interested in design and feel like creativity is one of your strengths, then this may be the right career choice for you. The average salary is $85K per year.
You can become a UX designer with a coding bootcamp too. One of the options is Springboard’s UI/UX design bootcamp, where you’ll learn, among other things, design thinking, user research, sketching, and wireframing. You can also choose to take the UX design only track, and they offer different financing solutions if you can’t pay in cash.
Software Developer
Software developers create, deploy, and maintain the platforms that we use in our devices and computers. It can be an operating system, application, program, or even a website. They also can create frameworks and architectures for systems and enterprises.
This tech profession is one of the few that has a wide range of options regarding specialization. You can even become a blockchain developer later on if it is an area you are interested in. Software developers are in high demand right now, and you will have plenty of job opportunities to choose from.
You can become a software developer or engineer with a coding bootcamp in a few months. It is cheaper than a bachelor’s degree, and it gives you the opportunity to make connections in the industry with great experienced mentors.
Software developers have an average salary of $77K, but that can vary significantly depending on the company. Entry-level software developers working at Google make a base salary of $120K. And that’s not counting all the incredible perks and benefits like stocks and offices with nap rooms.
Product Manager
Product managers oversee the development of a product, from the early stages of brainstorming ideas to the delivery of the product. They are experts on implementing strategies, planning roadmaps, and understanding market research to determine what the customer wants.
You can become a product manager with a course from the Product School. They have an excellent curriculum, and you will have instructors that work at tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Netflix. They offer three levels of certifications, and you can choose the paths that better fit what you want. The average wage of a product manager is $108K.
In Summary
The tech industry is an excellent option for career changers because you don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree. The careers with the highest salaries are QA engineers ($70,000), sales representatives ($82,000), UX designer ($85,000), software developers ($77,000), and product managers ($108,000). Choose the career that better fits your current skills and strengths.