If you’ve ever wanted to land a high-paying tech job, now is the time. The tech industry is going through a major evolution period, with AI and information processing technologies projected to create 11 million jobs globally by 2030, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2025.
This is mainly being driven by 60% of businesses that are expected to broaden their digital access in that time. As businesses ramp up their efforts, employees are the ones behind the scenes making it happen.
Some of the top-paying tech jobs powering the industry include software engineering managers, product managers, machine learning engineers, and network and cybersecurity engineers. We found some of these jobs paying as much as $900,000 (total compensation) in our Salary Database!
Let’s dive into the data.
Key points:
- The fastest-growing top-paying tech jobs are machine learning engineers and data scientists, both of which have a job growth rate of over 30% over the next 5 years.
- There are a variety of ways to break into tech, even if you don’t have a traditional 4-year degree.
- Some of the top tech companies that often hire for these positions include Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Cisco, Meta, Amazon, and Google.
- Browse thousands of more publicly shared salaries on our Salary Database.
12 Highest-Paying Tech Jobs in 2025
We’ve identified these top-paying tech jobs using salary data from the past 3+ years of interviews, data we’ve collected in our Salary Database, and job data from the U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Keep in mind that our Salary Database currently doesn’t have a way to distinguish between base pay and total compensation. Our salary data may also include other compensation, such as bonuses, commissions, stock options, equity, or other forms of pay in addition to their yearly salary.
You can find more salary data by searching for any of the below positions in our Salary Database. Don’t forget to join and add your salary too!
1. Software Engineering Manager
Median salary: $169,510 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $900,000 per year (total compensation) at Meta
Software engineering managers lead and support a team of software engineers while overseeing the development and delivery of a company’s software projects. A few of their daily duties include roadmap planning with stakeholders, representing their engineering team in business meetings, and negotiating ownership and workstreams with other teams and managers.
Software engineering managers tend to have more technical expertise than general managers and many spend time as a software engineer before moving over to management. This is especially true for companies like IBM, Meta, and Microsoft, which have a high demand for software engineering managers with a technical background.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 17%
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree
2. Technical Product Manager
Median salary: $156,580 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $750,000 (total compensation) per year at Bloomberg
Technical product managers ensure a product aligns with user needs, technical feasibility, and business goals. For example, a technical product manager at a fintech company may work with stakeholders to define and build a new mobile payment feature, while also making sure it meets security and compliance standards.
It’s a lot of responsibility to be weighing on someone’s shoulders, which is why the position pays so well. We interviewed a data science product manager who works in govtech and makes $165,000 a year after consulting for 8 years.
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Technical product managers may use tools like Jira or Azure DevOps for project management, SQL for data analysis, and Confluence for documentation. Companies that have a high demand for technical product managers, such as Amazon and TikTok, may also require some experience with APIs and programming languages like Python.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 8%
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree
3. Computer and Information Research Scientist
Median salary: $145,080 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $150,000 per year
Computer and information research scientists perform research and work to solve complex problems in areas like AI, data science, and cybersecurity. A few of their duties may include designing and training machine learning models, working to develop new algorithms, and publishing their findings. For example, an AI research scientist may design and train machine learning models, such as those used within natural language processing (NLP) for tasks like text classification and language translation.
This role may fall under a few different job titles, including AI research scientist, AI research engineer, and research and development (R&D) engineer. Companies that often hire for these positions are Meta and Oracle.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 26%
Education needed: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
4. Machine Learning Engineer
Median salary: $145,080 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $140,000 per year
Machine learning is used in almost every application we use daily, and machine learning engineers are the professionals behind the code, making our everyday online experience come to life. They leverage frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch to build and deploy machine learning models, such as those used in Spotify for personalized playlists and Apple Maps for route optimization.
With a projected 80% job growth over the next 5 years, it’s one of the highest-paying jobs of the future. Companies like Apple, Spotify, and Google, and many other big tech companies have an increasing demand for machine learning engineers and are constantly hiring for these positions.
Job outlook (2025-2030): 80% (taken from the Future of Jobs Report)
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree
5. Software Engineer
Median salary: $130,160 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $450,000 per year (total compensation) per year at Block
Software engineers work with a variety of tools and programming languages to develop and support software and mobile applications. A few programming languages software engineers need to know include Python, Java, Javascript, C++, and SQL for building applications and managing databases - all of which are high-income skills can be used in a variety of areas across tech, not just software engineering.
They also use tools like Git for version control and integrated development environments (IDEs) like Visual Studio Code for development. Companies that have a high demand for software engineers due to their constant software updates and initiatives include Mastercard, Uber, and Chewy.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 17%
Education needed: Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, but some jobs may accept certifications or experience in place of a traditional degree. We interviewed a software engineer who makes $250,000 a year without a degree or any certifications. They started out at a call center, then moved up from there.
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6. Network Engineer or Cloud Engineer
Median salary: $129,840 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $130,000 per year
Network and cloud engineers ensure reliable connectivity by designing and maintaining physical and virtual networks. While cloud engineers focus on cloud-based infrastructure, network engineers may focus on on-premises and hybrid infrastructure, but may also focus on cloud infrastructure as a part of their duties. They typically work with networking tools like VMware and cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure.
Network and cloud engineer roles can also fall under alternative job titles, such as cloud network engineer and network architect. Companies like Microsoft and Intel have an increasing demand for network and cloud engineers and are often hiring for these positions, which offer great pay and the option for remote work in some cases.
We interviewed a cloud engineer couple who work remotely and make $120,000 a year each after 7 years of experience.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 13%
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree
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7. Information Security or Cybersecurity Engineer
Median salary: $120,360 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $760,000 per year
Information security engineers and cybersecurity engineers are another case in the tech industry where two different job titles do the same thing. Their main role is to design and implement security measures to protect an organization’s systems, network, and data.
In order to do their job, they may use security monitoring tools like Splunk and vulnerability scanning tools like Nessus. With a projected job growth of 33%, top tech companies like Cisco and T-Mobile are often hiring for these positions. It’s also one of the highest-paying government jobs due to the demand to improve cybersecurity across government agencies.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 33%
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree. We interviewed a cybersecurity analyst that makes $150,000 a year and says certifications are huge to get into the role, but a degree and certification will help you stand out.
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8. Database Administrator
Median salary: $117,450 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $115,000 per year
Database administrators (DBAs) manage and support databases for companies and organizations, including government offices and agencies. They work with different types of databases, including MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and MongoDB, and languages such as SQL for querying and Python or Shell scripting for automating database management tasks.
For example, a DBA at a retail company may manage the customer database and optimize SQL queries to speed up product searches, while also ensuring the database can handle peak shopping seasons like Black Friday.
Companies that often hire database administrators are Spectrum, Oracle, and Lumen.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 9%
Education needed: Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, but some companies may accept database-specific certifications and experience in place of a traditional degree.
9. Data Scientist
Median salary: $108,020 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $260,000 per year
Data scientists solve complex business problems through cleaning and analyzing large datasets, extracting insights, and building predictive machine-learning models. They may use programming languages like R for statistical analysis and data visualization, and machine learning and data manipulation tools like Pandas.
Even though a Bachelor’s degree in a technical field is typically required, we interviewed a data scientist with a business degree who makes $110,000 a year after breaking into data science with a boot camp.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 36%
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree
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10. Web Developer or Engineer
Median salary: $105,950 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $165,000 per year
Web developers and engineers build websites using front-end languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript, and back-end systems like servers and databases. They’re responsible for making sure the finished product is not only functional but is also user-friendly and visually appealing.
We interviewed a web developer who makes $175,000 a year after 5 years of experience who states that sometimes you might spend hours on debugging something in the code. You’ll need to love coding to love web development.
Companies that often hire web developers and engineers include Adobe and Amazon.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 8%
Education needed: Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, but some jobs may accept certifications or experience in place of a traditional degree.
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11. Systems Engineer or Administrator
Median salary: $104,070 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $260,000 per year
System engineers design and implement systems at companies, while system administrators support the systems and make sure they’re functioning per the organization’s needs. Even though the roles are slightly different, many jobs in this area include an overlap of skills and duties, as covered in our highest-paying trade jobs article. Systems engineers may also fulfill the role of administrators and vice versa.
Both of these roles require knowledge of different operating systems, such as Linux/Unix, Windows, and macOS. Tools they often use in their role include VMware for managing virtual machines and scripting languages like PowerShell for automation in Windows environments.
Companies that have a high demand for system engineers and administrators and often hire for those roles include AT&T and Boeing.
Job outlook (up to 2033): -3%
Education needed: Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, but some jobs may accept certifications or experience in place of a traditional degree. We interviewed a systems administrator who makes $93,000 a year and has an Associate’s degree but didn’t have that degree when they started. Their job offered tuition reimbursement and supported his decision to get a degree.
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12. Quality Assurance (QA) Tester
Median salary: $101,800 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $154,000 per year
A QA tester is someone who tests software and websites to make sure they meet functional requirements and are defect-free. They assure the quality of the software they’re testing and that it behaves the way it’s expected to, even during any type of input or user activity.
QA testers may use scripting languages like Python and Java to automate testing, and use performance testing tools like JMeter. Companies that often hire QA testers include Meta and Cognizant.
Job outlook (up to 2033): 12%
Education needed: Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, but some jobs may accept certifications or experience in place of a traditional degree.
How to Land a Top-Paying Job in Tech
There are many different routes to take when trying to get your foot in the door in the tech industry. Many jobs require a traditional Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree but also accept experience, certifications, and other online learning.
A few of the tech professionals we interviewed expressed their different routes of learning, from different degrees to boot camps and being self-taught. There are courses available on LinkedIn Learning, Google, and even through companies like IBM that may help you get started.
When you’re still getting your degree or trying to find other ways to break into tech, put together a portfolio of your project work from courses and personal projects, specifically on GitHub (this is standard in the tech world). Also, look for ways to get into an entry-level tech job that doesn’t require a degree to build experience, such as working in a call center or doing low-level technical support.
Don’t forget to browse our other resources as you navigate your career, including finding your market rate, interview questions and answers to prepare for, salary negotiation scripts and myths, how to ask for a raise, guides to the highest-paying jobs without a college degree, and more!
That wraps it up for this week. Until next time, stay awesome, stay strong, and keep advocating for yourself no matter what! I’m Daniella, a writer, engineer, and creator of I Like to Dabble and Remote Work Bestie - my blog and podcast for leveling up your money, career, and side hustles. I’m extremely passionate about workers' rights and financial freedom, so it’s a pleasure to be able to bring you this type of content through the Salary Transparent Street blog (thank you for the opportunity, Hannah!) You can also follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Linkedin, and Twitter. Chat soon!
If this guide helps you land a higher-paying job, let us know! Send us an email ➡️ hello@salarytransparentstreet.com
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