Keep an eye out for these top tech careers in 2023

Considering a career change in 2023? We’ve researched the top tech career paths to consider if you’re looking to earn a higher salary or work in a cutting-edge field. We also share the best regions to work around the world where wages are high and there are a low number of applicants per job posting, so you have more bargaining power.

Nearly every industry needs cybersecurity professionals, and yet there are not enough to go around. In January 2023, there were more than 750,000 cybersecurity-rated job postings open across the United States, with only only enough professionals to fill 68% of these roles. So it’s no surprise IT Security Professionals were the most in demand role for corporate tech initiatives in 2022, according to Gartner. In Pluralsight’s State of Upskilling 2022, tech professionals said the top skills gap was cybersecurity, beating out cloud computing as the number one gap for the first time in 2022.

However, cybersecurity makes the list because it’s not only a growing, high-demand field, but a unique one. No two days are exactly the same, and it’s possible to enter it from various professions, not just through a degree. 

If you’re a passionate person who loves continuous learning and can handle nail-biting situations, look into cybersecurity roles and training opportunities.

These are the highest paying cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. as per January 2023, using the national average salary.

*All pricing has been provided in USD to allow for the cross-comparing of salaries regardless of region.

New York and Washington DC have high salary costs for cyber security professionals ($175k) and a very low number of applicants per position — approximately one per job posting! This is despite there being a sizable local talent pool (Over 9k professionals in New York, and twice that in Washington DC).

Melbourne and Sydney both have a lot of talented cyber security specialists, but they offer high salaries ($102k), and there are a low number of applicants per position. Melbourne in particular was ranked #10 in the world’s most liveable cities, according to the Global Liveability Index 2022.

Other locations with decent wages and a low number of applicants include Paris, Toronto, and London. Tokyo has a high annual salary range for cyber security ($103k) but a larger number of applicants per role compared to other global hubs.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are blowing up in a big way. According to Gartner, it was the second-most in demand skill in 2022 in terms of job openings, with a 14.3% increase in U.S. job demand. The global AI software market is estimated to grow at approximately 54% every year.

However, much like cybersecurity, it’s notoriously difficult to hire someone for an AI/ML job, despite these roles offering some of the largest market salaries in tech. 

If you’re the kind of person who loves to innovate, problem solve, and can think outside of the box, this might be your perfect new career in 2023.

These are the highest paying AI/ML jobs in the U.S. as per January 2023, using the national average salary.

*All pricing has been provided in USD to allow for the cross-comparing of salaries regardless of region.

San Jose, San Francisco, and Washington DC have some of the highest salaries for AI/ML engineers (approximately $180k to $213k). And yet, the number of people who apply per job is extremely low, despite the wages on offer. This makes these cities the perfect places to secure an AI/ML job.

Shanghai and Beijing also have a low number of applicants per AI/ML job (six applicants per job posting), despite moderate levels of talent supply and decent salaries. Shenzhen and New Taipei City have decent salary ranges for the region, and a low number of applicants per job despite a high local talent pool.

Did you know while 75% of organizations are building new products and features in the cloud by default, only 8% of technologists claim extensive experience with cloud-related tools? In-depth cloud knowledge is very rare, which means cloud specialists are in high demand (and in a prime position to ask for great remuneration). 

It’s also possible to become a self-taught cloud specialist. For example, Winston Smith moved from phone sales to being a cloud architect for AWS in 14 months, boosting his salary by a magnitude of six. He’s not alone in his story, showing the path to tech, especially with a cloud specialization, is not always paved.

If you’re a curious, solutions-focused person with a passion for continuous learning, then working as a cloud specialist could be right up your alley.

These are the highest paying cloud jobs in the U.S. as per January 2023, using the national average salary. Note that cloud certifications can make a big difference to pay in this field - 80% of people say their higher salaries were a direct result of cloud computing certifications, according to ACG’s State of Cloud report.

*All pricing has been provided in USD to allow for the cross-comparing of salaries regardless of region.

Cities like Tokyo and Washington DC have a high talent supply and offer large salaries for cloud engineers (averaging $99.2k and $131k, respectively). However, in Tokyo there are a larger number of applicants per role (ten per job) than Washington DC (three per job). 

Melbourne, Australia is emerging as a powerful hub for cloud engineers. There are high salary costs for the APAC region ($78.5k) and a low number of applicants per job, suggesting significant business competition for great talent. 

London also has a low number of applicants per job and a decent EMEA salary range ($108k).

It’s a mistake to think the field of technology is about technology; It’s actually about solutions. The people who design, describe, and manage these solutions are invaluable to a business. This value is directly reflected in the high salaries on offer for solutions architect roles. Much like being a cloud specialist, there is no single path to becoming a solutions architect. 

If you’re a creative, analytical person who can explain a problem or solution in both a technical and non-technical way, then solutions architecture might be for you.

These are the highest paying Solutions Architect jobs in the U.S. as per January 2023, using the national average salary.

*All pricing has been provided in USD to allow for the cross-comparing of salaries regardless of region.

New York and Washington DC have a low number of applicants per role but regionally high salary offerings (averaging $217k and $210k, respectively). Other cities with a regionally high salary / low applicant ratio are Dallas ($203k), London ($174k), Toronto ($123k), and Sydney ($125k).

Organizations use a lot of data in 2023, and that’s only on the rise. Employment of data scientists is projected to grow 36% from 2021 to 2031, and according to Gartner’s IT Skills Roadmap, data engineering and data science are some of the most in-demand skills for tech professionals. (The wages are pretty great as well, as shown below.)

If you’re an analytical person who loves working with data and statistics, and loves finding patterns, then data science and analysis might be your calling.

These are the highest paying Data Science & Analysis jobs in the U.S. as per January 2023, using the national average salary.

*All pricing has been provided in USD to allow for the cross-comparing of salaries regardless of region.

Washington DC, New York, and San Francisco have high wage offerings for data science roles compared to other U.S. population centers (between $146k to 171k), and a very low number of applicants per role, sometimes only one applicant per position.

London and Munich have a low number of applicants per data science role but regionally high salaries for EMEA ($114k and $110k, respectively). Tokyo offers similar conditions for the APAC region ($84k).

This article uses several data points including Indeed, Glassdoor, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, PayScale, ZipRecruiter, Gartner, and Talent.com. It’s important to note salaries may vary based on the level of experience of the applicant, the time of posting, and the specifics of the job posting. All pricing has been provided in USD to allow for the cross-comparing of salaries regardless of region.