Recently, we wrote about what IT professionals do, and we explored how to get a job in information technology without experience, and now we’re going to explain what jobs you can get after earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology.
Completing a B.S. in IT will prepare you for a variety of excellent jobs in the field, including a wide variety of technology-driven jobs in computers, programming, networking, and other IT tasks.
Whether you’re brand new to information technology, or you’ve already got some experience in the field and you simply lack the academic credentials needed to take the next step in your career, earning your B.S. in Information Technology is one of the best ways to set yourself up for long-term success.
Earning your degree in IT will provide you with the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities required to get your foot in the door with an entry-level role in the industry, so you can then establish yourself as a reliable and effective IT professional.
This post will introduce you to some of the most common jobs available to IT graduates, explaining what it’s like to work in these roles. We’ll also explain the typical responsibilities, projected job outlook, and typical salaries for each position as well.
Finally, we’ll introduce you to the reasons why you should consider studying information technology in the first place, why you should think about getting your degree online, and how to pick the right school should you decide to major in IT.
When you’ve finished reading this post, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about CSU Global’s 100% online Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, or if you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.
What is Information Technology?
Information technology is the field that studies, designs, develops, implements, supports, and manages computer-based information systems.
IT professionals are responsible for virtually every single task related to computers, from setting up computer systems to providing technical support, programming applications, designing and maintaining networks, and doing anything else that involves using a computer.
Computers are ubiquitous in the modern economy, and computers and the networks they run on are so vital to the success of nearly every organization. That’s why the demand for effective IT personnel has grown significantly in recent years, but it’s also projected to continue increasing at a rapid pace over the next decade.
In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for computer and information technology occupations will grow 15% by 2031, which is much faster than the rate of growth for all occupations.
If you’re interested in computers, and you want to turn that interest into a career, then you couldn’t pick a better major than information technology.
How To Get a Job in Information Technology
While the IT industry desperately needs effective professionals, it’s not necessarily an easy field to enter, as the nature of IT work is complicated, difficult, and critically important to get right.
Before you’re able to secure an IT position, you’ll almost certainly need to develop foundational knowledge of IT best practices, along with some specific skills that will be needed to serve as an effective IT professional, including:
- Analyzing technology problems and then defining the computer requirements needed to solve those problems.
- Applying technical concepts and best practices to problems related to human-computer interactions, information management, programming, networking, and web systems and technologies.
- Identifying and addressing user needs in computer-based systems.
- Learning to design, implement and evaluate computer-based systems, processes, components, and programs to meet specific goals and objectives.
Because of the technical nature of IT work, and the fact that it’s critical for organizational success, hiring managers looking to staff IT positions are likely to be extremely picky when choosing candidates for available roles.
Typically, this means that they’re only going to extend job offers to those individuals with experience in the field or the academic credentials and certifications to prove that they can handle the work they’re being asked to complete.
If you’re serious about securing employment as an IT professional, then you should expect that you’ll need to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology.
This is especially true for anyone who wants to land a good first job in the field, and getting a Bachelor’s Degree in IT is critically important if you don’t have any prior industry experience.
What Jobs Can You Get With an Information Technology Bachelor’s Degree?
After completing your Bachelor’s program in Information Technology, you’ll be ready to start working in the field at a variety of entry-level positions, completing important and interesting work.
Furthermore, you’ll have options for pursuing employment in a variety of different settings, including working for private or public corporations, at nonprofit organizations, or with a state or federal government agency, as nearly every organization in every industry needs the assistance of well-trained IT professionals.
To give you an idea of the types of roles you could acquire once you’ve completed your degree, graduates from our Bachelor’s Degree program in Information Technology, which include:
- Network Engineer
- IT Help Desk Specialist
- Systems Administrator
Let’s look at these specific roles in detail to get a better understanding of the types of career opportunities available to alumni from B.S. in IT programs.
Network Engineers
Network engineers are responsible for designing, planning, implementing, and monitoring computer networks.
As a professional network engineer, you may be asked to build an entire network from scratch, or you might simply need to manage, or improve, an existing network or series of networks, to increase network speed and reliability.
To land this position, you’ll certainly need to know how to design, build and maintain networks used to transfer different types of data, from traditional data to video or voice data, and you’ll also need to be capable of building different types of networks as well, including LANs (local area networks), GANs (global area networks), intranets, and extranets.
Besides, you should have the foundational knowledge and skills needed to test networks, manage their bandwidth, and design and manage a network properly so that it is capable of continuing to function, even during times of excessive network demand.
Network engineers are also often asked to acquire the computer components, network equipment, and other hardware needed to build or maintain a computer network, so training and expertise in hardware will be critical to achieving success in this field.
Finally, in this position, you’ll certainly be responsible for troubleshooting, diagnosing, and resolving problems, as well as designing and deploying new network solutions, which may require a great deal of creativity, depending on the needs of the network.
Because of the critical nature of this work and the complex duties that you’ll be tasked with completing, you’re almost certainly going to need academic credentials or industry experience in order to get hired as a network engineer, and you may even need to hold additional networking-specific certifications, including:
- CCIE (Cisco)
- CCNP (Cisco)
- Network+ (CompTIA)
- SolarWinds Certified Professional
- WCNA (Wireshark)
Fortunately, CSU Global’s B.S. in IT program was designed to provide you with useful information and experience that could help you prepare for a handful of different IT certifications.
The BLS does not report employment or salary data for the specific job title of Network Engineer, but PayScale reports that the average annual base salary for network engineers is $74,744.
IT Help Desk Specialists
IT help desk specialists are responsible for providing support to people who need assistance or advice for problems they’re having with computing tasks.
This is a complex role requiring a great deal of general knowledge about IT topics, especially common problems and issues related to the most popular computer programs, and it’s also a critical role for any organization hoping to keep their staff productive.
IT help desk specialists typically serve as the first point of contact for anyone needing assistance with a computer problem, and the nature of this work requires a deep knowledge of IT best practices and principles, investigative skills, and in many cases, a great deal of patience.
As an IT help desk specialist, you’re likely to need strong written and verbal communications skills, as you’ll almost certainly be responsible for working directly with the employees or the clients that you support, who you’ll need to speak with to uncover the nature of their problem, and to explain the solution that you’ve determined will help overcome their stated issue.
In this role, you should expect to be prepared for handling remote troubleshooting work, asking questions to understand the problems users are experiencing, and completing complex diagnostic techniques to review potential solutions for those users.
While the BLS doesn’t report data for the job title IT Help Desk Specialist, they do provide information for the role of Computer Support Specialists, along with median annual wages for two specific roles:
- Computer Network Support Specialists: $62,760 in 2021.
- Computer User Support Specialists: $49,770 in 2021.
BLS also reports a positive job outlook for these positions, with the employment of computer support specialists projected to grow 6% by 2031, which is much faster than the average rate of growth for all occupations.
If you’re interested in helping organizations remain productive by providing support to users who are experiencing computer problems, then this would be an excellent job to target after you’ve completed a degree in IT.
Systems Administrators
Systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of individual computers, including all of the components required to make a computer function properly.
It’s the systems administrator who is responsible for ensuring that employees have access to the software and hardware they need to get their jobs done, but as a systems administrator, you’re also likely to be responsible for handling routine, yet critical functions like data backup, data recovery, computer setup, and computer or even program-specific employee training.
You may also be asked to design organizational security protocols, and you may be responsible for training employees on following best practices used to protect the organization’s propriety data and other technology assets.
In this role, your daily job duties are likely to depend on the organization’s size, and if you choose to work for a smaller business, you may find yourself wearing many hats, whereas working for a larger organization may require specializing in only a very specific portion of the systems administrator duties, like handling requests related to a particular piece of equipment, or a specific program.
BLS reports that Network and Computer Systems Administrators earned an annual median wage of $80,600 in 2021 and that employment for this role is projected to grow 3% by 2031, which is nearly as fast as the average rate of growth for all occupations.
What Other Roles Are Available to IT Alumni?
The three jobs outlined above are just the most popular roles for graduates from our IT Bachelor’s program.
In reality, there are a whole host of other positions that you could pursue once you’ve earned your B.S. in IT, including:
- Web Developer
- Software Developer
- Operations Analyst
- Information Systems Manager
- Information Security Analyst
- Hardware Engineer
- Database Administrator
- Computer Systems Analyst
- Computer Network Architect
- Computer and Information Research Scientist
The knowledge, skills, and abilities you develop in an IT Bachelor’s program will ensure that you’re prepared to bring value to any of these roles from day one, increasing the chances that you’ll be able to establish a successful career in IT.
Is a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology Worth It?
Yes, getting your Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology is an excellent idea, as the skills, knowledge, and experience you receive throughout the course of your studies will help prepare you to become an effective IT professional.
This is also a great time to get into the industry, as demand for related roles remains high, and the BLS reports that employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 15% by 2031.
With technology changing so quickly and computers and IT systems being vital to everyday operations at nearly every organization, studying IT is a great way to get your foot in the door of a challenging, yet rewarding industry.
Simply put, completing a bachelor’s degree from an accredited IT program is one of the best ways to advance your career by improving your marketability for IT positions.
Can You Get an Accredited B.S. in Information Technology Online?
Yes, you can get a regionally accredited Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Information Technology online from CSU Global, an online University that is not just regionally accredited, but also widely respected.
Additionally, our accelerated online Bachelor’s Degree program in IT offers far more flexibility and freedom than a traditional in-person program, as it was designed specifically to help students juggle their pursuit of new educational credentials with existing work and family responsibilities.
Choosing to get your B.S. in Information Technology online from CSU Global offers several advantages over traditional programs, including not needing to appear at any set times or locations for classes, monthly class starts, and accelerated eight-week courses.
Why Should You Consider Studying Information Technology At CSU Global?
CSU Global’s online Bachelor’s Degree program in Information Technology will prepare you to secure gainful employment in the IT industry by providing you with the foundational knowledge, skills, and academic credentials you need to succeed as an IT professional.
Our B.S. in IT program is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and widely respected by IT industry personnel.
Our program was also designed to provide you with industry-relevant, workplace-related training and skills, and all of our instructors have direct, recent experience in IT roles.
Furthermore, our IT program was recently ranked the #1 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Computer and IT Degrees Online from Great Value Colleges, and our alumni’s real-world experiences in the job market prove that the program helps prepare them to develop successful careers in the field.
In fact, alumni from our IT Bachelor’s program report earning an annual starting salary of $77,010, and receiving a 15% pay increase one year after earning their degree, with the top reported job titles for our graduates being Network Engineer, IT Help Desk Specialist, and Systems Administrator.
Finally, CSU Global also offers competitive tuition rates and a Tuition Guarantee to ensure your rate won’t increase as long as you remain enrolled.
To get additional details about our fully accredited, 100% online Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.
Ready to get started today? Apply now!