Meet Your Future Self: Technology Careers

Where will you be in your career four years from now? Technology won't wait for you. If you're in an underpaid, unappreciated role or just preparing for your first career, returning to school for a specialized certification or college degree in computer science can reboot your earnings potential. Interested in programming, network administration, or tech support? Between 2008 and 2018, those careers will enjoy double-digit job growth.

Tackle the Future With Information Technology Training

Since information technology is a modular science, let's take a modular approach to boosting your credentials and earning the college degrees necessary to thrive in your field. While job growth is expected to be strong, competition for the best jobs should be strong, too. Generally speaking, the more you learn and keep current with emerging technologies, the better your chances for success in the IT professions.

IT Careers and Bachelor's Degrees

While you may find yourself on a help desk or customer service roll with an associate's degree, bachelor's degrees are the main currency for entry into better paying, more technologically challenging occupations. For example, openings for tech support personnel are predicted to rise by 14 percent, 2008-2018. Computer support specialists held about 565,700 jobs in 2008. If you expect to rise to administrative or lead positions, you can improve your odds by earning a bachelor's degree.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median 2009 wage for tech support personnel was $44,300. But, you may want to do better than that.

Earning Masters Degrees in Technology Increase Your Potential

If you really want to move up, you should consider master degree programs in IT. For instance, jobs for network administrators are expected to grow by 23 percent from 2008-2018. Typical majors for the role include master degrees in computer science, information science, and management information systems (MIS). To rise to leadership roles in networking, you might even consider earning an advanced certification in dedicated software or management proficiency. Some network administrators go on to earn an MBA in Information Technology.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median 2009 annual wage for network administrators was $67,710, but top earners took home $105,970.

Life at the Top: Programming Specialists

Jobs for computer software engineers are predicted to rise by 32 percent during the 2008-2018 decade. You can enter the field with bachelor's degrees, but master's degrees and advanced certifications are required for many positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Some about 426,700 computer programmers held jobs in 2008.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual earnings for programmers in 2009 were $70,940, with top-tier earnings of $113,380.

Earnings are often pegged to experience, education, and your IT specialty. If you can add a certification within your discipline--say, taking courses in network security, database administration, project management, or web application development--you can get a leg up on the competition. Consider courses in CompTIA Project+, VMware, MCDST or CCNA, or Microsoft's SharePoint to broaden your reach.