10 best IT jobs in America

Anonymous career review and job search site Glassdoor recently released the 2016 edition of its annual Best Jobs in America list and, not surprising, nearly half of the 25 jobs are in the IT industry. So, if finding a new job is at the top of your 2016 to-do list, check out the best of the best in IT careers, from Glassdoor’s user-generateddata on earning potential, number of job openings and career opportunities.

It’s been called “The sexiest job of the 21st century,” and demand for data scientists isn’t slowing down. Data scientists are trained to gather, sort and analyze the massive streams of data businesses gather from customers, clients and their own employees and extract insights from that data to help drive companies’ direction. In an increasingly customer-focused, data-driven business landscape, it’s clear that data scientists will remain in high demand.

Job openings: 1,736 Median base salary: $116,840

A solutions architect is a specific, practical software development role with a vague, nebulous title. Solutions architects are tasked with taking customer and end-user software requirements and designing a solution that addresses those issues. Solutions architects often work closely with a functional analyst who develops the software solution requirements.

Job openings: 2,906 Median base salary: $119,500

A mobile developer creates applications and solutions for mobile devices — smartphones, tablets and other handheld devices. The role has been in high demand for the last few years, and that demand will only increase as businesses move to a “mobile first” strategy that demands existing applications be retrofitted to work on a mobile device or that new applications be created and optimized for a mobile device.

Job openings: 2,251 Median base salary: $90,000

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A product manager researches, selects and manages the process of new product development, usually for a technology company. This role is critical for innovative businesses trying to push new products to market; product managers are like mini-CEOs, taking a product from the executive idea stage and shepherding it through design, development and release to the public.

Job openings: 6,607 Median base salary: $106,680

Software engineers are some of the most celebrated IT professionals.These are the folks who actually build the software and applications businesses and consumers use every day. According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), software engineers apply the principles of engineering to the creation of software — building an intangible, instead of a tangible product.

Job openings: 49,270 Median base salary: $95,000

An analytics manager is responsible for designing, configuring, implementing and maintaining technology solutions for data analysis. It’s a fairly new role, but demand has grown alongside demand for data scientists and other data capture and analysis roles.

Job openings: 982 Median base salary: $105,000

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A software development manager, as the title suggests, functions as a more technical project manager for software development teams. They manage the schedules and tasks of the teams under their leadership, and are often responsible for recruiting and hiring new software development talent. They work closely with the business side of their organization to ensure requirements and strategy goals are met.

Job openings: 1,199 Median base salary: $135,000

A software quality assurance (QA) manager is responsible for making sure software meets or exceeds quality standards and usability testing before it’s released to the public. QA managers also routinely test existing software to make sure it’s bug-free.

Job openings: 3,749 Median base salary: $85,000

User experience (UX) design is a rapidly growing field as companies try to increase both end-user functionality and customer brand loyalty. A UX designer ensures that technology applications are both easy to use and deliver great customer satisfaction; though the title’s often confused with a User Interface designer (UI), the two roles focus on different aspects of technology creation.

Job openings: 863 Median base salary: $91,800

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A software architect is responsible for the high-level decisions around software development, such as deciding on design, implementing requirements – both needs and wants – adhering to technical standards, coding practices, and selecting appropriate tools and platforms. Software architects work closely with software development teams to manage aspects of the development process.

Job openings: 653 Median base salary: $130,000