Technology offers some of the highest paying and diverse jobs of any industry. While traditional tech roles like software engineer and product manager are still in high demand as CIOs struggle to find skilled IT pros, roles in sales, marketing and business development all offer healthy salaries and an alternate path into the industry.
According to the latest LinkedIn Salary data, sales roles consist of almost half of the 10 top-paying jobs in the sector, including the top spot with vice president of sales, while engineers, marketers and product managers occupy the rest. In some cases, salaries for sales, marketing and business development talent are exceeding that of engineering and technical talent, according to the LinkedIn Salary data.
"There's increasing awareness of the importance of soft skills, and they're particularly challenging to find in the tech sector. Obviously, in sales, soft skills are a must-have, so by nature of the experience needed for these roles and the scarcity, the salaries are going to be at a premium. And having that at the top of an organization is even more crucial," says Rachel Bowley, economic graph, careers insight and analytics at LinkedIn.
Based on LinkedIn Salary data collected from LinkedIn users as of March 27, 2017, here are the top 15 highest-paying software and IT jobs (excluding C-level roles), along with their median U.S. salaries.
1. Vice President Sales
Median salary:
$300,000A vice president of sales is responsible for setting strategic sales plans based on company goals to promote growth and customer satisfaction, as well as ensuring sales targets are meeting the company objectives.
2. Senior Director of Engineering
Median salary: $250,000
A senior director of engineering directs and supervises the activities of an engineering department, provides strategic direction, professional and technical assistance and training, and tracks the plans, progress and status of engineering projects within the larger organization.
3. Senior Director of Product Management
Median salary: $240,000
Senior directors of product management provide focus for the development of marketing, sales and improvement of a company's products and services. They develop, design and implement product and market strategy, coordinate with engineering teams to design and build products, and provide analytical and technical feedback for internal departments and management.
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4. Regional Sales Director
Median salary: $235,000
The regional sales director oversees revenue generation strategies for company locations and retail outlets in specific regions. They help design the overall sales philosophy of a company, including marketing campaigns, advertising, inventory and purchasing so they meet revenue quotas.
5. Vice President of Engineering
Median salary: $225,000
A vice president of engineering typically manages the budget for the engineering department, as well as serving as the direct supervisor for engineering staff. They also ensure that a product vision is realized through the company's products and services, and co-develops the technical strategy with the CTO.
6. Enterprise Sales Executive
Median salary: $215,000
Enterprise sales execs represents a company's high-level, most important customers and works to maximize sales opportunities from these customers. They identify key contacts, build relationships and create a strategy for meeting revenue targets with these clients.
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7. Vice President of Product Management
Median salary: $213,000
These roles are focused on financial and strategic analysis more so than other product management roles. Vice presidents of product management lead, mentor and manage teams of product managers as they define and communicate product strategy and vision across the organization. They're also responsible for strategic marketing and sales plans for products and services.
8. Sales Director
Median salary: $210,000
Sales directors develop and execute on national or international sales plans and are responsible for communicating these plans to boards of directors or C-level executive teams. They work with supervising regional sales managers to make sure they're mentoring and leading their teams successfully to meet revenue and market share goals.
9. Vice President Marketing
Median salary: $208,000
This role is responsible for developing marketing and service policies and processes that align with business strategy and goals. They partner with the C-level executive teams and other department vice presidents make sure these are communicated effectively across the organization and to external customers.
10. Vice President of Business Development
Median salary: $205,000
One of the major responsibilities for a vice president of business development is to create and execute company sales and marketing plans with the goal of landing new customers. They must work closely with salespeople, marketing professionals, upper management and C-level executives.
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11. Senior Engineering Manager
Median salary: $202,000
A senior engineering manager supervises and leads teams of engineers, scientists and technical professionals to design, plan and develop products and solutions. They're responsible for coordinating design, development, production, operations, QA, testing and maintenance.
12. Senior Director of Marketing
Median salary: $202,000
A senior director of marketing plans, develops and implements all aspects of an organization's marketing strategy, communication and public relations activities. They also supervise and direct the marketing, communications and PR activities at both strategic and tactical levels.
13. Enterprise Account Executive
Median salary: $200,000
Enterprise account execs manage a company's relationship with their high-level, enterprise customers and works to maximize sales opportunities from these customers. They identify key contacts, build relationships and create a strategy for meeting revenue targets with these clients.
14. Director of Engineering
Median salary: $199,000
A director of engineering plans and directs all engineering functions within an organization. They manage teams of engineers and make sure that all engineering projects, initiatives and processes are aligned with the company's policies and processes.
15. Senior Corporate Counsel
Median salary: $196,000
An organization's senior corporate counsel is part of an organization's legal team. As such, they negotiate and draft various business and legal contracts and service agreements, including financial, acquisition and joint venture agreements. They also review contracts, legal forms, non-disclosure agreements and make recommendations for changes or additions to these documents.
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