IT Salary Trends 2025: What Tech Job Seekers Need to Know

With artificial intelligence (AI) present in some form in almost every aspect of an industry, one can’t be blamed for thinking that the days of human jobs are numbered. However, a report by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) shows the opposite.

In its latest monthly Tech Jobs Report, CompTIA stated that the tech unemployment rate for June dropped to 2.8%, 0.6 percentage points lower than 3.4% in May. Despite a slight reduction in staffing across industries, tech occupation employment figures over the past two years have been more or less consistent.

This is good news for today’s tech job seekers, as CompTIA’s Chief Research Officer Tim Herbert pointed out that tech hiring isn’t just about AI. In addition, in light of the ongoing tech talent shortage, they can also expect companies to offer top dollar for their skills. Here’s a look at where tech and IT salary trends are moving.

Salary Ranges are Going Up

Tech professionals are becoming increasingly rare, which has led to recent attempts at digital transformation stalling. Manufacturing is one such heavily impacted industry, as recent forecasts state that over half of workers in the industry would need to be upskilled by 2030 to make up for the shortage.

You’d think that the scarcity of tech talent doesn’t make sense given that technological growth over recent decades has somewhat outpaced Moore’s Law. However, industry experts point out that such rapid growth is one of the reasons for it.

Technology is evolving so fast that certain tech skills are becoming outdated just as fast. From a “half-life” of 10 years around 40 years ago, Stanford University computer science lecturer Kian Katanforoosh said in a podcast that most skills today are only good for about 4 years. Meanwhile, another estimate puts it even lower at 2.5 years. (3)(4)

Employers are aware of the immense cost and effort required to maintain an updated set of tech skills. Given the staffing challenges and hiring frustrations employers deal with, it’s no surprise that tech and IT salaries have been rising recently.

According to Motion Recruitments 2025 IT Salary Guide, the year-over-year (YoY) growth for IT and tech salaries in 2024 was 1.8%, which is slightly down from 2% in previous years. Employers also demand that their future IT specialists be proficient in a diverse range of hard and soft skills to keep up with the times.

The U.S., one of the largest markets, is prepared to pay six figures for precious tech talent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median yearly wage for occupations in the computer and information technology (IT) field is roughly USD$106,000 as of May 2024. It also states that the field is expected to create over 356,000 new jobs yearly until 2033.

Choose Your Line of Work

Tech jobs aren’t limited to tech firms. Almost every industry needs tech talent to manage and, more importantly, troubleshoot its tech stack.

Nothing interrupts a factory or plant’s operation more than a piece of machinery being shut down due to technical issues. Even an office can experience downtime due to trouble with its physical or virtual servers.

Outside of the IT sector, the following are the industries that pay the highest for tech talent, according to a recent salary trends analysis.

It isn’t hard to see why manufacturing posted the largest annual salary increase last year. It arguably uses technology the most compared to other sectors, especially with a spike in the number of businesses adopting robotic process automation (RPA). Apart from the skills shortage, it also faces poor equipment design and lengthy onboarding.

Meanwhile, consultancies have posted a solid increase on top of being the highest-paying employers for IT professionals. Due to the shortage, in-house hiring is not ideal, so many businesses opt to outsource their IT needs.

Even without the shortage, they may still lean on outsourcing because it costs less than maintaining a full-time employee or team.

As for tech jobs, here’s the list of the highest-paying professions according to the BLS. The figures are averages and based on 2024 data.

• Computer and information research – USD$140,910
• Software development and QA testing – USD$131,450
• Computer network architecture – USD$130,390
• Information/IT security – USD$124,910
• Database administration – USD$123,100

Most of these jobs only require a bachelor’s degree, which shortens an aspirant’s journey to employment. However, as mentioned earlier, candidates with a wide range of skills and competencies are more attractive to employers.

For example, because of the nature of their work, tech consulting services favor years of experience in the field. As such, expect to start small and build your portfolio from there. Pursuing a master’s degree also boosts your hiring prospects.   

Hiring Without Boundaries

Hiring pools have gradually moved away from companies’ home countries to save costs. A recent example is Salesforce, which laid off around 8,000 US-based employees from 2020 to 2024. The move was in response to pressure from investors to boost its market revenue growth and to pave the way for AI-focused recruitment.

This is good or bad news, depending on where you live. Opening jobs to foreign talent gives businesses a larger pool of IT professionals to choose from, and in return boosts a professional’s credentials (plus providing remote work options). On the other hand, local talent will have to strive harder to be attractive again.

According to commercial real estate and investment firm CBRE, these locations outside economic giants like the U.S. are poised to become major tech talent pools:

• Hanoi, Vietnam: The growth coincides with the Vietnamese government’s plans to post a 30% digital economy growth by the end of the decade.
• Nairobi, Kenya: Its pool of highly-skilled tech professionals and business-friendly policies earned it the moniker “Silicon Savannah.”
• Medellín, Colombia: Between its temperate climate and tech-friendly economy, the city is poised to become the Silicon Valley of Latin America.
• Montevideo, Uruguay: Another contender for Latin America’s major IT landscape, its main advantage is its education system’s focus on STEM and computer science.
• Wroclaw, Poland: An estimated 250,000 graduates in technology-related majors enter its labor market yearly, giving companies a substantial pool of candidates.

Amid the offshore locations, CBRE also cites one location within the U.S. that also shows promise: Huntsville, Alabama. It ranked in the top spot among 75 U.S. and Canadian cities for having hired the most tech professionals, at almost 26,000. It also posted high five-year tech employment and tech wage increase rates.

As such, not all is lost for locals worried about foreign talent taking away tech jobs. Various industries are still looking for the right talent, no matter where in the world they’re located.

Job Switching is More Rewarding

Job switches in the U.S. reached their peak in 2022, the time of the “Great Resignation.” Many people found that changing to another job made them earn a bit more than if they had stayed with their previous one. However, the labor market started cooling in 2023, reaching the point where changing jobs was no longer worth it.

Not all industries saw the same decline, though. One survey found that IT professionals changed jobs 5.3 times on average over their entire career, translating to a tenure of 3 to 4 years per job. More importantly, those who changed jobs more than twice earned more.

This doesn’t suggest that you should change jobs without a good reason or too often. Job hopping without justification can be seen as a demerit by employers, affecting your future job prospects. Conversely, job hopping helps diversify your skills and grow your network.

Fortunately, three to four years in a tech job is within the acceptable range for most hiring managers. Of course, extending your tenure for as long as possible is always a good idea. When an opportunity to hone your craft presents itself, don’t be afraid to seize it.

Here are other tips to make job hopping less trouble for you and your soon-to-be employer.

• Be honest but tactful: Experts advise sharing reasons for moving that best define one’s commitment to personal and professional growth. Learning new tech skills or desiring new responsibilities is a good answer.
• Promote your adaptability: Companies love professionals who can easily adapt to internal and external changes. You can do this by stressing your achievements and sharing the steps you took to earn them.
• Know the best time: Oddly enough, experts believe one of the best times to leave your current job is when you’re doing exceptionally well. It’s when your confidence and positive demeanor are at their peak.

With these, you can position yourself ready for your next career breakthrough.

Conclusion

Tech job seekers can expect favorable conditions, from increased average annual salaries to limitless learning opportunities. Furthermore, there are plenty of job openings outside of the tech sector, ensuring people of their caliber will remain in demand.