Information Technology Careers

Challenge, Change, Opportunity

Information Technology careers involve the design, development, support and management of hardware, software, multimedia, and systems integration services. The IT industry is a dynamic working environment that has a revolutionary impact on the economy and society.

Exciting, challenging and ever-changing IT careers are available in every sector of the economy. The Information Technology Association of America reports that U.S. employers have 900,000 IT jobs to fill immediately, and that opportunities are expected to grow over the next three to five years. IT professionals may work for others or become entrepreneurs.

Students who pursue IT careers will find they are constantly learning about working with new technologies. IT education can be obtained in high schools, as well as in two- and four-year colleges and technical institutes.

Information Technology is one of 16 Career Clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education. Career Clusters are groups of related careers that require similar knowledge and skills. Within each cluster students follow a pathway toward their career goals. The IT Career Cluster has four pathways:

Network Systems

Occupations: Network Administrator/Technician, PC Support Specialist, Telecommunications Network Technician, Data Communication Analyst
Certificates: CompTIA Net+, Cisco Certified Network Associate, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Certified Novell Engineer, Nortel NetKnowledge Certification
Facts: Network Administrators rank 1st among the fastest growing and highest paid occupations and have a median annual salary of $51,300.

Information Support and Services

Occupations: Database Administrator/Analyst, Help Desk Specialist, Technical Support Engineer/Writer, Instructional Designer, Application Integrator
Certificates/Degrees: Oracle Certified Professional, CompTIA A+, Microsoft Certified Database Administrator, Associate Degree of Science in Technical Support, Bachelor of Science in Information Science
Facts: Computer Repairers and Support Specialists rank 3rd among the fastest growing and highest paid occupations and have a $31,200 median annual salary.

Interactive Media

Occupations: Web Designer, Webmaster, 3D Animator, Virtual Reality Specialist, Multimedia Producer, Graphic Artist
Certificates/Degrees: Certificate of Webmaster Technology, CompTIA I-Net+, iGeneration Certified Creative Producer, WOW Certified Professional Webmaster, Certified Web Designer Apprentice, Associate/Bachelor's Multimedia Communication
Facts: Over 12,000 jobs in Interactive Media are projected immediately; 3,000 in IT companies and 9,000 in IT-related companies.

Programming and Software Engineering

Occupations: Software Applications Architect, Operating Systems Designer Engineer, Computer Programmer, Game Programmer, Applications Engineer
Certificates/Degrees: Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer, Associate/Bachelor's of Science in Real Time Interactive Simulation, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Facts: Computer Programmers rank 8th among the fastest growing and highest pay occupations and have a median annual salary of $52,550.

*Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IT Career Cluster Initiative www.careerclusters.org , and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

For more information on IT Career and Technical Education Programs please contact:

Ray Hintz-IT Program Coordinator

Phone: 701-328-3187
Email: rhintz@nd.gov

North Dakota Department of
Career and Technical Education
600 East Boulevard Avenue, Dept 270
Bismarck, ND 58505-0610
Fax: 701-328-1255
www.state.nd.us/cte