This article is based on data originally reported by TechRepublic, sourced from a job market report by the job search engine Indeed. Salary figures and job-posting counts reflect the state of the market at the time of the original report (circa early 2017) and should be treated as indicative rather than current benchmarks.
Why Tech Jobs Dominate Salary Rankings
According to an Indeed job market report cited by TechRepublic, tech roles dominate the top 10 highest-paying jobs in America when measured by a combination of average base salary, number of open job postings, and year-over-year growth. Most roles on the list carry average base salaries exceeding $100,000 per year.
The underlying driver is a widening gap between supply and demand. As organisations across every sector accelerate digital transformation, demand for workers with deep technical skills is growing significantly faster than the talent pipeline can supply them. The result is sustained salary growth and a high volume of unfilled positions.
Seven of the top 10 roles are software engineers or developers; the remaining three are technical managers or consultants. Below is a detailed breakdown of each role.
The Top 10 Highest-Paying Tech Jobs
1. Full Stack Developer — Average Base Salary: $110,770
Full stack developers hold the top spot on the list. They are responsible for both front-end (user interface) and back-end (server, database, API) work, making them highly versatile and valuable assets to any engineering team. At the time of the report, Indeed listed 641 open positions, representing a 122% year-over-year increase in job postings since 2013 — the highest growth rate on the list.
2. Data Scientist — Average Base Salary: $129,938
Data scientists command the highest average base salary on this list at $129,938. They apply statistical modelling, machine learning, and data analysis to extract actionable insights from large datasets. Job postings grew 108% since 2013, with 360 open roles recorded at the time of the report. The combination of high salary and strong growth makes this one of the most competitive tech disciplines to enter.
3. DevOps Engineer — Average Base Salary: $123,165
DevOps engineers sit at the intersection of software development and IT operations. They design, build, and maintain the automated pipelines, infrastructure, and tooling that allow development teams to ship software faster and more reliably. Indeed listed 731 open DevOps engineer positions — the highest raw count on the list — with an average base salary of $123,165 and 106% role growth since 2013.
Core skills typically expected of a DevOps engineer include CI/CD pipeline management, infrastructure-as-code (tools such as Terraform or Ansible), containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and scripting languages such as Python or Bash.
4. Salesforce Administrator — Average Base Salary: $89,702
Salesforce administrators configure, manage, and optimise Salesforce CRM environments for their organisations. With 80 open roles and 103% growth since 2013, the Salesforce ecosystem consistently produces strong demand for certified professionals, even at the administrator level — which requires less coding than a developer role.
5. IT Engineer — Average Base Salary: $85,563
IT engineers oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of an organisation’s technology infrastructure. With 41 open positions and 89% role growth recorded, this is a broader category that can encompass network engineering, systems administration, and infrastructure management depending on the employer.
6. Salesforce Developer — Average Base Salary: $108,089
Unlike administrators, Salesforce developers write custom code using Apex and Visualforce (and more recently Lightning Web Components) to extend the platform’s capabilities. With 230 open roles and 83% growth since 2013, developer demand is driven by the platform’s continuous expansion into AI, analytics, and integrations with third-party services.
7. Quality Engineer — Average Base Salary: $71,111
Quality engineers — sometimes referred to as QA engineers or reliability engineers depending on the organisation — oversee the development, operation, and maintenance of IT systems and enterprise architectures to ensure they meet defined quality standards. With 311 open positions and 83% growth since 2013, the role is well-established and in steady demand.
8. Digital Project Manager — Average Base Salary: $73,169
Digital project managers bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, planning and delivering technology projects on time and within budget. With 58 open jobs and 75% role growth at the time of the report, this is one of the few non-engineering roles on the list, making it accessible to professionals with strong organisational and communication skills alongside a working understanding of technology.
9. Cloud Engineer — Average Base Salary: $118,878
Cloud engineers design, build, and manage cloud infrastructure across platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. With 217 open roles and 67% growth since 2013, cloud engineering offers a strong salary trajectory. As cloud adoption has only accelerated since this report was published, demand for this role has continued to intensify well beyond what the 2017 data captured.
10. Management Consulting Analytics Manager — Average Base Salary: $90,994
Rounding out the top 10, management consulting analytics managers apply data analytics frameworks to advise organisations on strategic decisions. With 47 open jobs and 66% growth since 2013, this role sits at the boundary of business consulting and data science, typically requiring both analytical capability and client-facing communication skills.
Summary Table
| Rank | Role | Avg. Base Salary | Job Posting Growth (since 2013) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full Stack Developer | $110,770 | 122% |
| 2 | Data Scientist | $129,938 | 108% |
| 3 | DevOps Engineer | $123,165 | 106% |
| 4 | Salesforce Administrator | $89,702 | 103% |
| 5 | IT Engineer | $85,563 | 89% |
| 6 | Salesforce Developer | $108,089 | 83% |
| 7 | Quality Engineer | $71,111 | 83% |
| 8 | Digital Project Manager | $73,169 | 75% |
| 9 | Cloud Engineer | $118,878 | 67% |
| 10 | Management Consulting Analytics Manager | $90,994 | 66% |
Key Takeaways for Tech Professionals
- DevOps and cloud engineering offer the best combination of high salary, high open-role count, and strong growth — making them particularly attractive specialisations for engineers considering a career pivot.
- Data science commands the highest average base salary on the list, but typically requires advanced skills in statistics, machine learning, and programming.
- Salesforce roles (both administrator and developer) provide a lower barrier to entry relative to general software engineering, with clear certification pathways and strong market demand.
- Salary figures are from 2017 and should be treated as a directional baseline. Current market rates are higher across all these categories. Consult up-to-date sources such as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, or Levels.fyi for current compensation data.
Original data source: Indeed job market report, as reported by TechRepublic (2017).