What technical jobs pay the most?

technical support salary

For many workers, landing a job at a tech company means earning a sizable salary and enjoying over-the-top perks, like nap rooms, free snacks, even ski trips and happy hours. 

And they’re not wrong. It’s a reputation befitting the industry that is the most represented on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list and pays its average global worker $135,000 a year, according to a study by Hired.com, which analyzed data from more than 69,000 job seekers.

Not all tech jobs come with such large salaries, but there are a few key roles that pull that average up, offering annual pay as high as $163,000 a year.

Glassdoor analyzed more than 71,000 open job listings at tech companies that require knowledge of code, software or data and found that though software engineers and software development engineers were the roles most sought-after by employers — meaning they had the most vacant positions — they were not the most financially rewarding.

Instead, the following 10 roles pay tech workers the most for their skills:

Average salary for open roles on Glassdoor: $131,300

These analysts plan and implement the security measures necessary to protect an organization’s networks and systems from cyberattacks and security breaches. They typically investigate any security violations or potential breaches that arise, conduct penetration testing, develop security standards for a company, and use software, like firewalls and data encryption, to protect sensitive information.

Is there any growth in technical support?

tech support salary

For people who might lack the technical skills needed for more advanced roles, tech support can be a great entry point to a career with a fast-growing company in Austin. 

Workers in tech support gain invaluable skills about the product and user experience that often lead to fast-track promotions. We caught up with three Austin tech companies that offer growth opportunities to their support teams — and a few employees who made the leap themselves.

Adam Ferenzi, BigCommerce's director of client success, said the company has seen team members grow from tech support roles to any number of departments, including engineering, product, account management, content and more.

When a candidate has shown potential, he said promotions typically occur within 12 to 18 months — though that time may be less or more depending on the person. 

Ferenzi said BigCommerce encourages and enables professional growth from the support team for several reasons, citing that these team members tend to know the product better than just about anyone and also develop a deep knowledge of industry trends based on conversations with customers. He also stressed the importance of a genuine desire to help customers succeed.

"When you couple that mindset with the product and tech knowledge gained by doing the job, then enter a new role in engineering, product, or another part of the organization, it's a recipe for continued success," said Ferenzi. 

What jobs can you get with a A+ certification?

a+ certification salary

Jobs That Require or Benefit from a CompTIA A+ Certification

CompTIA A+ is the industry standard for establishing a career in IT and is the preferred qualifying credential for technical support and IT operational roles. Jobs like support specialist, field service technician, desktop support analyst and help desk tier 2 support use the skills validated by CompTIA A+ certification.

Furthermore, companies like Intel, Dell, Ricoh, Nissan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and HP all look for CompTIA A+ certification in hiring.

Other CompTIA A+ job titles include the following:

• Service desk analyst
• Technical support specialist
• Field service technician
• Associate network engineer
• Data support technician
• Desktop support administrator
• End-user computing technician
• Help desk technician
• System support specialist

The Reality of Mean Salary Percentiles

When researching salaries and aiming your career at specific job titles, remember that you may see a range of salaries for one particular job because some companies, as well as some geographies, will pay more than others.

Companies that pay more may also demand more – in terms of experience or responsibilities. The result is a range of possible salaries for any particular job title and the reality of mean salary percentiles.

1. IT support specialist: $54,500
2. Field service technician: $46,000
3. Desktop support analyst: $60,000
4. Help desk tier 2 support: $45,000

5 Ways to Boost Your Pay

The pay you can expect from a particular IT job can vary significantly from the median pay depending on a number of factors that may benefit your role for a certain position. Here are five ways to help increase your pay:

1. Prior Experience: Reducing training time and having expertise that goes beyond your job description may increase your value to an employer. Similarly, prior related job experience provides trust and builds expectations on the side of an employer that can benefit the numbers on your paycheck.
2. Additional Training and Certifications: If CompTIA A+ isn’t your first certification and if you can showcase additional completed training, you may expand the reach of your certifications and qualify for jobs that you otherwise would not – and, in turn, become a candidate for a higher-paying position. Review CompTIA Stackable Certifications to find out how you can build your IT career path with CompTIA certifications. CompTIA Association for IT Professionals (AITP) also offers access to training.
3. Commitment: Becoming certified is the first step to your IT career. Staying certified is even more important and can show employers that you’re committed to your job and that you’re in sync with a rapidly evolving industry.
4. Regional Differences: The pay for a job in one area may be vastly different than what is offered in another area. For example, a systems administrator working in New York, NY, on average, will make about 15 percent, or $14,650, more than the exact same position in Denver, CO.
5. Industry Variations: Keep in mind that some industries may have, in their details, different expectations for certain job titles than others and offer different pay as a result.

How do I know which security type I’m using?

security professional

Wi-Fi security is designed to prevent unauthorized access to devices on a wireless network. Most home routers provide multiple security modes, which vary in levels of protection. The Wi-Fi security types supported by Nanit have been listed below from most to least secure:

 

• WPA2
• WPA
• WEP

While Nanit supports WPA2, WPA, and WEP encryptions, we recommend you secure your network with WPA2 only. WPA2 ensures the most secure experience with Nanit and your personal data.

 

Note: If you decide to change your network security type, devices that use the WEP encryption will disconnect. If necessary, check the device setting and change the security type to WPA2. Nanit works best with WPA2-AES, (which is normally the default). We do not suggest using WPA2-TKIP.

 

How do  I know which security type I’m using?

Using your mobile device, you may be able to determine the security type from your device’s Wi-Fi settings. To check the encryption type:

1. Open the Settings app on your mobile device
2. Access the Wi-Fi connection settings
3. Find your wireless network on the list of available networks
4. Tap the network name or info button to pull up the network configuration
5. Check the network configuration for the security type

If your mobile device’s settings don’t specify the security type, you may be able to identify this via the settings on your wireless router. Each router may be different, so you may want to refer to the documentation that came with the device. Alternatively, if the router was set up by your internet service provider, we suggest you contact them for assistance. 

 Media coverage of large-scale security breaches has focused board-level attention on protecting corporate information. Business leaders are increasingly concerned with security issues, especially any compromise of customer information and intellectual property.  However, they often struggle to understand what sort of people they should be looking for to help protect their organisation and where they might find them.

To be agile, organisations need people they can work with to drive their business strategy. They want this across cyberspace, particularly in cloud computing, big data, mobile devices and social media. That means the modern security professional needs multiple skillsets, from communications to technical competence.

The person responsible for protecting information in larger organisations is often called the chief information security officer (CISO). A CISO’s core expertise is to understand IT security or information security above all else. They are seen as the protector of information and the responder to incidents. To be able to cope with these challenges and the speed of change, your CISO needs to understand your business, the risks it faces, and its appetite for more risk.

wireless LAN security Certification Benefits

wireless security certification

A wireless security auditor has a deep understanding of the latest trends, technologies, tools, and software that are available in the market. They are the ones who are counted upon for advice on security policies. The Certified Wireless Security Auditor certification offers world-class training through learning modules which have been carefully curated by a team of like-minded industry experts.

Measure your skills and expertise by enrolling in this prestigious certification which puts you on the right track to a lucrative career. Prepare to become industry ready and gain a profound competitive advantage over others.

Certification Benefits

• Fundamentals of wireless networks.
• Overview of wireless LAN security auditing.
• Understanding of wireless network security policy.
• Methodology of Wi-Fi security audit.
• Use case study of tools such as Metasploit, and Bluejack.
• Introduction to configuration security audit.

What Is the Average CWSS Salary?

cwsp certification

CWSS salaries vary significantly depending on geographic location, specific job duties and years of experience.

The average salary for Wireless Security Engineers is $82K per year, ranging from $49.6K to $118K, as per Paysa.com. The same source indicates in $144,000 the average salary for Wireless Security Specialist Engineers.

Note that according to InfoSec Institute’s Salary Outlook for Security Engineers:

ESTIMATED SALARY = $70,000-$90,000

50% EARNED MORE THAN $82,000

LOWEST EARNING 10% < $60,000

HIGHEST EARNING 10% > $110,000

What Is the Average CWSS Salary by Experience?

As in most cases, pay for this job does change much by experience, with the salary of most experienced professionals being often significantly higher. According to Glassdoor data, for example, the national average salary for a Senior Wireless Security Systems Engineer is $106,984. Experienced professionals are in demand and employers are willing to invest more in hiring and, above all, retaining wireless security IT practitioners who are already well rounded and, even better, have certifications that can prove their worth.

Certifications often translate into the highest pays. CWNP designation holders can earn higher salaries than their uncertified IT colleagues, with reported salaries up to $87,250 for some sales and support Certified Wireless Technology Specialists (CWTS) to $262,500 for Certified Wireless Network Experts (CWNE). Also, the national employment outlook appears to be brightening with the hiring of more CWSPs (Certified Wireless Security Professionals) who can make as much as $138,500. Robert Half’s latest Salary Guide places the starting salary (50% percentile) of wireless network engineer (considered one of the 10 best technology jobs to watch in 2018) in the six-figure range at $119,000, so earning a certification is definitely a positive investment for career advancement.

What Is the Average Salary by Job Role?

CWSSs are employed in an extensive range of fields, and they can be an essential part of any business’ overall technology team to help evolve the security posture of the organization.

Job Role	Salary
Network Security Engineer	$55,329 – $125,193
Computer Network Support Specialists	$46,070 – $105, 910
Wireless Network Engineer	$54,000-$109,000
Wireless Security Engineer	$78,000-$146,000
Wireless Security Consultant	$48,000-$115,000

What Are the Benefits of Becoming CWSS Certified?

In a recent article at CertMag.com, Ahmed Badr, an experienced network consultant, wrote about the Five top certifications to get you involved in wireless networking; he included CWSP offered by Certified Wireless Network Professional (CWNP) among the list of most sought-out certifications due to the fact that security for wireless networks is definitely one of the most in-demand networking skills currently. Certifications are a great way to keep current not only with the new methods malicious hackers use to attack systems but also with the latest developments in defensive technologies, tools and monitoring methods.

Ahmed states the vendor-neutral advanced level CWSP credential gives such individuals the knowledge and skills to secure any wireless network thanks to the critical security topics it covers, to include “wireless vulnerability assessment, WLAN security audits, and compliance monitoring solutions, and implementing Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems (WIPS).” To acquire this credential, candidates need to demonstrate basic knowledge through another certification, the CWNA (Certified Wireless Network Administrator), that shows they have the required knowledge of topics like radio and antenna technologies, wireless architectures, 802.11, wireless standards and troubleshooting. The CWSP is valid for three years after which time, professionals can re-certify or move on to acquire the more advanced CWNE (Certified Wireless Network Expert) for experienced professional with advanced knowledge in “protocol analysis, intrusion detection and prevention, performance and QoS analysis, spectrum analysis and management and advanced design,” as mentioned on the official website.

According to Pearson VUE that serves test owners and test takers in nearly every industry, IT professionals in over 140 countries have already achieved CWNP certification to prove their knowledge in how to make wireless networks more secure, cost-effective and reliable.

How Can I Become CWSS Certified?

In addition to experience gained on the job, it is possible to become a Certified Wireless Security Specialist by looking for specific and effective training programs like InfoSec Institute’s Wireless Security Training course, which is 5-days hands-on class where you will use a variety of industry-standard access points, 802.1x protocol assessment devices, and WLAN security assessment tools from vendors. The course prepares professionals to pass the CWSP certification. Alternatively, there is CWNP’s Wi-Fi Security coursework that will measure the skills and knowledge necessary and gets students ready for this professional-level cert. Also, the CWSP Premium Self Study Kit includes unlimited access to an eLearning Course in preparation of the CWSP-205 exam (See: What’s Changed in Exam CWSP-205?).

Sources:

Wireless Security Engineer Salaries, Paysa

Security Engineer, InfoSec Institute

Network Security Engineer Salary, PayScale

Networking and Security Salaries, Cisco (Robert Half Technology findings)

Certified Security Professional (CWSP) Salary, PayScale

Certified Wireless Security Professional Salary, CWNP (Robert Half’s latest Salary Guide)

2017 IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index, Foote Partners, LLC

Computer Network Support Specialists, O*NET