Best Jobs For Computer Science Majors
Computer science grads are in high demand. Start exploring computer science career paths with this list of common jobs for CompSci majors.
| Rank | Job Title | Most Common Major | % Workers with Major | Mid-Career Pay | % High Job Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | Job Title:Software Development Director | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:72% | Mid-Career Pay:$163,000 | % High Job Meaning:54% |
| Rank:2 | Job Title:Principal Software Engineer | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:81% | Mid-Career Pay:$149,000 | % High Job Meaning:47% |
| Rank:3 | Job Title:Security Architect, IT | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:32% | Mid-Career Pay:$137,000 | % High Job Meaning:31% |
| Rank:4 | Job Title:Development Operations (DevOps) Engineer | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:60% | Mid-Career Pay:$118,000 | % High Job Meaning:42% |
| Rank:5 | Job Title:Cyber Security Engineer | Most Common Major:Cybersecurity | % Workers with Major:28% | Mid-Career Pay:$113,000 | % High Job Meaning:62% |
| Rank:6 | Job Title:Security Consultant, (Computing / Networking / Information Technology) | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:33% | Mid-Career Pay:$110,000 | % High Job Meaning:76% |
| Rank:7 | Job Title:Salesforce Developer | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:64% | Mid-Career Pay:$109,000 | % High Job Meaning:45% |
| Rank:8 | Job Title:Security Engineer, Information Systems | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:25% | Mid-Career Pay:$108,000 | % High Job Meaning:51% |
| Rank:9 | Job Title:Full Stack Software Engineer | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:85% | Mid-Career Pay:$105,000 | % High Job Meaning:31% |
| Rank:10 | Job Title:Information Security Officer | Most Common Major:Information Technology (IT) | % Workers with Major:22% | Mid-Career Pay:$102,000 | % High Job Meaning:65% |
| Rank:11 | Job Title:Mobile Applications Developer | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:72% | Mid-Career Pay:$101,000 | % High Job Meaning:38% |
| Rank:12 | Job Title:Software Developer | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:79% | Mid-Career Pay:$97,500 | % High Job Meaning:42% |
| Rank:13 | Job Title:Computer Scientist | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:88% | Mid-Career Pay:$97,300 | % High Job Meaning:- |
| Rank:14 | Job Title:Cyber Security Analyst | Most Common Major:Cybersecurity | % Workers with Major:29% | Mid-Career Pay:$91,700 | % High Job Meaning:61% |
| Rank:15 | Job Title:Linux System Administrator | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:34% | Mid-Career Pay:$89,400 | % High Job Meaning:47% |
| Rank:16 | Job Title:Information Security Analyst | Most Common Major:Cybersecurity | % Workers with Major:23% | Mid-Career Pay:$88,400 | % High Job Meaning:48% |
| Rank:17 | Job Title:Information Security Specialist | Most Common Major:Information Technology (IT) | % Workers with Major:20% | Mid-Career Pay:$87,700 | % High Job Meaning:64% |
| Rank:18 | Job Title:Programmer Analyst | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:61% | Mid-Career Pay:$86,000 | % High Job Meaning:44% |
| Rank:19 | Job Title:Network Engineer, IT | Most Common Major:Information Technology (IT) | % Workers with Major:27% | Mid-Career Pay:$84,500 | % High Job Meaning:53% |
| Rank:20 | Job Title:Application Developer | Most Common Major:Computer Science (CS) | % Workers with Major:63% | Mid-Career Pay:$84,400 | % High Job Meaning:38% |
| Rank:21 | Job Title:Security Analyst | Most Common Major:Cybersecurity | % Workers with Major:21% | Mid-Career Pay:$78,900 | % High Job Meaning:54% |
| Rank:22 | Job Title:Security Administrator, Computer Network | Most Common Major:Information Technology (IT) | % Workers with Major:29% | Mid-Career Pay:$72,400 | % High Job Meaning:51% |
| Rank:23 | Job Title:Systems Administrator | Most Common Major:Information Technology (IT) | % Workers with Major:25% | Mid-Career Pay:$69,000 | % High Job Meaning:46% |
| Rank:24 | Job Title:Support Engineer, Information Technology (IT) | Most Common Major:Information Technology (IT) | % Workers with Major:29% | Mid-Career Pay:$66,600 | % High Job Meaning:- |
| Rank:25 | Job Title:Network Administrator, IT | Most Common Major:Information Technology (IT) | % Workers with Major:24% | Mid-Career Pay:$66,400 | % High Job Meaning:51% |
Computer Science is a swiftly evolving and expanding field. These days, a bachelor’s in computer science means you can do more than just write code. They enable machine learning methods, engage in predictive analysis, and protect cybersecurity. Every year, tens of thousands of jobs in the industry remain unfilled because there is not nearly enough talent to meet the demand. In today’s tech-driven economy, skilled programmers can command highly impressive salaries. Thus, careers in CS can be very lucrative.
Computer Science Degree Programs
There are a number of related disciplines and areas of focus within a computer science major. Some of these include computer information systems (CIS), information technology (IT), artificial intelligence (AI), human computer interaction (HCI), software engineering and more. Some popular jobs for graduates include Chief Information Security Officer, software engineer, network manager and more. CS graduates as a group typically have some of the highest median salaries of any field.
Career Paths For Computer Science Majors
Software Development Director – Mid-Career Salary: $157,000
Software development directors plan and supervise the software development process. With backgrounds in CS, information analysis, and/or computer engineering, they guide software programmers to achieve company goals. They also collaborate with colleagues and help determine and fulfill customer needs.
Principal Software Engineer – Mid-Career Salary: $142,000
Principal software engineers are in charge of most of the technical aspects of an organization’s projects. Their primary function is being able to scale projects efficiently while maximizing performance and minimizing costs.
Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) – Mid-Career Salary: $135,000
Site Reliability Engineers use engineering-based approaches to develop improvements using standardized tools, processes and techniques.
Other high-earning jobs for CS degree-holders with 10 or more years of experience include Security Consultant, Development Operations Engineer, and Security Engineer – Information Systems. Some high-profile comp sci majors include entrepreneur Sergey Brin, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt, astronaut Anousheh Ansari and interestingly, Comedian Jimmy Fallon.