Newcomers wanted: The highest-paying IT jobs for graduates

It will come as no surprise that computer science is a career field with a bright future. However, IT experts have rarely been in such high demand as they are today – primarily due to the shortage of skilled workers. As a result, prospective IT professionals are spoilt for choice with a huge number of vacancies at their disposal.

Yet not all jobs are the same. There are huge differences in pay – depending on the role, industry, degree obtained and location. In the following blog post, we’ll explain the jobs in which IT graduates can earn the most.

First of all, however, we’d like to point out that job titles in the IT sector are not very standardised. For this reason, interested parties should read the job advertisements very carefully to gain a clear understanding of what the role actually entails.

Cyber security is a crucial success factor when it comes to digital transformation. After all, new business models and digital processes are useless if a ransomware attack paralyses the entire organisation. The intensity and complexity of cyber threats continue to increase, which makes new approaches to defence necessary – alongside the need for additional specialised staff.

That’s why the typical salary for career starters is impressive. The starting salary is usually around £35,000 – £40,000, making it one of the highest entry-level IT salaries.

IT consultants are also in high demand. This is because they ensure that the advanced technologies are used efficiently and make a tangible contribution. They advise companies on selecting, developing and implementing IT solutions – an exciting role at the interface of business and tech.

IT consultants typically work for external clients, such as IT system providers, smaller specialised consulting firms or large consulting firms. Many companies also have internal IT consultants. On average, a starting salary of over £40,000 can be expected.

Code is the core element of all IT. Even though coding skills are relevant in all areas of IT, developers must of course have particularly in-depth knowledge and expertise. They usually have a command of a whole range of programming languages and can also learn new ones if required. Application development is a broad field that needs to be defined more precisely when looking for a job.

For example, software developers, mobile app developers as well as specialists and testers for SAP development are in high demand. Typical languages that are currently important or have been for a long time include Java, SQL, JavaScript, Python, C#, C/C++, Kotlin and Rust.

Although the boundaries are not always clear when it comes to content; they often are when it comes to training: a software developer oftentimes does specialist further training after their degree, whereas an IT specialist in application development usually is an occupation that requires a specific degree. The average starting salary for software developers is around £35,000.

Many companies are currently undergoing major digital transformation, which means projects can become rather extensive and complex. As such, having effective project management that steers the individual processes, analyses progress and keeps an eye on targets is all the more crucial for success.

IT project managers not only use classic methods; they are increasingly adopting agile approaches as well. Knowledge of Scrum, Kanban, DevOps, etc. is therefore sometimes required. The typical starting salary is around £39,000. IT project managers with disciplinary responsibility who have leadership skills in addition to technical competence will earn considerably more.

Everyone is talking about the capabilities of artificial intelligence and machine learning today. Underpinning these forward-looking technologies is the huge amount of data that is accumulating at an increasing rate in this era of digital transformation. In order to evaluate and use big data, however, companies need data scientists who can recognise patterns in both the structured and unstructured data and perform the necessary analyses.

Typical areas of application for data scientists are business intelligence or advanced analytics. There are also interfaces to the business, although the distinction between roles such as data analyst and data engineer is not always clear-cut. The average starting salary is around £30,000.

When it comes to starting salaries, there are other decisive factors in addition to the role. For example, the qualifications of the applicant, i.e. their degree, is really important here. Some IT employers start their graduates higher up th epay scale if they have a master’s degree or doctorate. Although the degree also has an impact on long-term earnings and career opportunities, graduates with vocational training also enjoy good opportunities in IT. The same would apply to laterals with IT expertise.

The industry in which a graduate wants to start is also crucial – also depending on the products the respective company offers. For example, the average IT graduate in the automotive sector would typically expect to earn more than in the retail sector. Location also plays a key role, with job roles in London for example commanding much higher salaries than elsewhere in the UK. And of course, the size of the company has an influence: in a start-up, IT graduates would usually earn a modest salary, whereas in a large company they could expect to earn much more.

Being spoilt for choice is an attractive position for jobseekers to be in. However, it can also be exhausting given the wide range of jobs on offer. Applicants should realise that they can earn a good salary, but also remember that room for negotiation is rather small at the beginning of their career. Alternatives such as trainee programmes, which are offered by many companies and include internal training, should also be of interest. The starting salary is lower, although the long-term career prospects improve as time goes on.

To make the search more efficient, IT graduates can also use the services of IT professionals such as Experis. Experis offers jobs on a temporary and permanent basis – roles that are exciting, varied, come with good pay and provide excellent job security. It’s also worthwhile for freelancers to have a look at what Experis has to offer: the IT staffing specialist takes the acquisition burden off freelancers, comes up with a broad client portfolio and ensures a seamless order situation.

Browse all our available opportunities now.