Compare the top 10 fastest growing IT jobs from 2012 to 2020 by growth rate, salary and future jobs creation. Click links for career path deep dives featuring job descriptions, skills & activities, desirable certifications, education requirements, training & degree programs and IT insider tips. See web version at http://www.itcareerfinder.com/brain-food/blog/entry/best-computer-jobs-for-the-future.html

1. Top Ten Fastest Growing IT Jobs 2012 - 2020

2. In this Guide…
Trying to determine your ideal IT career path? Want to know which
jobs will be in the greatest demand and offer the highest pay once
you finish your education? We designed this comparison of the
decade’s 10 hottest IT careers to serve as your guide.
The following IT career paths will experience the most growth from
2012 to 2020, pay salaries well above the national average and
offer a wide range of opportunities for upward mobility.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

3. 1 Mobile Application Developer
• Growth: 32% (much faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 292,200
• Average Salary: $94,000
• Mobile Development Training
Top Growth Factors:
Mobile application developer is one of the world’s most demanded and fastest
growing IT careers. As smart phones and tablets continue to change the way we
do business, communicate, and access news & entertainment, the demand for new
and innovative mobile applications is growing at breakneck speeds. This increased
demand translates to one of the largest IT skills gaps ever realized – there are
simply more mobile development jobs than skilled developers to fill them.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

4. 2 Database Administrator
• Growth: 31% (much faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 33,900
• Average Salary: $82,000
• Database Administrator Training
Top Growth Factors:
As businesses continue to accumulate record amounts of digital information, the
demand for trained and certified DBAs to store, organize, analyze and secure this
data will continue to rise. In addition, as more databases are connected to the
Internet and cloud, data security will become increasingly vital & complex, thus a
growing number of database administrators with information security training will
be hired to protect corporate databases from hackers and other cyber criminals.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

5. 3 Software Engineer / Developer
• Growth: 30% (much faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 270,900
• Average Salary: $90,000
• Software Engineer Training
Top Growth Factors:
Demand for software engineers will rise along with technological advancements in
computer networking. For example, the increased adoption of cloud & virtualization
strategies will create demand for applications software engineers who can develop
efficient and secure web- based programs. Likewise, as the increased sophistication
and adoption of electronic data-processing systems continues to rise, the need to
implement, safeguard and upgrade to these new systems will fuel the creation of
systems software engineer jobs in 2012 and beyond.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

6. 4 Video Game Designer
• Growth: 30% (much faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 270,900
• Average Salary: $80,000
• Video Game Designer Training
Top Growth Factors:
The multi-billion dollar video game industry has more than tripled in size over the
last decade with no signs of slowing. Beyond the booming consumer market for
console & PC games, the increased popularity and sophistication of mobile devices
has unlocked a new world of job opportunities for video game designers, artists and
programmers. Computer game designers with mobile development expertise will
be especially sought after as smart phones & tablets, such as the iPhone, iPad and
Android devices, continue to change how video games are accessed and played.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

7. 5 Network Administrator
• Growth: 28% (much faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 96,600
• Average Salary: $69,000
• Network Administrator Training
Top Growth Factors:
Computer networks are an increasingly vital part of the modern business, and
demand for network administrators will continue to increase as firms invest in new
tech to increase productivity and gain a competitive advantage. The rapid adoption
of tablets and smartphones – and BYOD strategies – into corporate culture means
more organizations will use the Internet to conduct business online, translating to
an increased need for network professionals who can help businesses utilize these
emerging technologies to communicate with employees, clients and customers.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

8. 6 IT Security Specialist
• Career Growth: 22% (faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 65,700
• Average Salary: $87,000
• IT Security Specialist Training
Top Growth Factors:
Security will remain a top concern for IT hiring managers as the frequency, scope
and complexity of cyber attacks continues to rise. IT executives in Computerworld’s
2012 IT Forecast Survey report actively seeking professionals with security skills,
but finding it difficult to locate good talent. This indicates an incredible opportunity
for IT pros to advance their information security skills & credentials. Security skills
in the greatest demand in 2012 and beyond will include IT operations security,
mobile device security, risk management, cloud/virtualization & network security.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

9. 7 Computer Systems Analyst
• Career Growth: 22% (faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 120,400
• Average Salary: $79,000
• Systems Analyst Training
Top Growth Factors:
As organizations continue to increase their reliance on technology, systems analysts
will be hired to design new computer systems across all verticals. Health care is a
key industry for computer system analyst job growth, as government mandates and
aggressive funding continue to drive rapid increases in electronic medical record
(EMR) adoption, e-prescription services and other healthcare IT initiatives that
require systems analysts to design and develop customized computer systems.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

10. 8 Web Developer (web 2.0)
• Career Growth: 22% (faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 65,700
• Average Salary: $91,000
• Web Developer Training
Top Growth Factors:
Each year, a record number of businesses brings their offerings to the World Wide
Web. As the number of products and services online grows, web developers will
continue to see increased job opportunities. The proliferation of social media and
Web 2.0 sites will contribute to the high demand for skilled and talented web 2.0
developers, as businesses look for web-based solutions to engage a new generation
of customers and spur a competitive advantage in these fast-growing platforms.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

11. 9 Health Information Technician
• Career Growth: 21% (faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 37,700
• Average Salary: $46,000
• Health Information Technician Training
Top Growth Factors:
Health care will produce more new IT jobs from 2012 – 2020 than any other single
industry. Aggressive government mandates and federal funding incentives for
health care practices to adopt electronic medical record (EMR) systems is driving
unprecedented growth in healthcare IT hiring. Candidates beginning their health
information technician education now will be well-positioned for supervisory roles
as the health IT job market continues its rapid ascension throughout this decade.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

12. 10 Technology Manager
• Career Growth: 18% (faster than avg.)
• New Jobs 2010-2020: 55,800
• Average Salary: $111,000
• Technology Manager Training
Top Growth Factors:
Technology manager employment growth is closely tied to the growth rates of the
IT occupations they supervise. Unprecedented growth in a range of IT career fields
– including networking, web 2.0 and mobile development, software engineering,
database management, IT security, cloud & virtualization technologies, etc. – will
continue from 2012 to 2020 and beyond, in turn fueling the need for skilled and
talented IT managers to “steer the ship.”
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook | Indeed.com | ITCareerFinder.com

13. Chart Ten Fastest Growing IT Careers
IT Career Path Growth Percentage | 2010 through 2020
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)

14. About ITCareerFinder
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15. Source Materials
 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook
(Published Late March 2012)
 Indeed.com
(Live Salary Data Q2 2012)
 Computerworld IT Forecast 2012 Survey
(Published Q4 2011)