IT Salary and Job Outlook 2026
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Pay depends on occupation, location, experience, employer, and the type of compensation. A national median is the middle wage for people already working in an occupation. It is not an entry-level offer or a forecast for your city.
Current U.S. Occupation Data
The table uses U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook pages checked in October 2026. Median annual wages are for May 2025. Employment projections cover 2025 to 2035. BLS definitions do not match every job title in a posting.
| BLS occupation | May 2025 median annual wage | Projected employment change, 2025–2035 |
|---|---|---|
| Computer user support specialists | $61,860 | -3% |
| Computer network support specialists | $76,220 | +1% |
| Network and computer systems administrators | $99,130 | -4% |
| Information security analysts | $129,180 | +21% |
| Computer and information systems managers | $175,140 | +16% |
Computer support specialists as a combined occupation have a projected decline of 3%, yet BLS estimates about 48,700 openings per year on average, primarily from workers leaving the occupation. Growth and openings answer different questions. A projection does not guarantee hiring in a specific market.
Match the Data to Your Role
A posting for cloud engineer or DevOps engineer might map to several BLS occupations. Read the duties before choosing a comparison. Do not assign a national median to an entry-level title solely because the names sound similar.
- Record the role, city or remote location, employer, posting date, and duties.
- Find the closest BLS occupation and a local wage estimate through its State & Area Data link.
- Compare several current postings with the same location and scope. Note whether a listed range is base pay or total compensation.
- Check benefits, bonus rules, overtime status, equity terms, on-call expectations, and travel costs separately.
- Recheck figures before negotiating. Wages and postings change, and published estimates often lag current offers.
Do not assume a clearance, certification, cloud platform, company size, or remote arrangement adds a fixed premium. Those factors interact with role, location, eligibility, and employer policy. Document the actual requirement and offer terms.
Practice
Choose two postings for the same role in one metro area. Write down base pay range, required experience, schedule, and benefits for each. Compare those with the closest BLS local data. Explain why the national median is or is not a fair benchmark for your own experience. If a posting hides pay, record that limit rather than inventing a number.
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