Highest Paid IT Professionals in 2013 (Part 1)

The field of information technology is still on the rise, and career opportunities are plentiful. IT jobs have shown steady, rapid growth since 1990, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects that the industry will see an average annual employment growth of 6.2 percent through 2020--compared to an average of 2.9 percent for all industries. In fact, tech jobs comprise nearly half of the U.S News & World Report's top 10 list of best jobs for 2013, behind only the medical profession.

A 2013 Salary Guide reports that businesses are offering higher starting pay for tech jobs--an average of 5.3 percent--in order to hire top talent. Of course, some IT jobs are more financially rewarding than others.

In this post and its sequel, we cover the 5 highest paying IT positions for 2013. Here are the first two.

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

CIOs, also known as IT directors, take the responsibility for the technological direction of an organization. There are CIO positions in a variety of companies across multiple industries, from small business to Fortune 500 firms.

The day-to-day duties of a CIO include planning, leadership, and management for all areas of IT--strategy, development, and implementation. The CIO oversees the entire IT department, directing personnel and resources to coordinate every aspect of a company's IT infrastructure and plan future technical direction.

In most cases, CIOs are responsible for recruiting, hiring, and developing staff. These IT professionals oversee IT personnel from coders and programmers to security officers, and also work with outside vendors and contracted third parties when necessary.

CIOs also:

• Establish and manage IT department budgets
• Oversee changes to IT infrastructure, including software upgrades and hardware installation
• Direct the design and implementation of new applications

According to Salary.com, the median salary for CIOs in Houston is $237,718, and the salary range is $148,798 to $347,624.

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

The CTO, which may stand for Chief Technology Officer or Chief Technical Officer, holds a position that is similar to the CIO. These professionals shape and guide the overall technological direction of an organization, and usually report directly to the company's CEO (chief executive officer).

The CTO is a strategic leader for technology platforms within the company, including resources and personnel, as well as external relationships and partnerships. The most common job duties for a CTO are overseeing IT research and development, and developing and implementing special projects.

In addition, CTOs:

• Supervise information systems security, maintenance, and software testing
• Monitor, anticipate, and react to major changes in technology and their impact on the organization
• Establish and ensure adherence to technical standards
• Oversee software development and web applications
• Develop and facilitate market entry for new products

According to Salary.com, the median salary for CTOs in Houston is $192,388, and the salary range is $128,688 to $288,649.

Check out Part 2 of this post for the next 3 top IT job salaries.

If you are looking for IT jobs in Houston TX, contact the staffing experts at Clearpoint today.

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