The average technologist makes an annual salary of $104,566, a 6.9 percent increase between 2020 and 2021. However, many technologists make far more—particularly at the tech giants such as Netflix, Google, and Microsoft, which are more than happy to shell out generous salaries and stock packages to retain their best talent.

How high can those salaries go?

Interestingly, , the companies offering the biggest payouts didn’t necessarily belong in the MAMAA (Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet) collective of mega-tech companies.

Let’s look at the companies that offered the highest compensation to entry-level software engineers. Keep in mind that these aren’t company averages for software engineers; rather, at least one employee had the skills, experience, and negotiating skills to pull down the listed amount, which includes a mix of salaries, bonuses, and stock...

How does an entry-level software engineer earn a quarter-million dollars per year?

It requires highly specialized skills. Two Sigma, for example, is a hedge fund that heavily leverages artificial intelligence (A.I.), machine learning, and distributed computing to help make trades. Whatever L1 engineer pulled down $250,000 no doubt had the background to help build and scale platforms featuring these technologies, despite their relative lack of experience (engineers in this tier have often spent 0-2 years in tech).

Roblox, an online game platform, also paid out generous salaries to engineers. Its job postings mention a variety of complicated skills including data analytics and machine learning; knowledge of multiple programming languages often pops up, as well.

Now let’s look at the other end of the scale: compensation for principal engineers. A few lucky engineers at Roblox and Facebook are pulling down somewhere between $940,000 and $1.2 million, and other companies aren’t far behind...

These kinds of engineers can have a sizable impact on their company’s fortunes, hence the massive compensation. Typically 15+ years of experience is how summarizes a principal engineer’s background and responsibilities. Usually less than 3 percent of employees in a company are at this level. Smaller companies may not have any individuals at this level. Impact spans across the company and sometimes industry. Expected to operate fully autonomously.

Principal engineers are often tasked with bet-the-company initiatives, whether that’s a virtual reality (VR) ecosystem (in the case of Meta) or an updated search-engine algorithm (Google). To ascend to that level, you need more than just technical mastery—you need the “soft skills” such as empathy and communication that will allow you to manage multiple stakeholders, including top executives.

A U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) filing on Jan. 25 alleged Oracle discriminated against black, Asian and female employees, as well as international workers with visas, funneling them into lower-paying roles and ultimately underpaying them to the tune of $400 million dollars (More details: https://src.bna.com/EXa).

The OFCCP, which enforces equal pay and ensures government contractors comply with anti-discrimination legislation, states: Oracle “impermissibly denies equal employment opportunity to non-Asian applicants for employment, strongly preferring a workforce that it can later underpay. Once employed, women, Blacks and Asians are systematically underpaid relative to their peers.” The practice allegedly goes back to 2013.

The OFCCP also alleges Oracle discriminates against those who have visas, often putting them in low-level jobs. The vast majority of hires from Oracle’s college recruiting program, the suit alleges, were international students with student visas. These students required work authorization to remain in the United States after graduation,” the suit alleges. “In other words, Oracle overwhelmingly hires workers dependent upon Oracle for sponsorship to remain in the United States.

The OFCCP filed the suit against Oracle last January, following the Labor Department’s 2014 audit of the company. That suit was followed by an employee-led class-action lawsuit last September alleging Oracle pays women less than men in similar jobs (More details: https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/29/former-oracle-employees-sue-company-for-alleged-pay-discrimination).

Oracle isn’t the only large tech company the OFCCP says has engaged in these practices. In 2017, the OFCCP found that Google violated federal law based on information showing that systemic pay discrepancies exist within the company (More details: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/07/google-pay-disparities-women-labor-department-lawsuit?awc=11152_1549046646_0cd8af42a5e75f758ddd13a4aa69877f&utm_source=afl&utm_medium=awin&utm_content=IDG+Communications%2C+Inc.).

That same year, the OFCCP sued Palantir for racial discrimination. Palantir, several months later, settled with the DOL, agreeing to pay $1.7 million in back wages and other types of monetary relief to those affected (More details: https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/26/u-s-department-of-labor-sues-palantir-for-racial-discrimination).

Sometimes, it doesn’t even take a lawsuit; Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has said it's "so easy" to close the pay gap using human resources management software "with a push of one button, every CEO in the world can know exactly what their pay discrepancy is between men and women," Benioff said in this video interview: https://money.cnn.com/2017/04/04/news/companies/salesforce-equal-pay-women

Oracle, of course, says the discrimination lawsuit is “meritless.” Oracle’s EVP and general counsel said, “This meritless lawsuit is based on false allegations and a seriously flawed process within the OFCCP that relies on cherry picked statistics rather than reality. … We fiercely disagree with the spurious claims and will continue in the process to prove them false. We are in compliance with our regulatory obligations, committed to equality, and proud of our employees.”

We know the wage gap exists. We know pay discrimination exists, even in tech. We know sexism and racism and unconscious bias exist — so, Oracle, maybe instead of wasting time, money and energy denying and fighting these claims, perhaps admit your mistake, make amends, and move forward.

New data suggests that tech skills such as network analysis, computer vision, Chef.io, and neural networks are worth anywhere from $140 to $200 per hour on the open market. What other skills earned over $100 per hour? Firmware engineering and hardware prototyping hit $130 per hour, while cloud computing averaged $125. Spatial analysis and “Apple Watch” (presumably building iOS smartwatch apps) pulled down $110 per hour, as did NetSuite development. Algorithm development and software debugging were worth a cool $100 per hour.

Obviously, not all freelancers (and gigs) are created equal, and there’s no guarantee that someone with these skills will earn these amounts on the open market. That being said, there are some easily discernable trends behind these freelancer payouts; for example, the high rates paid to those specializing in computer vision suggests there’s a serious market for machine learning and artificial intelligence (A.I.), of which computer vision is a pretty significant building block.

In similar fashion, interest in spatial analysis suggests companies are exploring things such as mapping spaces—potentially vital for everything from self-driving cars to commerce. But for those who don’t specialize in a cutting-edge skill, the good news is that more “standard issue” skills such as debugging and algorithm building can still earn tech pros quite a bit of cash.

While tech freelancing is potentially lucrative, it’s also hard work. Freelancers need to sell themselves, and focus on building up a stable roster of clients who offer repeat business. It’s not for everyone, especially those who dislike the prospect of unsteady income and (occasionally) annoying clients. But for anyone with the right skills and attitude, it can more than pay the bills.

All these high-demand jobs come with signing bonuses, stock options, and the ability to work remotely, of course. More eyebrow-raising perks include college debt payoffs and planned sabbaticals. If you want to move to Silicon Valley to cash in, think again. because the top five states for job growth last year, in order: Utah, North Carolina, Michigan, Washington, and Montana. All five states saw growth of between 4.5 and 6 percent.

Happy hunting:

1. AI

As Artificial Intelligence(AI) speeds how we work with massive amounts of data and converts it into actionable insights, the area is starved for new talent. Corporate and consumer interest are on the rise in areas like automation and autonomous driving, which means engineers with deep learning experience are hard to find. And if you’re thinking of investing in a shift, rest assured. The demand for engineers with AI, machine learning, and deep learning chops doesn’t look to be slowing anytime soon. With the intense focus on predictive analytics, deep learning, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, these positions should remain relevant for years to come.

2. VR/AR

Despite being one of the most in-demand fields, there were fewer than 5,000 potential candidates for Virtual Reality(VR) jobs as of the end of last year. You can expect that number to increase as more organizations embrace the virtual reality trend. While Augmented Reality(AR) and VR tech made a splash with a range of consumer products shown at this year, more promising opportunities will occur this year in the enterprise for simulation and training, which should mean more roles for AR and VR developers -- both in development and security. Companies will begin to realize incredible efficiencies and cost savings by leveraging immersive enterprise apps. In fact, by prediction that by 2020, augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality immersive solutions will be a part of 20 percent of enterprise’s digital transformation strategy.

3. Security analyst

With all the recent cybersecurity breaches and rise of advanced persistent threats, it should come as no surprise that security analysts are in high demand, marked by high starting salaries, potential for growth, and greater influence in the workplace these days. In the United States, more than 285,000 cybersecurity positions sat vacant in 2016, and an estimated 2 million positions will be left unfilled by 2020. With the struggle to hire in-house cybersecurity talent, organizations open themselves up to hacking, data breaches, and ransomware attacks. Security analysts need to be generalists with skills that are broader than deep, with the ability to work in various areas of the company doing the hiring. They should be able to think strategically and see the big picture regarding information security, and have the necessary interpersonal skills to deal with stakeholders and speak to board members.

4. Cloud integrator

The evolution of IT can be divided into three stages: the mainframe era, the PC/internet era, and now the cloud/mobile era, where new technologies built with the cloud in mind will gain more traction, including machine learning and blockchain. Companies facing tightening budgets are constantly forced to do more with less, and then cut costs all over again. Enter the cloud. And where cost-cutting closes one door, another opens. Consequently, developers and implementation specialists who specialize in cloud solutions roles are in high demand for those who are familiar with Microsoft 365, Workday, Salesforce.com, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Service Now, Oracle Cloud, and SAP. Contractors can make $150-250 an hour implementing cloud services, or as much as $175,00 a year, which is too much skin in the game for many companies. That opens up opportunities for “system integrators” who both install the cloud service and train up the IT department on how to use it.

5. Full-stack engineers

Web users are increasingly demanding more robust, app-like consumer experiences, which has led to strong demand for front- and back-end web developers -- and even more for those who combine those skills as full-stack engineers. Familiarity with open-source platforms is key. While .Net and Java will continue their dominance in 2017, larger trends in open source development are growing. We’re seeing uptick in requests for IT professionals with PHP, Python, Node.JS, and HTML/CSS experience. This trend is driven by companies moving away from the traditional platforms that require licensing fees. The JavaScript ecosystem is maturing rapidly and ES2015 (formerly ES6) is the foundation of its future. While JavaScript is currently hot and the JavaScript frameworks rock, what will differentiate JavaScript developers going forward is their knowledge of ES2015 and associated tools. Openings for full-stack engineers grew more than 100 percent from 2015 to 2016, with salaries ranging from just over six figures to nearly $140,000. Certifications for application development and ScrumMaster may help boost your pay or expand your opportunities, once you have proven your mettle with a full-stack framework.

6. Data scientist

As AI becomes part of the business toolkit, making decisions quickly based on large amounts of data is increasingly important to firms hiring new developers. All developer roles are in high demand, but there is especially high demand for data scientists. Every company is looking to leverage data and analytics to improve their business and they need individuals who are experts at solving complex data questions. Predictive analytics and machine learning are the future of tech, so you would focus on math, statistics, and behavioral psychology. Regarding programming languages and back-end tech you would emphasize R, Python, Java, JavaScript, Julia, Scala, and Hadoop, among others. Data science has become more complex, broader and more involved as it’s difficult for a single individual to possess all of the required knowledge. Coders come in many forms, and the path to one’s dream role isn’t always linear. Understand what your ultimate goal is. Whether pursuing a career as a data analyst, a statistical modeler, or a data scientist -- which is a subset of the two -- there will be continuous career opportunities.

7. IoT engineer

Job postings for IoT (internet of things) architects spiked more than 40 percent in the last year, and the company predicts that growth is just the start. The internet of things is where the world of technology is going. Working as an IoT engineer has a lot of current and future opportunity, the position is often competitively compensated, and experience with IoT will prepare candidates to move forward within the information technology industry even if they choose to move away from working directly with the internet of things. IoT devices are overwhelming companies with data, much of it unstructured, and firms want to find ways to collect and make sense of that information in a timely way. Companies need more data to have better visibility into their assets, people, and transactions. Businesses will increasingly take advantage of sensors, beacons, and RFID tags in the enterprise environment, lending them a voice to communicate with [users] and producing data constantly and immediately. Decoding the data collected through IoT-enabled devices and wearables will help companies accelerate their decision-making processes, and make more informed business judgments.

Median manager compensation for Wall Street IT in the securities and investments sector comes at $175,000, 20% of it from bonuses, and typical IT staffer in that sector make $112,000. Biotech managers. now pull in 18% less than securities and investment managers. IT pros in state and local government, nonprofit and education get paid the least.

San Francisco reigns as the highest-paying city, with median IT manager pay of $134,000 and staff pay $111,000.

Washington, as the economy recovers, it's tied for No.1 in size of raise(1.6 %), No.2 in staff pay($108,000) and tied with New York for No.2 in manager pay($130,000).

In hard-hit Detroit, its median IT manager pay of $113,000 puts it ninth on our list of cities. Detroit's median IT staff pay is now at $85,000, on par with Minneapolis and close to Dallas and Chicago. 

Страны Евросоюза отчитались о минимальной зарплате(в евро):

Люксембург - 1610
Ирландия - 1462
Голландия - 1357
Бельгия - 1336
Франция - 1321
Великобритания - 1148
.
.
.
Румания - 115
Болгария - 112

Для сравнения, минимальная зарплата в Украине составляет 605 гривен (65 евро по курсу НБУ на 5 декабря), а в России минимальная зарплата составляет 80 евро.

RELOCATING staff to Switzerland is unlikely to keep down wages in a firm's information-technology department. IT managers there raked in an average of $140,960 last year, making them the highest paid in the 35 countries surveyed by Mercer, a consultancy. European countries take six places in the top ten. It is clear why so many IT jobs are outsourced to developing countries. Managers in India earn just $25,000 a year. Only companies in Vietnam, Bulgaria and the Philippines pay less:http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10009916&fsrc=nwl

According to the Google's proxy statement, filed last week with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Larry Page, who is president of products, took in $1 in salary, $1,723 in bonus money, and $36,795 in compensation related to transportation and personal security expenses. Sergey Brin, president of technology, received $1,724 in total compensation. In opposite to Google's founders, CEO Eric Schmidt total 2006 compensation amounted to $557,466 - 95% of which related to personal security expenses.

It's the third year in a row they opted for nominal cash compensation; their primary income is from returns on their ownership stakes in Google, which has made each a multibillionaire.