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Job outlook for computer specialists in the United States
Computer specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected computer specialist job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 83,100 new jobs for computer specialists are projected over the next decade.
Computer specialist salaries have increased 9% for computer specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 251,900 computer specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 75,054 active computer specialist job openings in the US.
The average computer specialist salary is $75,950.
Are computer specialist jobs in demand?
Computer specialist job and salary trends over time
Computer specialist jobs over time
Computer specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 251,900 | 0.07% |
| 2020 | 319,854 | 0.10% |
| 2019 | 276,712 | 0.08% |
| 2018 | 164,136 | 0.05% |
| 2017 | 157,516 | 0.05% |
Average computer specialist salary over time
Computer specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $75,950 | $36.51 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $73,448 | $35.31 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $71,785 | $34.51 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $70,700 | $33.99 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $69,546 | $33.44 | +1.6% |
Computer specialist jobs by state
Most common states for computer specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 516 | 74% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 176 | 24% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 147 | 24% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,758 | 21% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,222 | 20% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 197 | 20% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 154 | 20% |
| 8 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 117 | 20% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 257 | 19% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 545 | 18% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 340 | 18% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,177 | 17% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 525 | 17% |
| 14 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 228 | 16% |
| 15 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 209 | 16% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 165 | 16% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 164 | 16% |
| 18 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 137 | 16% |
| 19 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 835 | 15% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 989 | 14% |
Most common cities for computer specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ann Arbor | 5 | 4% | $70,731 |
| 2 | Pensacola | 2 | 4% | $72,452 |
| 3 | Lemoore | 1 | 4% | $83,253 |
| 4 | National City | 1 | 2% | $79,438 |
| 5 | Port Orange | 1 | 2% | $71,350 |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $80,146 |
| 7 | Virginia Beach | 2 | 0% | $78,954 |
| 8 | Arlington | 1 | 0% | $77,758 |
| 9 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $81,350 |
| 10 | El Paso | 1 | 0% | $78,592 |
| 11 | Glendale | 1 | 0% | $73,876 |
| 12 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 0% | $77,052 |
| 13 | Richmond | 1 | 0% | $78,561 |
| 14 | Rochester | 1 | 0% | $74,357 |
| 15 | San Bernardino | 1 | 0% | $80,056 |
| 16 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $87,790 |
| 17 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $86,732 |
| 18 | Santa Ana | 1 | 0% | $79,977 |
Computer Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of computer specialist experts
Hampton University
Governors State University
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Fairfield University
Grambling State University
Western Illinois University
Quinnipiac University
Texas A&M University San Antonio
University of West Florida
University of Washington
Arizona State University
American University
SUNY Oswego
Gannon University
University of North Carolina Greensboro
University of Oregon
Mount Saint Mary College
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Cleveland State University
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
What general advice would you give to a Computer Specialist?
Dr. Yohannes Bekele: By entering the computer engineering profession now, individuals can take advantage of the high skilled-power demand in the field, diverse career paths broadly classified under hardware and software sub-areas, lucrative salaries as compared to other fields, continuous learning opportunities, and the potential for entrepreneurship in changing ideas into startup businesses easily. It is a field that offers long-term growth prospects and the chance to contribute to the development of cutting-edge technologies.
What Computer Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Yohannes Bekele: A computer engineer's daily tasks can be in the hardware or in the software areas. Some common responsibilities in hardware include designing and developing computer hardware components like processors, circuits and memory devices and creating prototypes and testing hardware products to ensure they meet specifications. In addition, analyzing test data and modifying hardware designs as needed is also the responsibility of a computer engineer. For software side, a computer engineer can do writing code and developing software especially focusing on the underlying hardware and interfacing with it such as kernel level programming and debugging existing software programs and ensuring systems run smoothly. Additionally, a computer engineer is responsible for designing and developing electrical systems and components required for computing systems and modification of electrical circuits based on function assessments. For someone entering the field as a junior or new computer engineer, typical daily activities may involve assisting senior engineers, writing code, testing products, attending training sessions focusing on the above mentioned concentration areas, and participating in meetings to learn about ongoing projects.
What will help Computer Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Yohannes Bekele: In being a computer engineer, people like all the advantages in the field including attractive compensation packages and lucrative salaries, the intellectual satisfaction of solving complex problems, opportunities for continuous learning and innovation as technology rapidly evolves, ability to work on cutting-edge technologies and contribute to their development and the diverse career paths across hardware, software, embedded systems, and various industries. The main struggle most people have in becoming a computer engineer is its steep learning curve especially when it comes to hardware design and related areas. It takes years to become proficient in the field as compared to other fields such as software programming where a relatively shorter amount of time is enough to join the workforce. In addition, the ever evolving environment with constantly changing technologies, standards, and the need to keep learning new things makes it difficult to achieve the epitome in the field.
What general advice would you give to a Computer Specialist?
Rich Manprisio MPM, PMP: Soft skills are necessary always but in regard to technical skills I see AI having a more prevalent role in IT. Graduates will need to look for ways both to leverage AI to help deal with cybersecurity related issues in addition on how AI can aid in complete infrastructure tasks
What Computer Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rich Manprisio MPM, PMP: Make sure you stay on top of the latest developments with technology. With the fluidity of technology, students today need to have the solid groundwork of a degree in IT but also understand things are continually changing and this need to always be continuing their learning and professional development.
What will help Computer Specialists increase their earning potential?
Rich Manprisio MPM, PMP: Certifications help set you apart from other graduates. When just starting out focus on vendor neutral certifications that can show potential employers that you are willing to get the necessary additional certifications that are prevalent in the IT field.
Dr. Darshika Perera Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Computer Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Computer Specialist?
Dr. Darshika Perera Ph.D.: One of my main advice for Computer Engineering students is that they should get hands-on experience as much as possible through various courses comprising labs and projects. In order to excel in this field, it is imperative for the students not only to learn the fundamentals but also to get hands-on experience. Also, as professors and educators, we are here to help students to get through their coursework and degree program successfully. Therefore, I would encourage students to have an open dialogue with their professors/instructors, and not to hesitate on approaching them with any concerns/problems encountered during the courses or degree program. My advice is not to get deterred by the years that you have to spend or some of the difficult courses that you have to take, instead consider this as a journey that you are taking to enhance your life and career.
What Computer Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Darshika Perera Ph.D.: Most of our computer engineering students at UCCS get job offers before they graduate with salaries ranging from $80k to $110k. Students should go for industry internships before graduating to familiarize themselves with industry settings and boost their career as well as salary potential. Students should emphasize their technical skills and know-how gained throughout their computer engineering degree program, demonstrate how those skills differentiate from other degree programs (such as computer science) and match with the expertise that companies are looking for, and highlight how they can be a valuable asset to the company to maximize their salary potential when seeking careers in this field.
What will help Computer Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Darshika Perera Ph.D.: In the realm of computer engineering, embedded systems design and digital systems design will become more important and prevalent. Students have to learn the state-of-the-art techniques to design embedded systems, which includes programming the embedded microprocessor/microcontrollers using embedded programming such as embedded C, in order to interface with the associated hardware such as sensors and actuators, and also to design corresponding hardware circuits. It is also imperative for the students to learn the state-of-the-art techniques and skills to design digital circuits, using hardware-description languages (HDL) such as Verilog and VHDL. Digital circuit designs, including programmable logic such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), are becoming very popular among the industry for various applications.
What general advice would you give to a Computer Specialist?
Jason Nichols PhD: The business environment is very dynamic right now, especially with regards to technology, and specifically with regards to AI. The advice remains the same through this however - stay curious, and always be learning. AI requires infrastructure, and lots of it. It also requires data. Lots of that as well. Businesses won’t be successful with AI unless they are able to efficiently and dynamically expand, configure, and adjust their infrastructure in support of its implementation. They also won’t be successful unless they have a solid plan for data storage, management and security. They need your help with this, and your training has prepared you to provide this type of support. This is an exciting time to be an Information Systems Professional. You are helping to shape the future of work, and the role of technology within the modern business enterprise. We are all counting on you, your company is counting on you, and you are up for this challenge and the emergent opportunities it brings.
What Computer Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jason Nichols PhD: Businesses need people to manage and secure their infrastructure, they need people that deeply and richly understand the mechanics of the systems that support them in their work, and they need people equipped to identify how to leverage these systems in transformative ways in order to create meaningful and sustainable value. All of this is underpinned by a rich understanding of the business, how it operates, and how its strategic objectives are intrinsically tied to the technology upon which it runs. Sharpen your skills in cloud computing and AI-relevant cloud services and platforms, in machine learning and AI, and in systems analysis and design. Explore design patterns relevant to the architecture of business technology systems and solutions. Become an expert at orchestrating technology and infrastructure to suit a given business need, objective, or strategy. These skills are timeless.
What will help Computer Specialists increase their earning potential?
Jason Nichols PhD: Build your experience base through internships and industry projects, and brag about these experiences when you interview. Collect professional certificates to compliment your degree. Security and cloud computing are excellent areas to pursue these in right now. AI and machine learning as well, of course. Build a structured skillset in problem solving and critical thinking, and demonstrate this skillset in your discussions with future employers. Map all of these efforts into a coherent story about yourself in your applications, and how they have shaped you to be a tech-savvy business problem solver, with a strong understanding of both the business and the technology. This foundation prepares you for so very many roles in our field, and businesses recognize and actively seek out this profile in their job candidates. Use the resources available to you. If you need additional time for more formal training, join a masters program. Join us for a masters program, actually. Our AI in Business masters program is launching this Fall, and is open for enrollment currently. Visit us here to learn more: https://wpcarey.asu.edu/masters-programs/ai-business
What skills stand out on Computer Specialist resumes?
Dr. Harvey Hoffman: The United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts outstanding and lucrative career opportunities whether graduates specialize in computer engineering, which emphasizes computer design and development, or computer science, which focuses on computing theory, data analysis, cybersecurity, algorithms, and computer networks.
I could predict that the future trends lay solely in the technologies associated with artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, embedded systems, and big data, but I would probably be incorrect. The engineering profession faces a whirlwind of technology and social change. It has been said that the half-life of an engineer is about five years, perhaps less. The key to survival is adaptation to a dynamic profession and world. Today's engineers must constantly be aware of technology's changing expectations and learn new skills and competencies.
Newly minted engineers must take ownership of their careers, whether mastering a new computer language or tool or becoming proficient in a totally different discipline. Engineers should consider improving their communication skills to improve interactions with their team, clients, and management. They need to clearly communicate complex ideas and technical project plans. Good writing, listening, and presentation skills are imperative. Today's workforce must take personal initiative to maintain their relevance.
The key to remaining highly employable, successful engineers is to constantly learn, upgrade skills, and constantly adapt to new situations.
Yenumula Reddy
IEEE Senior Member, ACM Senior Member, IARIA FellowGrambling State University
College of Arts and Sciences
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Yenumula Reddy: The biggest trend - students do not have enough hands-on, means they get but not enough.. F2F training helps a lot. During the COVID, F2F is very difficult even though we try to provide facilities. Internships became limited and work from home and students have limited experience with industry and work with mentors and other group students in the projects as they do F2F. Sharing their information with other students is limited during COVID.
What soft skills should all Computer Specialists possess?
Yenumula Reddy: Mini and large project implementation and work on group projects is very important. Presenting the results in the workshops, annual meetings will help to improve the students' confidence and meet other educators and share their experiences. Certification helps to get the good starting jobs.
What's a day at work look like for a Computer Specialist?
Yenumula Reddy: It is entirely new world and lot of enthusiasm and many new faces. Try to adjust and socialize and try to have new friends. But, for a student had internship first day work may not much difference.
My students share their experience and I saw this difference between the student had internship and the one entered without.
But it is an unforgettable day.
Hoyet Hemphill Ph.D.
IDT Program Coordinator and Graduate Advisor, Instructional Design and TechnologyWestern Illinois University
School of Engineering and Technology
What skills stand out on Computer Specialist resumes?
Hoyet Hemphill Ph.D.: The next K12 job mostly advertised is Technology specialist, and the majority of the skills include knowledge of data visualization tools like google data studio, strong spreadsheet skills. (Google Sheets is preferred.), ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy, excellent communication and analytical skills, knowledge of data analytics, ability to troubleshoot data questions, excellent organizational skills including attention to detail and multi-tasking skills, excellent client-facing and internal communication skills. Duties most seen include interpreting, summarizing, and communicating data analyses to clients, ability to create forms and strategies to help schools efficiently and effectively collect data, download, review, and interpret school-related data from assessment providers, school spreadsheets, and other systems.
The skills required majorly for the curriculum designer position include understanding by design principles for curriculum design, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, excellent writing skills, ability to create effective and fair assessment methods. The duties include collaborating effectively and extensively with internal and external partners, including content and specialty teams to ensure the curriculum is developed in accordance with all articulated quality standards, overseeing the review/feedback process for all subject curriculum, including coordination of teacher review teams, consensus building, conflict resolution, planning, and decision-making, etc.
Guido Lang Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer Information SystemsQuinnipiac University
School of Business
What skills stand out on Computer Specialist resumes?
Guido Lang Ph.D.: - Systems analysis and design
- Business/process/data modeling
- IT project management
- Change management
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Computer Information SystemsTexas A&M University San Antonio
Computer Information Systems Department
What skills stand out on Computer Specialist resumes?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: The skills that stand out will depend on the job position you apply for. I do not think there is a set of universal skills that will stand out for any job. Instead, your resume skills must match the expected requirements for a specific job.
What soft skills should all Computer Specialists possess?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: -Ability to work as part of a team.
-Attention to detail.
-Problem-solving and analytical skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Specialists?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: -Programming.
-Understand algorithms and data structures.
What skills will help Computer Specialists earn the most?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: My personal view is that instead of following the skills that command higher salaries, one should focus on a field that you like and feel at ease with. Instead of following the money, one should follow your heart, and money will eventually follow.
Dr. Thomas Gilbar Ph.D.
Chair and LecturerUniversity of West Florida
Electrical and Computer Engineering
What soft skills should all Computer Specialists possess?
Dr. Thomas Gilbar Ph.D.: Communication skills, as I mentioned before, are absolutely vital. Note this means not only written but also verbal skills. I have had some excellent students struggle to find a job because their interview and communication skills are lacking. If you are given an opportunity to do a mock interview with the career services department at your University, take it.
Besides that, the soft skills mentioned most often by employers are time and project management. Plan to enthusiastically discuss any projects you worked on from start to finish. If you have no experience, those capstone projects required in just about every engineering program become absolutely vital. Don't skimp just to get it done. Choose a project that you can be proud of and that showcases your abilities. Emphasize any leadership roles you have had and your experience with working on a team.
Don't forget to show that you are willing and able to learn. Computer Engineers work in a very large variety of companies. The chances of your BSCE program covering everything you need are slim to none. Be ready to discuss things that you picked up on your own and emphasize your openness and excitement to learn more.
What skills will help Computer Specialists earn the most?
Dr. Thomas Gilbar Ph.D.: Selling yourself is absolutely vital. Technical skills are certainly critical to success as a computer engineer, but the employers we work with are also looking for students who are a good "fit" with their organization. Fit differs by organization, so do your research, so you know what they do and what they're looking for before submitting that resume/cover letter and going into an interview. Show that you don't just want any job, but you want this job and what you can bring to their organization and its goals. Most often, your fit will be determined by showcasing soft skills like communication, leadership, critical thinking, professionalism, teamwork, and other related skills. UWF's Office of Career Development & Community Engagement has developed the Argo2Pro Career Readiness Program, which is designed to provide students with vital career readiness skills and assist them in providing evidence to employers that they are both academically prepared and career-ready. Take advantage of these types of programs. They, like most other Universities, also offer mock interviews, resume reviews and even help students review job offers.
What skills stand out on Computer Specialist resumes?
Dr. Thomas Gilbar Ph.D.: Resumes can be tricky things. You want to introduce yourself without overloading the reviewer. Note that this doesn't mean just listing technical skills. I heard from one of our alumni that grammar and misspellings will land a resume into the discard pile almost immediately. I can't emphasize how important it is to proofread resumes and cover letters before submitting them. Keep it neat and easy to follow. It is their first (and possibly only) impression of you, so make it good.
Aside from that, anything that emphasizes your leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills is always a plus. Any examples of seeing a project from beginning to end (including budgeting, planning, and design) are good. From a technical standpoint, being up to date on hot programming languages is pretty much required. Knowledge and comfort with a variety of operating systems are also important. Since we are talking about Computer Engineers and not Computer Scientists, make sure to emphasize hardware/software integration skills. Any experience you have with microcontroller design and applications is a huge plus, and don't leave out knowledge of PLD/FPGA design, programming, and testing.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Specialists?
Dr. Thomas Gilbar Ph.D.: There are quite a few hard/technical skills that are important for Computer Engineers. We've found a lot of managers are looking for comfort in a variety of programming languages, including C++, C#, Java, Python, etc. Also, try to have a background in a variety of operating systems (certainly windows and mac, but also having experience on Apple iOS, Android, and even Linux will give you a leg up on the competition). Having at least some experience in data/cyber security is also important these days. On the hardware side, programming and applying microcontrollers and VHDL/Verilog programming are extremely important. VLSI design is also a nice addition to skill sets, though in most cases, not a deal-breaker. Circuit and electronic design are also very important skills to supplement your microcontroller skills.
Rania Hussein Ph.D.
Associate Teaching ProfessorUniversity of Washington
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
What skills stand out on Computer Specialist resumes?
Rania Hussein Ph.D.: Familiarity with embedded systems design and firmware programming. IoT came to the spotlight because of COVID-19 and the need to work on projects remotely. This will likely tend to grow post-pandemic.
What soft skills should all Computer Specialists possess?
Rania Hussein Ph.D.: Being coachable, know how to learn and figure things out, effective communication skills, continuous self-development.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Specialists?
Rania Hussein Ph.D.: C language and hardware description language, such as Verilog, microcontrollers and FPGA programming, computer organization, and low-level programming in assembly.
What skills will help Computer Specialists earn the most?
Rania Hussein Ph.D.: Continuous professional development and working on side projects to learn new technical and marketable skills.
Robert Rucker
LecturerArizona State University
School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering
What hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Specialists?
Robert Rucker: From step 2, knowing a particular technology very well may not match the employer's needs, so there is a real need to articulate principles (the hard part of education). For example:
1. Need to know how to design and implement ( or contribute to) a 'principled' information base (this is a skill my students encounter routinely)
a. Designing an information system requires knowing multiple levels of analysis and synthesis
- I teach the undergrad and graduate levels of database
( I have been teaching' conceptual level modeling --- using Object role modeling ( this is a layer above ER and relational, and has been underappreciated IMO
b. relational level analysis using SQL
implementational level using T-SQL
c. NoSQL using Couchbase and SQL++ and hence the key-value mode of storage
implementation ( SQL + NoSQL seem essential in this world of federated databases !)
d. Of course, there is the underlying substrate of approaching an info task in the first place!
2. For what it's worth, I also teach big data. Again, finding (understanding) and exemplifying the principles underlying the algorithms and data development is crucial.
What skills stand out on Computer Specialist resumes?
Robert Rucker: Being articulate/communicative is a real positive - being able to write up a coherent report is a big plus.
What soft skills should all Computer Specialists possess?
Robert Rucker: Being able to learn a new technology very quickly is critical since that is what my students encounter.
Anthony Baron
Teaching Assistant, Associate Software EngineerAmerican University
What skills stand out on Computer Specialist resumes?
Anthony Baron: For new graduates, the main skills that stand would definitely include which programming languages (Java, JavaScript, Python, etc.) have been used along with a depth of knowledge, which frameworks and libraries (React, Django, Flask, etc.) were used throughout projects and internships, and showing work experience. Most introductory and required courses will teach programming languages but do not always teach frameworks, which is why I would always recommend people to do personal projects and internships throughout college. Many positions at the entry-level are often very general. However, positions that are looking for specifics will look for certain skills and experience. For example, positions looking more towards web development would be more interested in whether a user used frameworks used to build websites. Showing leadership and trustworthiness is also a helpful skill to stand out via work experience and university clubs.
What soft skills should all Computer Specialists possess?
Anthony Baron: The main soft skills I would say are needed for Computer Science software engineering are patience, perseverance, creativity, respect, teamwork, and openness to learning and teaching. Programming involves a lot of trial and error, researching, and learning better techniques for solving a problem. Due to this, patience and perseverance to reach the final goal in mind are crucial. When it comes to the learning aspect, there are many languages, frameworks, and libraries, and working with them involves a steeper learning curve than others. On top of this, there are often more elegant ways to program a solution, and many new frameworks and libraries are released throughout the industry. This is where patience and perseverance is also a virtue. Lastly, programming and creating a product are often done in teams, where working together and learning from each other is important.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Specialists?
Anthony Baron: The main technical/ hard skills, I would say, are mainly the same as in part 1. Another hard skill that will come through with experience in programming is learning how to Google, more specifically knowing exactly what to search to solve an issue in the code.
What skills will help Computer Specialists earn the most?
Anthony Baron: By earning, do you mean financially, career-wise, or most growth? Career-wise, it really depends on what the final goal is. For web developers, learning the programming languages and frameworks for web development would be the way to go. In general, any experience with programming and knowing a little about a lot will be helpful. Having top-level theory knowledge (some but not in-depth) is also very helpful. It will help you better understand what is happening under the hood and determine which methods are more efficient than others. Financially, it really depends on what skills are most in-demand today. Also, getting a Masters opens doors to more job opportunities, and in some companies, allows for a pay increase. However, this is not the case everywhere.
What type of skills will young Computer Specialists need?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: In addition to their academic skills, young graduates should be able to effectively communicate across multiple platforms and be able to adapt to changing work environments. Given the various means of communications and collaborations that are available nowadays, young graduates should be able to clearly express their ideas either in a video conference or through the traditional email communications. Effective communication will be essential to succeed as a member of any engineering team.
How do you envision technology impacting Computer Specialists in the next 5 years?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: There has been recently a great focus on certain engineering technologies that enable smart systems with fast communications abilities. This has led to a revolution in several technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, wireless communications and cloud computing. Innovation in these fields will be essential in the upcoming years in order to keep up with the social and economic needs of modern life. The benefits of these innovations will have a long-lasting effect on our society.
What general advice would you give to a Computer Specialist?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: Young graduates should continuously seek every learning opportunity to enhance their professional skills. With the fast growth of engineering technology, it is important for engineers to remain up to date with the most recent innovations in their fields. The learning process does not stop at graduation, but instead, it extends beyond college to the workplace where engineers can gain expert knowledge in their fields.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Specialists?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: YES. You will see more remote work for computing graduates. Consequently, the need for more remote teamwork experience with tools and projects will become more desirable.
What's a day at work look like for a Computer Specialist?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: This will be largely dependent on the company and industry. Many computing divisions are going to be slow to pulling people back to the office, but the balance of costs and benefits will get looked at more closely. Will the fully remote new employee model stick? I might be on the hopeful side here, but I hope not. The struggle being a new employee is that you need to absorb the culture of the new company; corporate and team culture matters, and is much harder to develop remotely.
What will help Computer Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: In computing, this will still remain similar to what it has been: Competency development, e.g., both 'soft skills' of working well to make technology work well, and the 'hard skills' related to specific technology needs. The latter are always changing.
Apoorva Patipati Ramesh
Lecturer & Director - Graduate ProgramsUniversity of North Carolina Greensboro
Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Apoorva Patipati Ramesh: - Shift towards jobs in the IT industry.
- More IT professionals coming back to attain higher education.
- Organizations more comfortable with hiring interns.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Specialists?
Apoorva Patipati Ramesh: For students, courses and certificates that provide hands-on experience in skills like Tableau, Python, R, etc. can have a very positive impact on job prospects. Some of our academic graduate certificates also align very closely with industry certifications such as CISSP, CompTIA Network+ etc. These are highly valuable assets to have.
How have salaries changed over time for Computer Specialists?
Apoorva Patipati Ramesh: Per 2020 data, STEM occupations - the ones our students typically land after completing the MS degree - have a median annual wage that is more than double that of the non-STEM jobs. This gap has been and is only widening with time. A graduate from an MS program is typically being offered anywhere between $60,000 and $120,000 in wages depending on the years of work experience they possess.
Hayden Harker
Senior Instructor, Head Undergraduate AdvisorUniversity of Oregon
Department of Mathematics
What soft skills should all Computer Specialists possess?
Hayden Harker: For math majors, there are many jobs that specifically use mathematical techniques learned in a specific course and you don't prove theorems in jobs. However, these students need to be flexible and willing to solve many different problems even if they don't necessarily feel like a math calculation. Solid problem solving skills and logical thought process are some of the greatest assets for math majors.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Hayden Harker: Students should consider remote jobs if not going to graduate school. I suspect many businesses will keep some positions as remote ones.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Robin Rosenberg: Biggest Trends: Tele-health is here to stay. More mental health services have been provided electronically than ever before and that trend is likely to continue even after the return of in-person counseling. Many clients may find it far more convenient to obtain counseling from the comfort of their own home, or to eliminate the travel time. More providers are now comfortable with the technology. While tele-health is not likely to completely replace in person counseling sessions, just as in medical treatment it will create another option.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Specialists?
Robin Rosenberg: Certifications/Licenses/Courses--For anyone who is interested in a career in mental health treatment, graduate school and licensure in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, or Mental Health Counseling is essential. For other professional careers at the Bachelor's level, courses or certification in care management is extremely helpful as that becomes more of the norm in the field of healthcare in general. Health insurance is changing, and one of the trends to keep costs down is to shift from a fee for service to a flat rate per patient. To make that financially feasible for the healthcare providers, there will be much more of an emphasis on prevention and wellness. Care managers will help to coordinate care and keep costs down by encouraging prevention, wellness, adherence to treatment for chronic medical conditions.
How have salaries changed over time for Computer Specialists?
Robin Rosenberg: In social sciences, the salaries have gone up marginally. This is not a field for people who want to make a fortune, but it is a great field for people who want to make a living while helping other people with the most challenging aspects of life.
Sathish Kumar Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer ScienceCleveland State University
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Specialists?
Sathish Kumar Ph.D.: I can speak of from computer science/ information systems/information technology perspective, which are my areas of expertise. Due to the steady growth in cloud computing and remote workcertifications/licenses/courses related to cloud technology will have great impact as well as the certifications/licenses/courses in the Machine Learning/Data Science and Cybersecurity due to the growth in that space.
What will help Computer Specialists increase their earning potential?
Sathish Kumar Ph.D.: While hard technical skills are needed to carry out basic job functions, soft skills such as verbal and written communication, critical thinking, and openness to other culture) are important to increase the professional's earning potential. Also, the professional should think how their work contributes to the bottom line of the organization and be able to communicate that value of their work to their employer.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Specialists?
Sathish Kumar Ph.D.: I think the coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated the technology trends such as digital payment, tele health, ecommerce, telework, elearning, AI/Robotics etc., All these accelerations of the technology trends only increase the demand for the graduates especially for the graduates majoring in computer science, and information systems/technology.
I believe the concept of remote work and remote meetings is going to stay and has changed how one would be working and the new graduated or the junior professional should try to adapt or build the skills to be successful in the new work environment.
Dr. Patrick Madsen
Executive DirectorUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
University Career Center
What's a good job out of college for Computer Specialists?
Dr. Patrick Madsen: A "good job" is defined in many different ways and is somewhat subjective. Most people begin that conversation with "does it pay enough", but we have really seen students start to drift from salary being at the top of their list to more things like: does it connect to my strengths, does the company value what I value, do I see a "future" with the company or opportunity for growth, and the importance of work/life balance. In our line of work, we call this "Purposeful Work".
What will help Computer Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Patrick Madsen: What tends to help individuals do well in any field and increase their earning potential is to pay close attention to building a strong professional network, staying on top of the competencies/skills that the industry demands in candidates, and remembering to have a mindset of a "lifelong learner" - the future of work demands agile knowledge workers that are flexible to new situations and environments. The current pandemic is a perfect example of the need for an agile and flexible workforce.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Specialists?
Dr. Patrick Madsen: At this time, it is hard to know if there will be an "enduring impact" on graduates but I can say that there has been a big difference between what we saw during the "Great Recession" versus our current situation. With our current situation, I have noticed employers really making a good effort to continue their internship programs in a remote environment, create new online training opportunities for students, and new partnerships in the development of NEW internships for students. Our career center has really stepped up to the plate to show students the multitude of ways they can continue to build skills and "resume capital" aside from just traditional internships during this time and providing them the skills to "recession proof" their careers in the future.