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Job outlook for computer technician/volunteers in the United States
Computer technician/volunteer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected computer technician/volunteer job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 83,100 new jobs for computer technician/volunteers are projected over the next decade.
Computer technician/volunteer salaries have increased 9% for computer technician/volunteers in the last 5 years.
There are over 87,349 computer technician/volunteers currently employed in the United States.
There are 76,923 active computer technician/volunteer job openings in the US.
The average computer technician/volunteer salary is $66,740.
Are computer technician/volunteer jobs in demand?
Computer technician/volunteer job and salary trends over time
Computer technician/volunteer jobs over time
Computer technician/volunteer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 87,349 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 156,411 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 97,954 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 59,946 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 58,201 | 0.02% |
Average computer technician/volunteer salary over time
Computer technician/volunteer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $66,740 | $32.09 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $64,541 | $31.03 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $63,080 | $30.33 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $62,127 | $29.87 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $61,112 | $29.38 | +1.6% |
Computer technician/volunteer jobs by state
Most common states for computer technician/volunteers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 415 | 60% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 147 | 24% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,168 | 19% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 185 | 19% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,252 | 18% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 238 | 18% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,386 | 16% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 905 | 16% |
| 9 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 481 | 16% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 166 | 16% |
| 11 | Alaska | 739,795 | 121 | 16% |
| 12 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 201 | 15% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 111 | 15% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 813 | 14% |
| 15 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 444 | 14% |
| 16 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 410 | 14% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 142 | 14% |
| 18 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,669 | 13% |
| 19 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,310 | 13% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 915 | 13% |
Computer Technician/Volunteer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of computer technician/volunteer experts
Hampton University
Grambling State University
Texas A&M University San Antonio
University of West Florida
University of Washington
Arizona State University
American University
SUNY Oswego
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
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
High Point University
University at Albany - SUNY
Utah Valley University
Lawrence Technological University
University of Nebraska at Omaha
What general advice would you give to a Computer Technician/Volunteer?
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.
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 Technician/Volunteer 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 Technician/Volunteers 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 Technician/Volunteer?
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.
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 Technician/Volunteer 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 Technician/Volunteers 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 Technician/Volunteers?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: -Programming.
-Understand algorithms and data structures.
What skills will help Computer Technician/Volunteers 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 hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
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 soft skills should all Computer Technician/Volunteers possess?
Rania Hussein Ph.D.: Being coachable, know how to learn and figure things out, effective communication skills, continuous self-development.
Robert Rucker
LecturerArizona State University
School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering
What skills stand out on Computer Technician/Volunteer 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 Technician/Volunteers possess?
Robert Rucker: Being able to learn a new technology very quickly is critical since that is what my students encounter.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
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.
Anthony Baron
Teaching Assistant, Associate Software EngineerAmerican University
What skills stand out on Computer Technician/Volunteer 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 Technician/Volunteers 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 Technician/Volunteers?
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 Technician/Volunteers 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 Technician/Volunteers 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 Technician/Volunteers 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 Technician/Volunteer?
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.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Derek Nazareth Ph.D.: General certifications are likely to be of little value in enhancing employability. Niche certifications, on the other hand, can be quite valuable, though they need to be well established and recognized. The TS-410 for example is will get you ahead if you are looking to work with SAP (a form of ERP software). There are a number of certifications popping up in the business analytics area, though none are well established, and it is unclear what impact they will have. One area that will experience sustained demand which has recognized certifications is information security. The (ISC)2 certifications are likely more valuable than others, but they are more advanced. CompTIA Security+ would represent an entry-level certification. In terms of coursework, business analytics is very much in demand, and provides the opportunity to work in a variety of industries.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Technician/Volunteers?
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 Technician/Volunteer?
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 Technician/Volunteers 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 Technician/Volunteer 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 Technician/Volunteers?
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 Technician/Volunteers?
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 are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Technician/Volunteer 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 soft skills should all Computer Technician/Volunteers 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 certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
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.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Technician/Volunteer 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.
How have salaries changed over time for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
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
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Technician/Volunteers?
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.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
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 Technician/Volunteers 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.
Dr. Patrick Madsen
Executive DirectorUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
University Career Center
What will help Computer Technician/Volunteers 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 Technician/Volunteers?
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.
What's a good job out of college for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
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 Technician/Volunteers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Michael Oudshoorn: Earning potential is attached to 2 things: technical expertise and life skills. The technical skills are essential in order to do the job, but to be truly successful and move up the corporate ladder you need to demonstrate skills such as clear and concise communication, honest and ethical behavior, interpersonal skills, and leadership. Being a good team member and contributing in interdisciplinary teams are skills that cannot be underestimated.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Dr. Michael Oudshoorn: I suspect that for Computer Science graduates that this is likely - in a positive sense. During the pandemic many businesses opted to have employees work from home for an extended period of time. Many of these organizations have found that productivity did not fall and they save costs. If no one goes into the office then you save money on cleaning, office supplies, utilities, and maybe even rent. I suspect that some employers will opt to continue having employees work from home after the pandemic is over and hence continue to save money. This creates an opportunity to develop software products to support these businesses either through the development of enhanced video conference and collaboration tools, or through industry specific tools to help increase productivity when one has remote workers. Also if you have staff working from home, then those staff members could literally be anywhere in the world, so this opens the door for graduates to work for an employee irrespective of where they might physically be located.
There was a large, and growing, demand for computing professionals before the pandemic www.bls.gov, and that need has not gone away! In fact, the demand for computing professionals such as Information security analysts is expected to grow by 31% in the next 10 years. There continues to be unfiled demand for computing professionals and the number of vacancies continues to grow paloaltoonline.com .
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Dr. Michael Oudshoorn: Current growth areas are cybersecurity and data science. We live in a world where much of our activity and data resides in an electronic format. This opens us up to cybercriminals who can harvest that information and profit from it. Cybersecurity is the discipline that will help protect us from these cyberattacks and their impacts. Data is collected by companies at an astounding rate. These companies want to be able to mine that data for useful information. Data scientists are that with the skill to manipulate these huge data sets and make sense of it all. In addition to these two hot areas, the demand for computer science graduates continues to increase steadily. Almost every product we buy is computer controlled and increasingly products such as your car are less of a mechanical device and more of a computational device - it won't be long before we see fully autonomous vehicles in the road transporting passengers to wherever they need to be.
The certifications that will help graduates the most is a degree in computer science, cybersecurity, or data science. A bachelor's degree is the ideal start but increasingly graduates need to think about enhancing their qualifications to the Masters level just to deal with the changes in the discipline. Professional development courses are another big impact certification that can shown continuous professional growth and currency in the discipline.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Technician/Volunteer job market given the pandemic?
Charalampos Chelmis: The pandemic seems to have changed the long-term planning and thinking of technologically advanced companies, so I wouldn't be surprised if many of the "big" employers start offering permanent remote positions. At the same time, other companies may still value regular face to face interactions. I expect such companies to keep hiring for "traditional" jobs, but perhaps they will chose to postpone the start date of new employees or ask them to start out as a contractors in order to balance out pandemic-related uncertainties. Similarly, given that in-person interviews and job fairs are being replaced by remote recruiting, job hunters need to both improve their online presence as well as master their communication skills to make a positive impression to prospective employers in a limited time phone or video interview.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Charalampos Chelmis: The interest in skilled computer scientists and engineers is still high, so well versed job seekers don't have much to worry about. Machine learning and data science related experience, software development skills and the ability to quickly adapt to new environments/technologies are be critical.
How have salaries changed over time for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Charalampos Chelmis: Computer scientists and engineers have seen a steady growth in salaries up to the years before the pandemic. Although I don't anticipate this trend to slow down, entry-level positions and positions whose profiles include a significant portion of remote activities may incur reduced salary as compared to on site positions.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Dr. Sayeed Sajal: Certifications/licenses/courses that can boost the skills to support the key areas which I mentioned above, will have the biggest impact on the job prospects during the COVID19 pandemic.
What's a good job out of college for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Dr. Sayeed Sajal: I believe any decent job is a good job if one's passion and skills converge.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Technician/Volunteer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Sayeed Sajal: During the pandemic, the biggest trends are online activities. It can be e-commerce, online teaching, remote learning, any works that the professionals can work from home. Health-related jobs and research are also getting more attention.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Oriehi Destiny Anyaiwe: There is a high possibility that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic will endure but one cannot easily put a time frame to it. This impact will be felt by everyone, not just graduates or computer science graduates in particular. Jobs have been lost, companies are finding it hard to turn a profit and some are needing to close, whereas some others like the tech companies are prospering and doing well. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the scope and teaching of computer science courses including students' senior projects and research have been coined to groom students to meet unprecedented standards. Thus, I can confidently say that computer science graduates stand at an advantageous position in the post pandemic marketplace; however, there will still be hills to climb so long as the synergy that hitherto existed between the crop of companies suffer.
What's a day at work look like for a Computer Technician/Volunteer?
Oriehi Destiny Anyaiwe: What's a day at work going to look like for a recent graduate?
This pandemic has highly promoted keeping to one's space. A typical day at work be it work-from-home (online), traditional in-person or hybrid will naturally divide the work force into two groups; employees who perform best as lone players vs the socialists/collaborationist. Today, most companies keep as many employees as they can online. Workers are beginning to reorganize their lives around this type of schedule, and they are growing their comfort with this new norm. I think that there are sundry reasons why expectations from employers and employees will have to be adjusted in this regard post pandemic era.
What technical skills for a Computer Technician/Volunteer stand out to employers?
Oriehi Destiny Anyaiwe: Attitude. Anyone can memorize a programming language and have a perfect syntax, but if you cannot find your way out of a paper bag you do the company no good. In today's marketplace, problems/business are tackled with a collaborative view. Employers will like to hire employees that have the skill set and potential to explain problems/solutions to non experts as well as working amicably with them.
Deepak Khazanchi Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Community Engagement & Internationalization Officer, Professor of Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis, Director, Executive Master’s of Science in Information Technology (EMIT) Program, Executive Director, Center for Management of IT (CMIT), Fulbright Grantee (Specialist 2014; Core 2020-21)University of Nebraska at Omaha
College of Information Science & Technology
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Technician/Volunteer job market given the pandemic?
Deepak Khazanchi Ph.D.: Employment in the computer and information technology field were expected to grow by 11 percent between 2019 and 2029, according to the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). I do not think this will be lower post-Covid; in fact the demand for talented IT workers will substantively higher.
High tech entry level jobs will continue to be in areas such as software development (Java, Javascript, Python, etc.); Agile Methodology; Automation Engineers; AI/ML Developers/Analysts; Cybersecurity; Data Analysts/Data Engineers; Natural Language Processing; DevOPS; Project Management; Cloud Technologists; Parallel Computing; Quantum Computing; Digitalization or Supply Chain and Business Process Automation; Medical/Bio/Health Informaticians with a computing focused understanding of life and medical sciences. The ones in bold are what I would consider hot skills for the future and these will absolutely grow.
I also think general understanding of these important emerging areas will become important for non-IT employees as well. I would argue that all jobs will be "tech" jobs to some extent as automation and industry 4.0/5.0 takes hold across sectors; all college graduates will need to have exposure, if not competence, in aspects of technology that affect all business functions.
What technical skills for a Computer Technician/Volunteer stand out to employers?
Deepak Khazanchi Ph.D.: Please refer to the prior response for purely technical skills; however, I believe that beyond "technical" skills, capabilities such as abstraction, computational thinking, problem solving, sensemaking, empathy, and multidisciplinarity of thinking will become important assets.
What's a good job out of college for Computer Technician/Volunteers?
Deepak Khazanchi Ph.D.: I think the "best" and "interesting" jobs in my view will be those that leverage emerging technical skills such as AI/ML, data analytics, cybersecurity and medical informatics, with the nontechnical capabilities mentioned above.