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Job outlook for information technology technician/sales in the United States
Information technology technician/sales job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected information technology technician/sales job growth rate is 0% from 2018-2028.
About 1,900 new jobs for information technology technician/sales are projected over the next decade.
Information technology technician/sales salaries have increased 19% for information technology technician/sales in the last 5 years.
There are over 33,335 information technology technician/sales currently employed in the United States.
There are 73,146 active information technology technician/sales job openings in the US.
The average information technology technician/sales salary is $68,633.
Are information technology technician/sales jobs in demand?
Information technology technician/sales job and salary trends over time
Information technology technician/sales jobs over time
Information technology technician/sales job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33,335 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 35,581 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 25,048 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 21,391 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 20,843 | 0.01% |
Average information technology technician/sales salary over time
Information technology technician/sales salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $68,633 | $33.00 | +7.2% |
| 2024 | $63,995 | $30.77 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $61,334 | $29.49 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $58,825 | $28.28 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $57,481 | $27.64 | +4.1% |
Information technology technician/sales jobs by state
Most common states for information technology technician/sales
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 178 | 26% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 180 | 24% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 179 | 24% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,754 | 21% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 170 | 20% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 116 | 19% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,258 | 18% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 244 | 18% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,233 | 17% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,029 | 17% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 536 | 17% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 183 | 17% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 98 | 17% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 881 | 16% |
| 15 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 505 | 16% |
| 16 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 167 | 16% |
| 17 | Delaware | 961,939 | 158 | 16% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 290 | 15% |
| 19 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 584 | 14% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 493 | 14% |
Most common cities for information technology technician/sales
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 1 | 4% | $68,801 |
| 2 | Gastonia | 1 | 1% | $69,070 |
| 3 | Springfield | 1 | 1% | $69,349 |
| 4 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $71,006 |
| 5 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $70,466 |
| 6 | New York | 2 | 0% | $93,837 |
| 7 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $60,238 |
| 8 | Cleveland | 1 | 0% | $71,667 |
| 9 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $61,093 |
| 10 | Fort Worth | 1 | 0% | $71,325 |
| 11 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $72,576 |
| 12 | Urban Honolulu | 1 | 0% | $87,135 |
| 13 | Winston-Salem | 1 | 0% | $70,532 |
Information Technology Technician/Sales job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of information technology technician/sales experts
Governors State University
University of New Haven
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
George Washington University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Rowan University
Arizona State University
SUNY at Binghamton
Siena College
DePaul University
University of Alabama at Huntsville
Troy University
California Northstate University
University of Mount Union
Franklin and Marshall College
The University of Texas at Arlington
Idaho State University
Fairfield University
New York Institute of Technology
Indiana University Bloomington
What general advice would you give to an Information Technology Technician/Sales?
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
Adrian Rusu
Professor, Alice E. and Michael J. Fisher Teaching Chair in Computer ScienceUniversity of New Haven
Computer Science
What general advice would you give to an Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Adrian Rusu: By getting involved in internships, co-ops, or other potential real-world experiences in their field of interest, so they can obtain real-world experience beyond classroom during their studies. Generally, employers value graduates who already have relevant real-world experience and who therefore can easier adapt to job requirements.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Derek Nazareth Ph.D.: The pandemic will have a lingering effect in several ways. The current holding pattern on hiring that characterizes many organizations will subside as organizations move towards normalcy. However, a number of practices that moved online will remain that way, due to convenience and cost, including recruitment and on-the-job training. Graduates will need to be more savvy in terms of working independently, as well as communicating and collaborating with others in remote fashion. Other practices that organizations were experimenting with pre-pandemic have become more prevalent in some cases. This includes reliance on consultants and external workers as embodied in the gig economy. That would mean more competition for graduates from outside the geographical area. On the flip side, it also offers graduates the opportunity to compete in remote markets.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
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.
What will help Information Technology Technician/Sales increase their earning potential?
Derek Nazareth Ph.D.: Adaptability. We live in a world with constantly changing technology and evolving business practices. The traditional jobs of yore are no more. Being able to quickly acquire new skills, learn new technologies, and apply them to different contexts, will ensure sustained employability and the ability to move ahead.
What technical skills for an Information Technology Technician/Sales stand out to employers?
Dr. Matthew Shirrell Ph.D.: I believe that technical skills are less important to employers in the field of educational leadership than are dispositions, experiences, and orientations to the work. School districts and others in the field of education are not necessarily looking for leaders with a set of particular technical skills, in my experience, beyond the obvious understanding of the nuts and bolts of school administration and some experience with instructional leadership. If the last year has shown anything, it is that the entire circumstances of schooling can change very quickly and unexpectedly. Potential leaders who have shown the ability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances, whatever they may be, will be particularly valued, I think, by the job market in years to come. In addition, leaders' backgrounds, training, and understanding of the areas I previously described- technology; cultural, racial, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity; and children's socio-emotional development - will all be valued by employers in the field.
How have salaries changed over time for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Dr. Matthew Shirrell Ph.D.: Salaries have remained relatively constant, in general, compared to other lines of work. Educational leaders can expect to be well-paid, but they should also not go into educational leadership expecting to get rich. Educational leaders often work long hours, and are often expected to be on call at all hours of the day, including weekends. Relative to the amount of work that educational leaders engage in, and the challenges that educational leaders face, the compensation is not extraordinary. But educational leaders are rewarded in other ways, particularly by the influence their work can have on children and families.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technician/Sales job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Matthew Shirrell Ph.D.: The market for educational leaders will remain strong, overall, but the skills that are valued by the job market may shift to some extent. I think that, given the pandemic and other events of the past year, there will be several areas in which job seekers in the field of educational leadership will be in particular demand. First, the past year has seen deep disruptions to schooling, and educational leaders have had to adapt and improvise to meet changing demands. One area in which this has taken place has been in educational leaders' work to ensure equitable and efficient access to online learning for all students and families. I believe that educational leaders with strong backgrounds, training, and understanding of educational technology will be particularly valued in the job market in coming years. Given the events of the past year, there will also continue to be a particular focus on diversity in the field. This will involve recruiting and retaining more diverse leaders, but also an increased attention to leaders' training around issues of diversity. I believe that job seekers who have strong training that has prepared them to work with and support an increasingly diverse student population will have an advantage in the job market. Finally, the trauma that the pandemic has inflicted on many children and families will make the job of educational leaders particularly important in the coming years. I believe that prospective leaders who understand socio-emotional development, and how schools can support the socio-emotional health of students and families, will also be well-positioned in the job market in the years to come.
How have salaries changed over time for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
John Talburt Ph.D.: I see salaries continuing to rise for data skills, especially data science roles. Data science salaries are now on par with and sometimes more than salaires for programming and software development roles. Companies are beginning to value people who can build end-to-end solutions from customer requirements rather than those graduates highly trained in just one particular technology.
These are the major trends I see from the perspective of our programs.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technician/Sales job market given the pandemic?
John Talburt Ph.D.: I see demand for data skills rising significantly. Due to their training, most of our graduates are being hired for data roles including data governance, data quality, data analytics, master data management, and data science. From the supply side, the pandemic has significantly reduced the number of international students coming into our program. However, this has been more than compensated by the increase in domestic working professionals enrolling in our online graduate programs. It appears that data professionals working online from home see this as an opportunity to also enroll in online graduate programs to upgrade their degree credentials.
What technical skills for an Information Technology Technician/Sales stand out to employers?
John Talburt Ph.D.: While employers like to see technical skills like Python and machine learning, they also value experience in more people-oriented and team skills like courses in change management, project management, data governance, and data quality management. These are areas where the technology problems are easier to solve than the cultural change issues.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Patricia Coughlan: Human communication has experienced a paradigm shift due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Overly reliant "face to face" communication has shifted to embrace, even reluctantly, tech mediated communication. Yes, before the pandemic some of society was comfortable with emails and mobile phone use, while youthful society was more active on smartphones and social media, but now most everyone is experimenting and getting better at virtual communication. When the Oxford English Dictionary announced that it was not choosing one "Word of the Year" in 2020 but instead listed a series of words that reflect major societal change, it was not surprising to find many words related to workplace communication.
Words including unmute, remote, remotely, were up from previous years' usage by 300% or more (Collins, 2020). Plus, new words were coined and quickly became common place; Have you Zoomed? Were you Zoombombed? Clearly the popularity of workplace communication in our everyday speech shows that attitudes towards tech mediated communication has changed. The hesitance of both employers and jobseekers towards tech-mediated communication is no more. The barriers to using online professional resources or hosting/attending virtual events has diminished and is altering our notion of workspace and carbon footprints. Employers and jobseekers are seeing the potential benefits for maintaining brand relevance, posting timely information, and career networking. A new willingness to use tech is improving site navigation and personal online savviness. Competition in the workplace is now driven by deliberate acts of communication. Jobseekers are more conscious in the information they post.
Employers vet their job postings for accuracy and expectations to entice the most competitive of candidates. The ability at all hours of the day to seek jobs and hire employees from diverse global locations and times zones creates a cosmopolitan workforce. At the minimum, a best of all worlds approach that integrates tech-mediated platforms with "in person" components may exist after COVID-19 distancing restrictions are lifted. Future job opportunities will be better served through tech mediated communication platforms.
Collins, Barry. (2020). Zoom zings into the oxford dictionary words of the year. Forbes. Retrieved February 17, 2021, from forbes.com/sites/barrycollins/2020/11/23/zoom-zings-into-the-oxford-dictionary-words-of-the-year/?sh=5e8b0d78a465
What's a good job out of college for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Patricia Coughlan: Communication majors are posed for success in the current job market. The nature of the discipline focuses on understanding and executing effective messaging to diverse audiences, in varied contexts, and communication modes (traditional such as writing and new tech platforms such as social media). The ability to understand verbal, non-verbal and written communication positions a Communication major as ready to impact the needs of employers and their clientele in a variety of fields. Because of the broad nature of a Communication Studies degree, graduates have greater flexibility for their career paths and ultimately their earning potential. Typically, Communication majors have the ability to complete courses in strategic, interpersonal, organizational, political, business, health, leadership, small group, family, and intercultural communication. Having a large swath of these courses broadens a student's portfolio.
Moreover, Communication majors are trained to consider ethical issues, rhetorical arguments, diversity, the power of persuasion, social influence, and to conduct research. In today's climate their strengths in mass media and digital communities are in demand. Communication graduates are easily employed as assistants and leaders in Public Relations, Human Resources, Advertising, Politics, Marketing, Event Planning, Social Media, Healthcare, Jurisprudence, plus more. It is impossible to think of a field that does not have the need for effective communication. My advice to my students on how to increase their earning potential begins early when they are freshman - recognize that every company and person has a need to effectively tell their story and your major suits you to help them do just that!
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technician/Sales job market given the pandemic?
Patricia Coughlan: Without doubt the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting both professional and personal communication. For nearly a year, we have been sitting behind screens. And despite tense shoulders, eye fatigue, and tech-neck (that is a real thing), the challenging screen time has taught us how valuable it is to possess good communication skills and the need to improve our communicative actions. Now more than ever, my students are realizing that the underlying assumptions of interpersonal communication that you cannot not communicate - "Hey, what's that going on in your background" and that communication is an interdependent process - "Why haven't you answered my email" are true!
Good communication relies on creating structure to our messages and to ensuring open channels to initiate and maintain relationships. Good communication requires time and acts of deliberation.
As I teach a course specifically designed for graduating college seniors who are transitioning to the workplace, I stress these assumptions. The impact of the pandemic is measurable. No longer can soon-to-be graduates attend "face to face" career fairs or interviews. A new dependence on online "mediated" platforms has emerged. Beyond what people think, creating a strong, effective, professional, yet personal, online persona takes lots of time, requires clear structure, real effort, and frequent upkeep. In the past students would focus on creating a strong resume based upon current professional resume trends, signing up to attend a career fair, and deciding what to wear on the day of the event to ensure professional appearance. Now students still need the polished, structured resume and professional look, but they also need to search for online events to attend, and spend numerous hours creating a grammatically correct, visually appealing, and professional online presence. They need to professionally dress for a remote interview, make sure that their background is professional looking, test their technology, and log on in advance. Finding the right platform is a challenge too. Do they use Zippia, LinkedIn, Indeed, another career site, or numerous sites? So, this spring while filling out forms to graduate and completing their studies, all students - regardless of major - have to be actively engaged in "online self-branding."
Hemanth Kumar Demakethepalli Venkateswara Ph.D.
Assistant Research ProfessorArizona State University
School of Computing Informatics
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Hemanth Kumar Demakethepalli Venkateswara Ph.D.: The current batch of students graduating this year have all been equally affected by the pandemic. Newly graduated students are all facing the same challenge - the downturn in the economy which will affect the entire job market. As always, if the graduate is able to stand out from the crowd, they will have a better chance at landing a good job. The converse is also true - a poor job market will make it difficult for more graduates to find good jobs. The trick as always is to be better prepared. However, this situation will not last forever. The end of the pandemic will revive the chances of landing a good job. So, graduates should not despair if they do not get a good job in these times. They must be prepared to invest more effort towards improving their chances by taking up more courses and earning new certifications.
There is no doubt the pandemic is a defining moment in this century. It has set the marker for a 'Before Covid' and 'After Covid' timeline. However, with successful vaccination, we will soon see the end of the pandemic and get back to living how we did before the pandemic. Nonetheless, the pandemic has demonstrated the possibilities and opportunities in online learning. In the post-pandemic era, educational institutions and online learning platforms will take advantage of the promise in online learning. There will be an increase in demand for online learning leading to more affordable college education. We will reach a new equilibrium in the percentage of online to in-person curriculum. Students will benefit by having the opportunity to attend classes remotely. The benefits of online learning will outweigh the challenges. With improvements in technology and standardization of online pedagogy, online learning will be of great benefit to the institutions, faculty and the students. In this way the pandemic will have an enduring impact on the lives of graduates.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Hemanth Kumar Demakethepalli Venkateswara Ph.D.: There has been increasing interest in data science with the rise of AI related technology. This has led to most students opting for data science and AI-related specializations. This trend will continue for the foreseeable future. It is therefore a great time to invest in AI-related courses and certifications. However, students need to have expertise in one or more core computer science specializations like programming, databases, distributed systems, systems software, networks, full-stack development, etc. This will enable them to take advantage of the boom in AI. An AI-related certification on top of core computer science specialization is a great recipe for good job prospects.
What will help Information Technology Technician/Sales increase their earning potential?
Hemanth Kumar Demakethepalli Venkateswara Ph.D.: Technology is always rapidly changing. A tried and tested approach to improve professionally is by updating oneself through a process of life-long learning. For example, in the AI field, a researcher updates themselves by attending top-tier AI conferences, reading the latest publications from top-tier conferences, re-implementing the results published in a paper, testing out new libraries that are published, and attempting to generate new ideas. A similar approach can be applied to other areas as well.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Alexey Kolmogorov Ph.D.: I can say that we have received about 25% more PhD applications this year. It could be because there are fewer non-academic jobs available at the moment or because our department continues to grow. Unfortunately, several admitted international students could not enter the country and have had to defer the start of their graduate study.
What's a day at work look like for an Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Alexey Kolmogorov Ph.D.: I have been in touch with a few BU graduates who joined strong PhD programs last summer. Their experience is consistent with what we see in our department: experimental groups have been indeed affected by lab access regulations but theoretical/computational groups have adapted to the remote work quite naturally.
What will help Information Technology Technician/Sales increase their earning potential?
Alexey Kolmogorov Ph.D.: I think the biggest impact on the academic research has been the lack of in-person conferences. Online conferences are useful but they are missing a traditionally important element for the development of young researchers, which is students' informal interaction and networking outside of presentation rooms.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technician/Sales job market given the pandemic?
Jami Cotler Ph.D.: In the past I've known of tech shops offering work hour flexibility often with required face-to-face team meetings. I think the pandemic has shown across many industries that work can be distributed while maintaining a high level of efficiency and effectiveness. I think we will see more employees in the tech industry having more work from home options post pandemic.
I think the need for tech has also been both recognized and has increased as we have had to rely on it to track and report pandemic data. I think there has also been a great awareness of tech tools such as web conferencing tools such as zoom that have now become commonplace tools for everyone to use. Online delivery services have also experienced greater demand, which increases the demand for tech professionals to work in these areas as well. As I tell my students, it is a really good time to be in this industry.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Jami Cotler Ph.D.: At Siena we have started to encourage students to get AWS certified. We had a long break and many students took advantage of it to get their certification. We are strongly considering making it a requirement for future cohorts. Having an understanding of cloud computing is important and demonstrating this knowledge in the form of a recognized certification has offered a really nice impact and competitive advantage for our students. Another area of certification is in security. Many of our students earned security certifications over the break as well.
How have salaries changed over time for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Jami Cotler Ph.D.: Overtime, I have seen that the competition to hire our students has increased and with this the salaries have also increased. When I first started teaching, some students had a difficult time finding a job after graduating. Now I'm finding that close to 94% of our graduates either have jobs or are enrolled in graduate school when they graduate. Another trend I'm seeing is more students pursuing their PhD directly from undergraduate school rather than going for their master's degree first. The salaries are very competitive for our graduates and companies are offering additional incentives such as free food, longer time off, etc. to find and keep talented students.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Jacob Furst: Unlikely. While a significant phenomenon culturally, the pandemic has affected technology significantly less.
What's a good job out of college for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Jacob Furst: Any job that allows you to explore the limits of your knowledge and capacity, that you enjoy, and that pays the bills. If it occasionally makes you uncomfortable, even better. There is no "good job" without the context of the person working the job. Find a fit.
What will help Information Technology Technician/Sales increase their earning potential?
Jacob Furst: Anything you do in your work that goes beyond expectations will provide benefit later on. Extra education, certifications, volunteering for tough assignments, getting to know you coworkers better, creating a fun and interesting workplace for you and peers. Again, no magic. Always be looking for ways to be better.
Dr. Ravi Patnayakuni
Associate chairUniversity of Alabama at Huntsville
Information Systems Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Dr. Ravi Patnayakuni: Most definitely, in my opinion. There are going to be lasting effects which many have characterized as 'acceleration' of change and 'dispersion' of how work is performed. In the short term, I expect it will be harder for graduates to find employment as hiring adjusts to the new landscape of remote hiring and remote work. For the long term, both the nature of work and sectors of job growth will change.
What's a good job out of college for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Dr. Ravi Patnayakuni: That is a very individual choice. However, areas that will be seeing growth are areas that are ripe for disruption. Energy is one of them, where we will see growth in renewables. Similarly, delivery of health and healthcare as we watch Amazon and Wal Mart take initial steps into the industry. The pandemic has demonstrated the feasibility of telemedicine and this is one of the trends we will see accelerating. Information Technology continues to be the engine that is accelerating many of these changes. With Information Technology comes data which is the new oil and harnessing that will continue to see growth in the form of Analytics, Data Science and Cloud Computing.
What will help Information Technology Technician/Sales increase their earning potential?
Dr. Ravi Patnayakuni: Being agile and life-long learners. Having good communication skills. Taking initiative and demonstrating potential to be leaders.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Lauren Cole: We are currently seeing a trend of full-time employment at graduation falling an average of 10% over the last year, primarily due to the global pandemic. Though this may mean greater underemployment for a time and a longer wait for graduates to enter the workforce, thankfully the decrease was not quite as bad as first imagined. We do still have employers recruiting our students for internships and jobs, though the style in which they meet with students is now fully virtual. Since employers are now connecting with our students online, this has allowed for a greater variety of employers to be represented from a variety of locations outside of driving distance to campus. I believe the switch to virtual recruiting will be a lasting change in employer recruiting.
What's a good job out of college for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Lauren Cole: Since your article is focusing on the area of communication, I searched our First Destination Survey data to give you a sense of the type of jobs our communication graduates are pursuing because defining a good job is very specific to the individual based on their personality, skills, values and interests coupled with job market data. A popular industry for our communication graduates is the non-profit sector such as a student who took a job recently with the Equal Justice Initiative and another with a religious institution as a youth pastor. Journalism, Media and Publishing companies also rank high on our list of employers for these graduates. Since communication studies equips students with a broad skill set, several of our graduates went to work for private and public industries as well, ranging from insurance sales to staffing agencies and jobs in management and logistics.
What will help Information Technology Technician/Sales increase their earning potential?
Lauren Cole: New graduates will have a stronger resume, allowing them to negotiate for greater earning potential, the more experience they come out of college with. An internship, for example, is one way students can both solidify their industry of choice due to on-the-ground exposure, while also fortifying their resume, showing employers they have real-world experience. If approved by an advisor, our communication students have the option of receiving academic credit for internships, providing the job meets the learning outcomes required by their program. Other opportunities may include a part time job within their field of interest or simply shadowing or discussing the daily activities of a professional in the student's desired job sector.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Dr. Damon Meyer Ph.D.: Limited hiring and job openings due to the uncertainty in the economy. Some graduates may take alternative jobs instead.
What's a good job out of college for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Dr. Damon Meyer Ph.D.: Working in biotech or pharmaceutical industry since they pay well with good benefits.
What will help Information Technology Technician/Sales increase their earning potential?
Dr. Damon Meyer Ph.D.: Receiving a graduate degree (MD, PharmD, PhD)
Michael Grossman Ph.D.
Professor, Political Studies and International StudiesUniversity of Mount Union
Department of Political Science and International Studies
What will help Information Technology Technician/Sales increase their earning potential?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It's all about practical knowledge. Employers are less interested in your major or the classes you take. They want to see that you can do the work they need you to do. So internships are important. Also employers want to see you can be trained and can think critically, write well, and speak well. So in this regard more liberal arts focused curriculum is important.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Cynthia Krom: Professional certifications matter. If your profession has a certification, you need to have that certification to be competitive in this new world. So, a public accountant needs to have a CPA, and a corporate accountant needs to have their CMA. A fraud examiner needs their CFE. Find out what is available in your profession and take whatever courses or exams are needed to be at the top of your game, because everyone else will.
We don't really know what will be happening with professional licenses with remote work. A psychotherapist may be licensed in New York, but remotely treating a client in New Mexico. Technically, they probably need a license in New Mexico. But who will control that? Will it just be the professional responsibility of the therapist to only practice where licensed? Will their malpractice insurance only cover them if the client is where they are licensed? What about a physician operating on someone a thousand miles away using robotics?
In terms of courses not related to professional certification or licensure, technology is where it is at. First and foremost, polish your Zoom skills. Zoom is now your face-to-face workplace and you need to be a pro. YouTube has great videos about lighting for Zoom, even with reflective eyeglasses. Perhaps your IT department is able to help with connectivity issues and learning remote technologies. And, as we have all recently seen, you need to learn how to turn off filters that make you look like a kitten! For nearly every field, you have to know Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) or similar programs. You need to know how to work collaboratively on projects through things like Google Drive. If you are not fluent in the basics, you are showing up for a horse race with a little pony.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Information Technology Technician/Sales in the next 5 years?
Dr. Kay-Yut Chen Ph.D.: I would predict an increase in demand for graduates in information sciences and related fields in the next few years. The growth has already been strong before the pandemic, as more and more companies were going through or planning to go through digital transformation to stay competitive. While the epidemic did seriously reduce the prospects and investments of some sectors of the economy (such as mall operators), it helps others. The performance of the stock market seems to indicate that the balance is on the positive.
Also, once a safe and effective vaccine is developed (and we have been receiving positive news lately in that regard), the recovering economy will certainly further stimulate the demand for information science.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Information Technology Technician/Sales to find work opportunities?
Dr. Kay-Yut Chen Ph.D.: The traditional tech hubs, such as the SF Bay Area, will still be a magnet for tech opportunities. However, the pandemic has created a work-from-home trend. Many companies, such as Twitter, are allowing employees to work-from-home permanently.
As a result, having all the tech talent to assemble in a few regions is no longer necessary. Living standards, lower taxes, and affordable cost of living will become more critical than before. Places like the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex, with no state income tax, lower living costs than the SF Bay Area, particularly in real estate. Still, good infrastructure and a vibrant and diverse population will become more attractive.
I would also expect graduates' location will become a less important factor, relatively, compared to skills, talent, and motivation, of finding exciting information science careers as time goes on.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Information Technology Technician/Sales in the next 3-5 years?
Darren Leavitt: Technology is ever-changing and improving. We expect to see 3D scanning and unmanned aerial systems prevail as the most advancing technology shortly.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Information Technology Technician/Sales in the next 5 years?
Joshua Elliott Ed.D.: The demand for educators with a background will continue to increase. Many realize that what is happening now in education (in response to the pandemic) is more online survival than online teaching. In many cases, this is true on both the K-12 and higher education levels.
What general advice would you give to an Information Technology Technician/Sales?
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.: As most economies in the world have moved towards a "gig economy" paradigm, it is essential for graduates beginning their careers to adopt an entrepreneurial and self-guided career mindset. Young professionals would need to take charge of their professional development. This means that they must continually remind themselves that the knowledge learned shelf life is reducing more and more every year. New skills and technologies come into the picture. They must know these new skills on their own to maintain their competitive edge in the job market. Moreover, young professionals must view every position they hold to be an added chapter in their portfolio - every position held should be considered an experiential skill added to the resume.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Information Technology Technician/Sales in the next 3-5 years?
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.: -The enormous growth of IoT and wearables. The number of connected devices is expected to be more than 26 billion in 2020. That includes things like household appliances, controllable lighting, and much more. This trend is likely to continue as it is expected to see the industry grow to 661 billion dollars by 2021.
-We will be witnessing a more widespread commercial deployment of 5G in 2020. With the implementation of the Standalone 5G devices based on the 3gpp release 16, we should be seeing the more robust mobile broadband deployment of 5G, wider availability of 5G smartphones, and a push towards an all 5G Network in select urban areas around the world.
-Significant growth in AI-based technologies, from face recognition and voice recognition to business intelligence and market predictions. As machines and deep learning algorithms get integrated into many applications, many industries will undergo substantial changes. AI systems will continue to interact with our phones; cars will interpret and analyze their surroundings and intelligently drive themselves. Online vendors will monitor our browsing habits, and Google decides what kind of search results to give us, based on who it thinks we are.
Krista Glazewski
Professor & Department ChairIndiana University Bloomington
Department of Instructional Systems Technology
How do you envision technology impacting Information Technology Technician/Sales in the next 5 years?
Krista Glazewski: More than likely, I think we will see the most significant impacts in ways that bring together data science and learning analytics, so that designers and educators can make informed decisions about learning pathways and progressions. Five years from now, we will have more information than we ever imagined we could have about learners, and the key will be to make reasoned inferences about the meaning behind that information. Of course, individuals in our profession will confront complex questions, and they will have to engage ethical reasoning to ensure we are making responsible decisions.