Have you ever felt stuck in your IT career, wondering how to boost your Salary and move to the next level? As technology rapidly evolves, high-paying IT jobs require an evolving skillset.

We wrote this blog post because we want to help motivated tech professionals like yourself find fulfilling work that pays what you deserve.

By the end, you’ll have a clear roadmap of positions paying over $120k and specific skills to develop to land those jobs.

Feeling Trapped at Your Current Salary?

Think about this: Have you seen peers progress faster up the career ladder while your Salary barely budges? Do you constantly have to justify requests for small raises only to get denied?

It's frustrating to work hard with little financial reward in return. We get that. The truth is that switching jobs every 2-3 years is the fastest way to significantly boost income rather than waiting around hoping for scraps from your current employer. But with bills to pay, the idea of leaving your stable job sounds risky.

However, the risk of staying put is high salaries passing you by year after year. If you don't develop new skills, who will pay you more? Wouldn't it be nice to earn over $120k doing what you love?

Unlocking Your Earning Potential

The good news is that high-paying IT jobs are within your reach. As long as you add essential credentials and skills that match current market demand, you become an invaluable asset for companies to compete with.

We aren’t saying this will be easy or happen overnight. But with some effort dedicated to intentional skill building in the background of your day job, you can reach that next income level without taking huge risks.

The following section will unpack the most lucrative IT roles and specific skills worth developing. With the proper roadmap, you can transform stalled earnings into an upward trajectory toward your desired income. Just imagine the pride and relief of finally earning over $120k!

6 High-Paying IT Jobs Within Reach

Here are 6 of the top-paying IT roles, along with skills to develop to land them:

1.Machine Learning Engineer

Average Salary: $136,000

Skills to Develop:

● Math & Statistics: Linear Algebra, Calculus, Probability, Statistics

● Python Programming

● Machine & Deep Learning Frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras)

● Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)

2.Data Scientist/Analytics Manager

Average Salary: $125,000

Skills to Develop:

● R or Python

● SQL + Database Design

● Statistical Analysis + Model Building

● Data Visualization (Tableau, PowerBI)

● Analytics Strategy

3.Software Architect

Average Salary: $140,000

Skills to Develop:

● Object-oriented Programming

● Microservices & APIs

● Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)

● Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

● System Design

4.DevOps Engineer

Average Salary: $130,000

Skills to Develop:

● Linux Administration

● Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation)

● CI/CD Pipelines (Jenkins, CircleCI)

● Container Orchestration (Kubernetes)

● Monitoring & Logging (Prometheus, ELK stack)

5.Information Security Manager

Average Salary: $145,000

Skills to Develop:

● Network & Infrastructure Security

● Identity & Access Management

● Security Frameworks (ISO 27001, NIST)

● Risk Assessments

● Policy Development

6.Blockchain Developer

Average Salary: $150,000

Skills to Develop:

● Cryptography & Mathematics

● Solidity or Vyper

● Ethereum or Hyperledger

● Smart Contracts

● Node.js/JavaScript

● Web3 integration

Do you notice any common threads? Jobs working with data, cloud platforms, automation, containers and security top the list of highest-paying and most in-demand IT roles. Prioritizing skills in those spheres can transform your salary outlook.

Take Control of Your Career Trajectory

With some effort developing skills aligned to top-paying IT jobs, you can empower yourself to seek roles matching your experience level and income goals. No more waiting for scraps – take control and unlock your true earning potential!

The time is now to pick a target job and start building relevant skills, even if gradually at first. Consistent effort compounds over time into a set of credentials, making you an invaluable hire worth over $120k.