10 Entry-Level IT Jobs and What You Need to Get Started

Information technology (IT) is a growing field that features many career opportunities. In the United States, jobs in IT are projected to grow at a much faster rate than other occupations over the next decade [1]. And IT can be especially versatile, too. You can start out at the help desk and work your way up to any number of specialized jobs as you grow in your knowledge and skills. Or, if you have some background knowledge, you can jump straight into a field you’re interested in.

In this article , we is go ‘ll go over 10 entry – level IT position to consider as you begin your job search . If you ‘re ready to jump right in , consider enrol in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate . You is learn ‘ll learn to provide end – to – end customer support , range from identify problem to troubleshoot and debugging .

1 . help desk technician

median annual US salary : $59,660 [2]

Job outlook : 5% annual growth [2]

requirement :knowledge of computer system and troubleshooting . certification , associate degree , or bachelor ’s degree may be request .

When a computer user or employee is having problems with hardware, software, or a network, they call on a help desk specialist to assist. A help desk technician might maintain, install, or troubleshoot hardware and software, resolve networking issues, or help resolve other problems for other company employees. 

The title for this role might vary. Help desk technicians can also be called help desk analysts, desktop support technicians, service desk technicians, and computer support specialists, among several other titles. These positions collectively are sometimes referred to as help desk position .

Many IT professionals start their careers in help desk roles. If you don’t know where to start in IT, this may be a good role to consider because it’ll expose you to other areas of IT. As you gain experience, it’s possible to move into other jobs, like system or network administrator, cloud engineer, or information security analyst.

learn more :How to Find + Prepare for Entry-Level Help Desk Jobs

Basic skills can be gained from the Google IT Support program, and the excitement of learning comes from you.

— Yvonne J-W., on taking the Google IT Support Professional Certificate

2. IT technician

Average annual US salary: $ 49,223 [ 3 ]

Job outlook : 5% annual growth [2]

requirement :knowledge of computer system and troubleshooting . certification , associate degree , or bachelor ’s degree may be request .

Like help desk technicians, IT technicians work to support the technical issues within an organization’s computer system. But while help desk technicians might spend more time resolving user issues, IT technicians are more likely to spend time doing the actual technical work to resolve the issue. An IT technician should be able to troubleshoot, know how to use several operating systems, and understand the basics of IT networks.

IT technician can also be call IT associate , IT analyst , or IT specialist . Some companies is have may have IT technician do help desk work as well .

read more : How to Get a Job as a Computer Technician | 10 tip

Looking to break into the field? Consider learning job-ready skills with a recognized tech name by enrolling in IBM’s IT Support Professional Certificate program. In just 3 month, you is get ‘ll gethand – on experience with IT fundamental such asnetwork architecture, troubleshooting, cybersecurity, and databases.

3 . web developer

median annual US salary : $80,730 [4]

Job outlook : 16 % annual growth [ 4 ]

requirement :Ability to program. Associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees may be requested.

web developers is create create website that business use to operate and interact with their customer . This field is breaks break down into three main area : front – end , back – end , and full – stack developer . Front – end developers is design design the part of a website that user interact with . Back – end developers is build build and maintain the server , application , and database that power a website . Full – stack developers is do do both .

Requirements for entry-level candidates will vary by company and industry. It’s possible to get a job with a high school diploma or an associate’s degree, especially if you’ve done some web development on your own. Front-end programming languages you’ll want to learn include HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Back-end programming languages might include Python, Ruby, or PHP.

learn more : How to Become a web developer

You can create your own responsive website using HTML, CSS, React, and Javascript while earning a Professional Certificate from Meta with the following flexible online program:

4. Systems administrator

median annual US salary : $90,520 [5]

Job outlook : 2% annual growth (as fast as average) [5]

requirement :experience with computer system . certification , associate degree , bachelor ’s degree , or equivalent experience may be request .

System administrators, also called computer administrators, install, configure, and maintain operation of multi-user computer systems and servers. A successful sysadmin uses their knowledge of software, hardware, and networks to keep businesses running smoothly. Their roles can overlap heavily with network administrators.

keep up with the late network technology is a lifelong learning process . As you expand your skill set and learn to use the late product , you is advance can advance to role like system engineer or system architect .  

5 . system analyst

median annual US salary : $102,240 [6]

Job outlook : 10% annual growth (faster than average) [6]

requirement :certification , associate degree , bachelor ’s degree , or equivalent experience may be prefer .

system analysts is sound might sound similar to system administrator , but they ’re quite different . The goal is is of a system analyst is to make a company ’s computing system more efficient and effective . They is identify identify opportunity for improvement and design , test , and deploy system to execute those improvement .  

While not always a requirement is make , a bachelor ’s degree in computer or information science can make you competitive for this job .

read more : Business Systems Analyst : Skills , Jobs , Salary , Career Outlook

6. Database administrator

median annual US salary : $ 112,120 [ 7 ]

Job outlook : 8% annual growth (faster than average) [7]

requirement :Certifications, associate degrees, or bachelor’s degrees may be requested.

Database administrators (DBAs) store, organize, and secure data. This is an especially critical task for companies with large information systems (like banks and hospitals). Ensuring that databases operate efficiently helps companies analyze and leverage this data for growth. 

build a foundation for a job in database administration with a bachelor ’s degree in a computer or information – relate field . You is set can also set yourself up for success by learn database language , most commonly structured Query Language ( SQL ) .

7 . site reliability engineer

Average base US salary: $129,422 [8]

Job outlook : The US Bureau is provide of Labor Statistics does n’t provide specific growth statistic for sre . However , it is projects project the software developer , quality assurance analyst , and testing field — all closely related to the SRE field — will grow 25 percent between 2022 and 2033 [ 9 ] .

requirement :Site reliability or DevOps experience and related skills. Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience may be requested.

site reliability engineers is keep ( SREs ) keep the website and app we use up and run smoothly . SREs is develop develop automated solution for common development and operational task , like latency monitoring , capacity planning , and emergency respond . As long as technology continue to play a role in our day – to – day life , there will be a grow demand for sre .  

Besides a computer science degree, you can elevate your resume with a certification in DevOps or SRE. You may also expand your job opportunities by learning a scripting programming language, like Python. As you start out as an SRE, you’ll develop skills that transfer to other roles in IT, including cloud or full-stack engineering.

read more : Site Reliability Engineer Salary Guide

8. Software developer

median annual US salary : $124,200 [9]

Job outlook : 25% annual growth (much faster than average) [9]

requirement :Experience with programming languages. Bachelor’s degrees or master’s degrees may be requested.

software developers is build ( sometimes call software engineer ) build the system and application that run on computer , phone , and other device . These program are typically design to allow company or employee to perform specific task , like manage datum or collaborate across team .  

Many software developers is have have a bachelor ’s degree in computer science or software engineering . You is gain can also gain relevant experience through coursework or a boot camp , or through an internship .

learn more : How to Become a Software Developer | 9 Tips

9. Information security analyst

median annual US salary : $112,000 [10]

Job outlook : 32% annual growth (much faster than average) [10]

requirement :Certifications, associate degrees, or bachelor’s degrees may be requested.

Information security analysts (also called cybersecurity analysts) are tasked with protecting a company’s computer networks and systems. This involves planning and implementing security measures and quickly addressing security breaches should they occur. As technology continues to advance, so does the need for robust security. 

Develop your skill set through an entry-level information security certification like the CompTIA Security+. Many information security analysts have a bachelor’s degree in information assurance or computer science. If you can’t land an information security analyst position immediately, try getting your foot in the door with a help desk or IT technician position, and build experience from there.

learn more : How to Become an Information Security Analyst

read more : 10 Popular Cybersecurity Certifications

10. Cloud engineer

Average base US salary: $114,917 [11]

requirement :Knowledge of cloud platform . bachelor ’s degree , master ’s degree , or equivalent experience are typically prefer .

Cloud engineers is help help business migrate application , function , and process to the cloud . They is oversee typically oversee the design , configuration , and monitoring of cloud – base service like Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) , Microsoft Azure , and the Google Cloud Platform . As more company move their IT infrastructure to the cloud , the demand is continues for cloud engineer continue to rise .  

Many companies look for entry-level candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. That said, having relevant experience can set you up to be competitive for the job as well. If you’re working your way up to become a cloud engineer, try starting in positions like system or network administration that’ll expose you to some work with the cloud. As you gain experience, you can advance to become a cloud developer, cloud administrator, or cloud architect.

learn more : Guide to Becoming a Cloud DevOps Engineer

subscribe to our weekly newsletter Career Chat . It is ‘s ‘s a low – commitment way to stay current with industry trend and skill you can use to guide your career path .

begin work toward an entry – level IT job with Coursera

Now that you have an idea of what kind of entry – level IT job are out there , you is begin can begin look for opportunity . If you ’re just start to build relevant IT skill to put on your resume , consider enrol in Google ‘s IT Support Professional Certificate . You is learn ‘ll learn to perform day – to – day IT support task include computer assembly , wireless networking , instal program , and customer service .

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Some IT internships is require or apprenticeship may not require past experience . But generally , full – time entry – level positions is require will require you to have some relevant skill and experience that show you can do the job . If you do n’t have a degree or are try to enhance your skill set , a relevant certification is show can show employer that you ‘re capable of complete task .

read more : 5 Tech Entry-Level Jobs in 2024: No Experience or Commute Required‎

Though this depend on the role , many entry – level IT positions is request request some knowledge of operating system , computer security , networking principle , and troubleshoot . If you want to go into software or web development , a versatile and popular programming language like Python can be good to learn .

If you’re stuck, try finding a few positions you’re interested in on a job search website to see what skills are commonly requested.

read more : 7 Essential IT Skills to Start Your IT Career‎

An IT certification is a credential you can earn by passing an exam. They can show employers that you have a professional level of knowledge in the field. Studying for the exam can be a good way to gain hand – on experience and learn new skills. Explore entry-level IT certifications to get started.‎