Highest Paying IT Jobs: Why You Should Work with Big Data

One simply cannot deny the fact the Big Data is the new “hotness.”

If you are just starting out in your career or looking into making a career change, see how some of the many roles made possible by Big Data can fit into your overall goals.

Check out some of the highest paying Big Data jobs below and then learn how you can capitalize on this emerging gold mine.

Perhaps you could find yourself being a Big Data lifer.

Data Warehouse Manager
Average Salary: $114,167

This position focuses on the development and implementation of information management strategies. So if the idea of setting scopes, prioritizing projects and coordinating solutions makes you giddy then focus your efforts toward attaining a Data Warehouse Manager position.

Land this job with a bachelor’s degree and a resume showcasing 7 years of related experience.

Data Architect
Average Salary Range: $66,599-$126,645

Data Architect’s witness a wide pay scale as this position can start at an entry level position and then rise to a senior level. So while the first stepping stone may seem mediocre, remember the potential for this position can hold later down the road.

If you start out as an entry level Data Architect, the good news is you can typically get away with just a bachelor’s degree as barely any experience in the field is required (some is always a bonus though). This career kick starter will channel your skills toward designing and building the databases necessary for storing or processing data.

Common things to consider in this role include the strategy for implementing a warehouse, acquiring data and then archiving and recovery. As your pay grade increases, your ability to handle these requirements and provide creative consultation will also rise. At the top paying Data Architect roles, employees typically hold 8-10 years of related work experience in the field.

Database Administration Manager
Average Salary: $108,000

A Database Manager can work either for a single company or serve a range of clients. Within this role, it will be your responsibility to oversee projects and employees to maintain databases and keep them working properly. The main task you will be faced with as a Database Manager is how to organize data in the most effective manner possible.

In order to break into this Big Data role, a bachelor’s degree and about 7 years of practical experience is needed.

Business Intelligence Specialist
Average Salary: $104,774

A Business Intelligence Specialist is the lead on strategic application design and maintenance. This person needs to understand the technical functions as well as how to apply the data derived to enhance business decision making. This position typically requires 5 years of experience along with a Bachelor’s degree.  Professionals within this role are expected to use their experience to form realistic plans and goals for business intelligence applications and then leads others towards accomplishing them.

Data Modeling Analyst
Average Salary: $95,389

Open positions for this job title may require a Bachelor’s degree and about 5 years of experience but it is not always the case. If you are looking for an opening and may not have a four-year degree, but have the experience and a familiarity with the concepts of this field, a path in Data Modeling may not be a bad option.

In this position you will be expected to address the needs of your organization’s information systems through development of data models. These models must also use relational databases to manage the information flow between departments. Another important aspect of this position relates to the elimination of redundancy and maintaining data integrity.

Data Warehouse Analyst
Average Salary: $76,247

As the Data Warehouse Analyst you are the middle man between IT and business departments. You take valuable and incomprehensible BI data and make sense of it and then convey that data in reports to management or department heads.

To break into this field you need to understand the typical concepts and procedures and mix that knowledge with a little creativity and multi-tasking skills. A bachelor’s degree and about 2-4 years of related experience helps too.

Database Developer
Average Salary: $75,000

If you have the capabilities of designing and developing solutions for either a single organization or a range of clients, then a career in Database Development could be in the works for you. Keep in mind, this position will require effective communication skills for addressing both technical and business-minded colleagues or clients. In other words, you need to be able to talk the talk.

If these skills are strengths of yours and you have either a bachelor’s degree or higher in a computer science or related field along with 5 years of experience, start your job hunt today and apply! 

Database Report Writer
Average Salary: $60,682

If you are just starting out in the Big Data field, this position could help you become well-versed in the industry. This position requires you to report on all aspects of handling data from database administration to analysis and management. As such, you will be exposed to all areas of Big Data as you start down this lucrative career path.

To begin your Database Report Writer position leverage a Bachelor’s degree in a specialty related to report writing or Big Data as well as four years of experience. Start pushing out those applications!