If you're thinking about a post-military career and don't have any strong preferences, why not go big? The tech industry is mostly concentrated on the West Coast, but the opportunities are numerous and lucrative.
Many types of engineers and programmers command big paychecks for in-demand work. The highest-paying tech careers tend to focus on either big data or programming. With a wealth of cheap and free resources online to learn the necessary skills, think about investing your time in one of these fields to nab job security and a high quality of life. If you think tech is the right way to go, check out five lucrative careers for 2015 with data from Mashable.
1. Data Scientist
Modern living is complex, but one major byproduct of our digitally connected world is information. From the internet to shopping receipts, each person generates unprecedented volumes of data every day. Consumers have every right to be concerned about where their data goes, but for companies, it's a gold mine of opportunity.
Data scientists take immense chunks of data and develop and implement methods to collect and analyze the right information to benefit their company. Few classes formally teach data science, but each position requires a firm understanding of statistics, knowing the right programming languages such as Python R and SQL.
- Average annual salary: $150,000
2. Data Engineer
Analyzing data is only part of dealing with big data; it's up to data engineers to structure new matrices so that they are clear and readable for the intended recipients. Like many sectors in tech, data engineering is an ever-evolving field, and these professionals must have strong engineering skills and the ability to adapt and learn in a relatively short time.
- Average annual salary: $148,000
3. Ruby on Rails Developer
If you want to work as a programmer, Ruby on Rails might be the way to go for 2015. Programmers specializing in this language are making a lot of money on the West Coast, and the basic foundation is to simply learn Ruby on Rails. There are numerous resources on the internet, many of them free, to learn and master this language.
- Average annual salary: $147,000
4. Machine Learning Engineer
Machine learning is not the art of launching Skynet of “Terminator” fame; it's about getting programs to process input in emergent ways. That is, machine learning engineers try to get computers to learn on their own outside of their base parameters. This type of work results in technology such as spam filtering, processing large amounts of data and self-driving cars. Professionals in this field must learn and master Python and R.
- Average annual salary: $131,000
5. Android Engineer
Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets continue to make an enormous impact on daily life, and Android is a serious contender in the market. Android developers are in high demand for 2015, and that isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The foundation of Android engineering is a solid understanding of Java, XML and OOP.
- Average annual salary: $131,000
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