Computer IT Salary Vs. Computer Engineer Salary
- Computer and information systems managers plan and direct activities and computer-related research for companies, often working as consultants. The average salary for an IT manager in the United States as of May 2009 is $120,640, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most work either in the industry of computer systems design, earning an average of $130,000 a year, or in the management of companies and enterprises for $123,910 a year. While a bachelor's degree is typically the minimum requirement, many employers prefer IT managers who possess a master's degree.
- The highest wages for computer IT managers are in the industry of personal services, including consulting, in which managers earn an average annual salary of $153,890. The industries of securities and commodity contracts intermediation and brokerage, other information services and other financial investment activities also pay higher than average at over $145,000 annually. The metropolitan area with the highest pay for computer IT managers is San Jose, California at $166,590 annually, followed by the New York City area at $149,430, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2009.
- Computer software engineers design and develop software and may work in several different industries. A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement, though a master degree is preferred in some situations. Computer software engineers that focus on systems software earn an average of $96,620 in the United States, while those that work with applications earn $90,170. Both are most frequently employed in the industry of computer systems design, in which systems software engineers earn $95,150 and applications software engineers earn $91,130, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2009.
- For applications engineers, the highest wages are in the industry of metal and mineral merchant wholesalers at an average annual salary of $119,760. For systems software engineers, the industry of computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing is the highest paying at $112,020 a year. Applications engineers earn the highest wages in Barnstable Town, Massachusetts at $125,040 annually, while San Jose, California is the highest paying for software engineers at $124,360, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2009.