
The Top Tech Salaries in Philadelphia in 2023
Philadelphia is a great city to begin a tech career. The city is a technology hub that offers job opportunities for techies of all stripes. But, some tech jobs bring home higher paychecks than others.
Identifying which fields offer the top tech salaries in Philadelphia is essential if you want to make an informed career decision that gives you top pay for the years to come. Awareness of Philadelphia’s average salaries in the tech industry ensures that you devote training to subjects that will help land your dream job.
This guide is here to help you start down the path to big bank accounts and job satisfaction. In this article, we cover the tech gigs that give you fat paychecks and show you the training needed to qualify for those jobs. You will get information on how to study design software, app interfaces, and more. With a little research, you can train yourself up and start making real money before you know it.
Software Engineer
Software engineers command some of the highest tech salaries in Philadelphia and have high job satisfaction. Think carefully. When is the last time you can remember doing something that did not involve software? From plumbing to coffee machines to our vehicles, software is everywhere in our lives. Philadelphia companies of all shapes and sizes need folks to design or adapt existing software to meet their clients’ needs, and they will compensate you well to get you on their team.
You will make more than $129K as a software engineer in Philly, and you can get the training you need through a coding bootcamp or on your own when you are motivated and ready to learn. As you might expect, the job requires extensive language experience. Focus on learning popular languages like Java, C++, Python, HTML, CSS, and C#. Much of your training should focus on the development cycle, too. The more you learn about how the coders work together as a team to meet goals and deliver a quality product, the more valuable you are as an employee.
UI/UX Designer
Do you use a smartphone or tablet? Dumb question, I know. It’s rare to find someone who does not use mobile apps daily. The interface of those programs is designed and coded by developers to give you a user-friendly experience. Philadelphia pays mobile app developers well. User interface/user experience (UI/UX) designers are more in demand today than ever, and the field shows no signs of slowing down.
You will bring home high income as a UI/UX developer and can expect to see $127K or more per year. To be a viable job candidate for UI/UX gigs, learn prototyping and wireframing, which are your bread and butter in the field. The job requires imagination and the ability to empathize with the user, and the best UI/UX engineers combine these with a creative streak. You can study online or at one of Philly’s excellent bootcamps.
Network Security
When you enter data onto a mobile device or computer, you generally have only the vaguest idea of what happens to that information. There are lots of nasty folks who would love to get their grubby paws on personal or proprietary information. Network security specialists bring home top dollars and get to pit their skills against the baddies. Philadelphia will pay you plenty if you know how to guard against security breaches.
Network security engineers in the city earn upwards of $98K a year, and you can get most of the training on your own. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that network security jobs require an in-depth knowledge of network equipment and practices. Sun and Cisco offer certifications and training to give you experience in that field. You will want to master security best practices and procedures. Online or self-study works well for this field, and you can also sign up for in-class courses.
Web Designer
Like an actual spiderweb, the world wide web seems to be everywhere, sticking to everything and catching flies. Well, not the flies part, but the web is ubiquitous and needs a constant supply of new apps and fresh sites. Philadelphia companies need as many web designers as possible, and companies ensure you get paid well to do the work.
Web designers can expect to bring home at least $90K in Philly. As you study more about general computer programming, much of your web designer training involves learning computer languages. Webbies who know Java, CSS, HTML, and Perl have a leg up on the competition. Sharpen your interpersonal skills as being a web designer involves communicating with team members. Management skills are also important to learn because those will help you deliver a top-notch app or web page. You can use one of the many online resources to train for this role or opt to enroll in one of Philadelphia’s outstanding bootcamps.
So there you go, eager techfolk. Philadelphia is an ideal place to start your tech career. The more you know about tech salaries, the better informed you can be before you commit to a field. Our guide to Philadelphia tech salaries gives you the information you need to raise your earning potential and find a killer tech job.