
Find Your Dream Job: The Top Tech Careers in San Diego
San Diego has a lot going for it. The city enjoys fantastic weather and the beauty of the nearby Pacific Ocean, and it’s also a high-tech mecca. Knowing the top tech careers in San Diego lets you in on the tech fields that need your information technology skills and prepares you to get started on your studies. A job seeker with an idea of the hot tech skills in San Diego is on the fast track to a plum gig at a major company or one of the city’s up-and-coming startups.
Get ready to find your dream job, because our guide is here to show you the way and give you the vital stats to guide your education. We include information on backend engineers, network security specialists, mobile developers, and more. You get details on the training that each field requires. These tech careers are hot and getting hotter.
Network Security Specialist
Anyone who’s had their identity or financial information stolen knows how pernicious data theft is in our modern business environment. Some bad apples prefer to steal rather than work, and if a company doesn’t secure its data, it can find itself and its customers the victim of unwanted intruders. Network security specialists are in short supply in San Diego and write their own tickets in exchange for improving security and customer experiences. The average wage in San Diego for the field is $92K, more than the national average salary of $87K.
Expertise in network design and architecture are the key skills network security specialists learn. Cisco and Sun offer rigorous and comprehensive training programs, including a track that focuses on security and gives you a solid foundation in its concepts and practices. Linux knowledge also comes in handy for working with network security, as does programming knowledge and experience working with server-side languages like Perl.
Backend Engineer
Software development is an in-demand skill in San Diego, and the folks who work with servers to make the apps function properly are worth their weight in gold at a wide variety of San Diego tech companies. Server-side, or backend, app development is a tricky business that requires skilled operators, which makes them a hot commodity in the city. San Diego backend engineers clear in excess of $116K on average.
Train up on popular programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and C++. Objective-C, Perl, and CSS all come into play on the server when programming apps and merit intense study as well. There are outstanding free online resources available to help you pick up the experience. To give yourself an advantage over other job applicants, create a few independent projects to provide experience and demonstrate your abilities to hiring managers.
Mobile Developer
Nowadays, if it ain’t mobile, it ain’t jack. More and more San Diego businesses have that precise attitude and want to boost their mobile presence. If you have programming skills and know your way around mobile platforms, there’s a slew of local companies that are eager to hire you. Mobile developers make a nice living, too. The average San Diego area wage for the job is $92K.
To be a mobile development fool, get your languages in order. In addition to learning the standard languages like Python, JavaScript, and CSS, mobile developers also train in mobile-friendly codes like Objective-C and C#. Get well-versed in user experience and user interface development, as well. And take the time to build up your creative side, as this is a vital trait in successful mobile programmers.
Software Developer
Mobile programming isn’t the only development field in high demand in San Diego and surrounding regions. Programmers of all stripes find their job hunts to be short and fruitful in the city. Folks with coding chops command top salaries and get to work on engaging and important projects. Software developers make bank as well. Average local salaries top $87K depending on your years of experience.
Programming languages are bread and butter to software engineers, so fill up your toolkit with the popular ones. JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, and C++ all come in handy and are often required by employers. If you need programming experience or want to develop your skills in a particular area, build a few independent projects. Doing so hones your abilities and polishes your creative skills.
And there it is, you tech-minded readers you. San Diego offers techies jobs in all sorts of fields, but some careers guarantee you lots of employment opportunities and handsome paychecks. Our look at San Diego’s top tech careers shows you the fields that offer high wages and plenty of jobs.