Information technology is an industry that’s always in flux, but one constant in the years ahead will be employment growth. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that over the next decade, information technology will be one of the 10 fastest-growing industries for employment in the U.S. Much of this growth is expected to be in analyst and computer networking jobs, but heightened security needs will also provide opportunities for IT specialists. The increasing proliferation of mobile devices and WiFi networks should also have a strong impact on the creation of new information technology jobs.

Education and experience requirements are much higher in the IT sector than in most other industries. An associate’s degree or two-year certification is sufficient for some service and support-related computer jobs, but a bachelor’s degree is a standard requirement for most IT jobs. However, the rapidly changing nature of the industry means that relevant experience may often trump a post-secondary degree for advancement in information technology careers.