The tech industry offers diverse career paths with strong growth potential.
Common Tech Roles
Engineering
- Software Engineer — Build products (most common)
- Frontend/Backend/Full-Stack — Web development specializations
- DevOps/SRE — Infrastructure and reliability
- Data Engineer — Data pipelines and infrastructure
- Mobile Developer — iOS/Android apps
- ML/AI Engineer — Machine learning systems
Product & Design
- Product Manager — Strategy and roadmap
- UX Designer — User experience
- UI Designer — Visual design
- UX Researcher — User insights
Data
- Data Scientist — Analysis and modeling
- Data Analyst — Business intelligence
- Business Analyst — Requirements and processes
Career Progression
Individual Contributor Track
Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal → Distinguished
Management Track
Team Lead → Engineering Manager → Director → VP → CTO
Salary Ranges (US, 2025)
| Role | Entry | Mid | Senior | |------|-------|-----|--------| | Software Engineer | $90-120K | $130-180K | $180-300K+ | | Product Manager | $100-130K | $140-180K | $180-280K+ | | Data Scientist | $95-125K | $130-170K | $170-250K+ | | UX Designer | $80-110K | $120-160K | $160-220K+ |
Note: Total compensation at top companies can be 2-3x base salary with equity.
Resume Tips for Tech
- Include GitHub and portfolio links
- List specific technologies and frameworks
- Quantify impact (users served, latency reduced, etc.)
- Show system design and architecture experience
- Highlight open-source contributions
