What kind of jobs can you get with a degree in computer science?

Usually, students have a professional goal in mind when they select their degree path, but it isn’t uncommon for minds to change over time. The good thing with a bachelor’s in computer science degree, there is quite a variety of career options. In today’s heavily tech-driven society, it would be hard to find a job where such a degree would have no application at all. Some of the more popular jobs this degree is used to obtain are that of an IT consultant, game developer, web developer or designer; there are even sales positions associated with this particular specialization.

Today’s society is inundated with technology; the latest technology, the best technology, the technology we need to just function in our day to day lives – we are surrounded by it from all angles. Just a few years ago, the concept of someone with a degree in computer science was the quintessential nerd. It was joked about in pop culture; it was talked about in classrooms, people who were interested in computer science were considered to be nerdy, or not “with the times.” All people pictured was a code monkey, because they didn’t consider the actual scope of the field, and no one laughing predicted the boom computer science would see.

Today, the collective group of people who have degrees in computer science has the highest paid careers on average when compared to any other field. The most popular career that individuals with a bachelor’s in computer science go on to have is that of an IT consultant. This particular job has an average salary of around $76,000 per year. Your responsibilities in this job would be to consult with your clients (Like companies, start-ups, etc.) on how they can use information technology to meet their objectives or increase their profitability, size, and so on.

On the other side of that coin, you may also consider a career in IT sales. Your job, at that point, would essentially be to sell the information technology products or services that the consultants suggest. You would be handling hardware and software, selling these things to businesses, managing accounts, and coming up with strategic plans to increase your sales. Average pay for that position is $61,000 annually. If you have a passion for computer science but sales and consulting don’t offer you enough variety, there are other things you could do. Web design and development is an incredible industry to work in with a computer science degree. You could work for a company, or this job also allows you to freelance, or maybe one day start your own business.

Developers, once well known, can make high salaries. John Sonmez, for instance, of SimpleProgrammer.com bills his clients $300 per hour. While that isn’t realistic for everyone, the average wage is still in the range of $70,000 to $80,000. You would be building websites, making sure they were functional, meeting your clients’ needs, and if you were a designer, you would be making sure that the site presented the necessary information while matching the aesthetic of the brand. You could even be a game designer or developer with a degree in computer science. There is a broad range of possibilities.