The 5 Most Respected Professions in IT

Australia’s IT industry continues to be a crucial, ever-expanding field of innovative opportunity. With more people, businesses, and industries reliant on the online space than ever before – skills in  developing, enhancing, and maintaining such technologies and IT courses have become increasingly critical. This need has grown ever-more prevalent in the aftermath of COVID-19, as companies grapple with the extra demand for digital systems and services.

The country’s technological growth bodes plenty of opportunity for aspiring ICT professionals, with a forecasted rise of over 1.1 million technology workers by 2026.

Those seeking a fulfilling career path in IT will find no better time to enter the industry, spoilt for choice across growing, in-demand areas of cybersecurity, data science, web development, artificial intelligence, and more.

Below, we explore the most respected, lucrative, and highly-demanded roles of IT today, and how studying with Lumify Learn can help you get started.

Cybersecurity Architect

In an era where cybercrimes cost Australian businesses over $29 billion each year – with cost per company averaging around $276,323 on a single breach – data security has become a critical, high-priority operation. With working from home now on the rise, organisations must take extra measures to ensure their information stays in good hands.

Cybersecurity architects are thus responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the security systems a business needs to make this possible. They perform regular assessments of a company’s current security measures and protocols, recommending and apply enhancements where necessary. They may also conduct regular network security tests and monitor daily activity for suspicious data or behavior.

Additionally, in the case of security emergencies, cybersecurity architects must have proper incident response and disaster recovery procedures in place.

Professionals in this area are thus required to have a thorough knowledge of current IT risks, security protocols, cryptography, and network monitoring. Awareness of new, common authorisation procedures such as multi-factor authentication, identity management, and other related technologies is also a must.

Aspiring cybersecurity experts can build on these skills (and more!) by pursuing an online qualification. Lumify Learn, for instance, currently offers an ICT50220 – Diploma of Information Technology (Cyber Security); a program that covers the fundamentals of network security, security analysis, security architecture, and general ICT project management.

Average yearly salary: $153,554 AUD (Payscale)

AI Engineer

With Australia’s job market expected to shrink by 11% in the wake of automation (displacing about 1.5 million workers), it’s easy to see why plenty are learning to code – to avoid being coded themselves.

Better yet, one may even choose to work behind such innovations; helping design, develop, and improve on technologies these for the future. One such role is that of an AI (Artificial Intelligence) Engineer, a profession responsible for programming and testing the necessary algorithms required of AI machines.

The industry thus requires an extensive knowledge of deep learning, neural networks, and machine learning systems. AI engineers combine this with skills in programming, data science, and software engineering to develop programs that learn and function like a human brain. Their models are often then deployed to improve the efficiency of a business, such as automating the infrastructure of their company’s data science team.

To succeed in this field, a technical skillset in coding, data engineering, and software development is critical. With Lumify Learn’s online Certified Artificial Intelligence Professional course, individuals can build on these skills – alongside the fundamentals of cloud computing and machine learning. All such training is specific to AWS (Amazon Web Services), a leading, worldwide platform in cloud computing services.

Average yearly salary: $110,425 AUD (Payscale)

Data Analyst

An estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are currently generated each day, with this number expected to reach over 463 quintillion by 2025. The skills required to gather, organise, and analyse such information – helping further business strategies and technological innovation – have thus never been more in demand.

Data analysts help companies grow their revenue by collecting data pertinent to their business, these including areas of customer demand, product/service satisfaction, and current market trends. They organise this information and translate their findings into meaningful statistics or conclusions. Business owners can then use these analyses to improve their services or company procedures, helping inform future business strategies.

With 76% of business planning to increase their investment in data analytics within the next two years, demand for this field is only set to grow.

Lumify Learn currently offers an online Certified Data Science Professional course, training aspiring data analysts in the essentials of data science, cloud data services, AI solutions, and more.

Average yearly salary: $71,904 AUD (Payscale)

Web Developer

Much of our ability to communicate, shop, and browse through the world wide web is owed to the works of web developers – professionals who design, manage, and maintain websites according to the needs of users.

There are three main types of web developers: back-end, front-end, and full stack. Back-end web developers focus on the server-side aspects of a website; developing, configuring, and maintaining the systems and code that support the user-facing elements of the site. Front-end developers are tasked with managing how a website looks and interacts with the end user, focused on the design, graphical elements, and interactive functions of the site.

Those who handle both the front and back-end of the web development process are known as “full stack” developers. Their comprehensive skillset allows them to see the “big picture”, helping them play a highly valuable role on the team.

Individuals looking to train in the basics of web design, development, and SEO can find the flexible, nationally-recognised training they need through Lumify Learn’s ICT40120 – Certificate IV In Information Technology (Web Development). The program offers a thorough look into the skills of front-end development, cybersecurity, database management, and more.

Average yearly salary: $62,590 AUD (Payscale)

Cloud Engineer

The adoption of cloud computing among Australian businesses has resulted in a cumulative productivity benefit of over $9.4 billion between 2014-2019. It’s no wonder the technology continues to grow in popularity to this day, with investment in such platforms reaching a national total of over $1 billion in 2020 – a number estimated to hit $2 billion by 2024.

Professionals in the industry have thus skyrocketed in demand, with cloud engineers, in particular, commanding six-figure salaries.

Cloud engineers are responsible for helping businesses migrate to the cloud; typically assessing their current infrastructure and moving the necessary functions (i.e storage) to their cloud system of choice. They may also help develop, test, and maintain such platforms.

A knowledge of cybersecurity, cloud computing, and the business skills to negotiate with vendors is essential. Experience in at least one of the major cloud providers (AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform) is also required.

Aspiring professionals can get their start in the cloud through  course. The program covers the fundamentals of cloud architecture, management, security, compliance, and more – equipping students for entry-level roles in cloud and systems engineering.

Average yearly salary: $121,667 AUD (Indeed)

Seeking a career in IT?

As an innovative field with brimming opportunity, now’s the best time to pursue your passions in the world of ICT.

As mentioned, Lumify Learn offers a wide array of courses in areas of data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and more. All programs lead to nationally-recognised (or in some cases, globally-recognised) certifications, helping you stand out among the competition.

Best of all, each course is delivered online, allowing you to study at a time and pace that suits you best.

Launch your dream career in IT today, and enquire with us on a course!