What Can You Do With An Associate Degree In IT? Jobs and Salary Info

An Associate in Science degree in Computer Information Technology (IT) can open many doors to rewarding careers in the tech industry. While a bachelor’s degree might be the traditional path for some roles, an associate degree provides a solid foundation and specialized skills that are highly valued by employers. Whether you're aiming for a technical support position, network administration, or another role, an associate degree can set you on the right track.

How can an associate degree help? This type of education pathway can enable you to earn an entry-level position that offers growth potential and opportunities to advance.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of promising IT careers that you can pursue with an associate degree.

Educational Paths for IT Careers With an Associate in Science Degree

Starting an IT career with an associate's degree is a great foundation, but there are several other educational paths you can explore to advance your career and deepen your expertise.

Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for the completion of a specialized course of study. In most cases, full-time students will earn this degree in three to four years. Coursework typically includes general education requirements, major-specific courses, and electives. If you’re interested in an IT career, popular bachelor’s degree options include computer science, cybersecurity, information systems, technology development & management, and software engineering.

Certificates & Certification Programs

You also have the option of obtaining a certificate and/or certification, which are similar but not exactly the same.

A certificate is typically awarded by an educational institution or a specialized training program. It’s often shorter in duration than a certification program and doesn’t always require passing an exam. A popular example is the Google IT Support Professional Certificate.

A certification program, on the other hand, is a professional credential awarded by a certifying organization or body. Examples of IT certifications include Amazon AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate Certification, Microsoft Azure AZ-900, CompTIA Cloud Essentials, CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst, CompTIA A+, and CompTIA Network+.

Bootcamps

Bootcamps are educational programs that teach students certain specialized skills in a short amount of time, typically anywhere from three to six months and sometimes ending in certification. Bootcamps often provide hands-on learning and a focused curriculum with many offering full-time, part-time, and online options. Due to their short duration, bootcamps may not cover topics as deeply as a bachelor’s degree program. Additionally, some bootcamps can cost close to $20,000.

Top Jobs and Careers for an Associate in Science Degree

Ready to get started? Check out these 15 IT careers, listed alphabetically. Keep in mind that salary information is an estimate and can vary based on responsibilities, location, experience, and other factors. While some positions may recommend a bachelor’s degree, you can still qualify with an associate degree, relevant experience through internships, and certifications.

Cloud Support Specialist

Role overview: A cloud support specialist helps manage issues related to maintaining and optimizing cloud-based systems. This typically includes providing technical support, resolving problems as they arise, and working closely with other IT team members and departments.

Salary: The average salary is around $74,100.

Career outlook: Computer support specialist jobs, closely related to cloud support specialists, are expected to grow by 6% between 2023 and 2033, with about 62,000 job openings each year over the next decade. Most of these openings will be to replace workers who retire or leave the workforce.

Computer Systems Analyst

Role overview: A computer systems analyst evaluates and solves complex challenges in science, engineering, business and data processing by designing and implementing solutions for applications, system administration and network issues. Responsibilities also include testing systems, identifying ways to add functionality to existing computer systems and researching different technologies to determine if they would benefit an organization. People who start as a computer systems analyst typically need a bachelor’s degree but no work experience is required.

Salary: The average salary is around $101,000 with the potential to earn up to $167,000.

Career outlook: National employment is projected to grow by 11%, with approximately 37,000 job openings expected between 2023 and 2033.

Database Administrator

Role overview: If you’re looking for a data-centric position, consider becoming a database administrator. Responsibilities typically include managing and maintaining databases for optimal efficiency, implementing security measures, creating backup and recovery plans, setting up user accounts, and managing permissions.

Salary: The average national salary is around $101,510 with local and state salaries in Florida a bit higher at $106,030.

Career outlook: National employment is projected to grow by 8%, with approximately 5,300 job openings expected between 2023 and 2033.

The position also ranks high on U.S. News & World Report’s lists of Best Technology Jobs and Best STEM Jobs.

Entry-Level Computer Programmer

Role overview: A computer programmer writes, edits, and tests code to ensure that computers, tablets, and other software programs and applications operate effectively. Many programmers will specialize in a particular programming language, such as Python, R, JavaScript, or C++. While many computer programmers have a bachelor’s degree, some employers may hire individuals with other degrees or who have experience in programming languages.

Salary: The average national salary is around $100,000 with local and state salaries in Florida closer to $91,950.

Career outlook: Employment for computer programmers is expected to decline 10% between 2023 and 2033, but thousands of jobs are expected to open each year due to professionals who either retire, leave, or transfer to other jobs.

Help Desk Technician

Role overview: A help desk technician provides IT support and services, including troubleshooting issues, documenting technical support procedures and performing maintenance and software updates on computer systems. While a degree isn’t always required for this type of position, many employers prefer some type of education in information technology, computer science or network administration.

Salary: The average salary ranges from $48,000 to around $55,000.

Career outlook: Help desk technicians fall under the category of computer support specialists, which has a steady, solid career outlook, especially as professionals are needed to provide technical help and training. Jobs in this area are expected to grow 6% between 2023 and 2033.

Information Assurance Analyst

Role overview: An information assurance analyst helps protect a system’s data, including assessing risk, developing and implementing security policies, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, and monitoring threats. In this position, you typically need a robust understanding of cybersecurity knowledge, which is why a bachelor’s degree is often required. It is possible, however, to secure an entry-level position with the right combination of certifications and experience through bootcamps or internships.

Salary: The average salary is around $113,000.

Career outlook: Analyst jobs in general — including information assurance, financial, risk, and business intelligence — continue to be in high demand with the number of job openings expected to grow by 23% between 2022 and 2032.

IT Business Analyst

Role overview: An IT business analyst is a professional who evaluates a company’s IT systems and addresses any technology-related challenges they face. Responsibilities typically include analyzing business processes and finding IT solutions to improve productivity and efficiency.

Salary: The average salary is around $97,000.

Career outlook: Employment for management analysts, a closely related position, is expected to grow 11% between 2023 and 2033.

IT Project Coordinator

Role overview: An IT project coordinator oversees the daily operations of IT projects, ensuring they stay on schedule, within budget, and meet the outlined objectives. They work closely with the project manager, handling logistics, facilitating communication, and coordinating efforts between teams.

Salary: The average salary is around $65,000.

Career outlook: Job growth for similar positions, such as project coordinator and IT project manager, are quite favorable.

IT Support Specialist

Role overview: An IT support specialist is a professional who troubleshoots and evaluates technology problems and issues, such as hardware troubleshooting, software installation and updates, network connectivity problems, password and login issues, email problems, security, and much more.

Salary: An entry-level IT support specialist usually makes between $34,000 and $50,000, but intermediate and advanced positions can earn upwards of $68,000 and $91,000, respectively.

Career outlook: As information technology evolves, the demand for highly skilled professionals will grow as well. Computer support specialist, which is a closely related position, is listed on U.S. News & World Reports lists of Best Technology Jobs and High-Paying Jobs Without a Degree.

Mobile Application Developer

Role overview: A mobile application developer is a skilled professional who creates software for smartphones, digital assistants, and tablets. Key responsibilities include discussing an application’s potential design, writing and debugging code, developing and releasing patches, and updating apps with new features.

Salary: The average annual salary is around $110,000 with a range between $97,000 and $124,000.

Career outlook: With more than 1.96 million apps available for download in the Apple App Store, it’s safe to say that mobile apps are a big business, which means the demand is high for skilled developers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t have specific details on mobile app developers, but employment of software developers, which is closely related, is projected to grow 17% between 2023 and 2033.

Network Technician

Role overview: A network technician is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing network and computer systems. This includes handling internet connections, resolving software and hardware issues, and performing routine updates to keep systems running smoothly.

Salary: The average salary is around $81,000 with a typical range between $70,000 and $92,000.

Career outlook: Employment for computer support specialists, a closely related field, is expected to grow by 6% from 2023 to 2033. On average, there will be around 62,700 job openings each year over the next decade. However, many of these opportunities will arise due to retirements or workers exiting the industry.

SEO Specialist

Role overview: A search engine optimization (SEO) specialist is a role in digital marketing that involves testing, analyzing, and modifying websites and digital content to improve their ranking on search engines like Google. Responsibilities include developing optimization strategies, performing keyword research, changing a website’s architecture or content to improve SEO, monitoring metrics with tools such as Google Analytics, and much more.

Salary: The average salary for an SEO specialist is around $64,000 with a wide range between $41,000 and $100,000.

Career outlook: With a growing demand for digital marketing and paid online advertising, SEO specialists are more important than ever. In fact, large businesses and organizations are spending anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per month on SEO, highlighting just how crucial these experts are for driving website traffic and ultimately boosting revenue.

User Experience Designer

Role overview: A user experience (UX) designer enhances products or services to make them more intuitive, enjoyable, and accessible. In general, most UX designers work with websites and apps. Responsibilities typically include conducting user research, building user personas, creating site maps, wireframes, and prototypes, and conducting user testing.

Salary: The average salary is around $81,000 with a range of $63,000 to $105,000.

Career outlook: The UX Design Institute reports a drop in UX job postings, but demand remains strong. While the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in tech roles as the world shifted online, many positions, including UX design, have now settled back to pre-pandemic levels.

Web Developer

Role overview: A web developer creates websites, ensuring they are visually appealing, easy to navigate, and optimized for strong performance and capacity. There are also different types of web developers, including back-end, front-end, and full-stack developers.

Salary: Your salary will largely depend on the type of developer role. In general, the national average is around $84,960 with local and state positions in Florida typically earning a bit more at $95,210.

Career outlook: Web developers are in high demand with overall employment projected to grow 8% between 2023 and 2033. Web developer is also listed on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Technology Jobs, Best STEM Jobs, and 100 Best Jobs.

Webmaster

Role overview: A webmaster is a professional who manages and maintains websites and servers to ensure they meet user needs. They are responsible for ensuring the functionality, security, and efficiency of the web infrastructure, optimizing loading speeds, troubleshooting issues, and keeping website content up to date.

Salary: The average salary is around $62,000.

Career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide specific information on webmasters. However, there is a significant demand for web developers, a closely related role, with employment expected to increase by 8% from 2023 to 2033.

Ready to Take the Next Step in Your IT Career?

If you’re looking to start or advance your career in IT, St. Petersburg College offers a wide range of education options designed to prepare you for success. From industry certifications and certificates to short-term training and computer information technology degrees, our programs are tailored to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in your desired IT role.

But we don’t stop there. St. Petersburg College is committed to supporting your journey every step of the way. Our dedicated faculty and staff provide resources like complimentary tutoring services, flexible scheduling and expert advice to help you achieve your goals.

With our career-focused programs, nearly 90% of our Associate in Science graduates either secure jobs in their fields or continue their education after graduation.

FAQs

Is an associate degree enough for an IT job?

In some cases, yes. Many entry-level positions, such as help desk support, network technician, and IT support specialist, will accept candidates with this type of education. An associate degree is a solid foundation for starting a career in IT. It also provides a pathway to pursue a bachelor’s degree later on if you’re aiming for positions that require further education.

What degree do most IT jobs require?

It varies, but many IT positions require a bachelor’s degree, often in areas such as computer science, cybersecurity, or software engineering. While an associate degree can qualify you for many entry-level roles, specialized or higher-ranking positions may require a master’s degree.

How long does it take to earn an associate degree in IT?

Most programs take about two years of full-time study.

What skills will I learn with an associate degree in IT?

A good program will teach you the basics of networking, spreadsheets, database programming, IT security, software application support, hardware configurations, and troubleshooting.

Can I transfer credits from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree program?

Yes! Technology courses and certifications in St. Petersburg College’s technology associate degrees transfer to the school’s Technology Development and Management B.A.S. degree.