9 IT Skills Where Expertise Pays The Most
CIO, Friday, April 25th, 2025
Data from tech recruiter Dice shows that expertise in these skills is associated with at least a 10k bump in salary, with AI leading the way in the most profitable tech skill.
Tech companies still hold a competitive edge when it comes to salaries, despite mass layoffs across the industry in recent years. Despite reductions in staff, there are tech skills that continue to demand a premium salary, driving industry competition to hire talent with the right skills.
The average annual salary for tech professionals inside the tech industry is $114,861, while those outside it earn about $108,674, according to the Dice 2025 Tech Salary Report. For salaries within the tech industry, that's a 2.2% growth year over year, while tech salaries in outside industries have seen a slight decline of .5% year over year.