8 Entry-Level Roles to Break Into the Technology Industry







Customer Success Manager (CSM)

Average salary: $69,829




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Help Desk Support Technician

Average salary: $41,686





Technical Consultant

Average salary: $76,522



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Social Media Strategist

Average salary: $53,534





Web Developer

Average salary: $60,287



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Talent Acquisition Coordinator

Average salary: $49,369





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Software Developer

Average salary: $72,619

Software developers (sometimes called software engineers) write computer code to build new programs or features or solve problems with existing software. They generally fall into the same three categories as web developers (front end, back end, and full stack).

Software developers must have a background in computer science or coding. Knowing the coding language or languages used in the role they’re seeking—such as Python, Java, JavaScript, CSS, or SQL— is a plus (though if you’re proficient in one language, it’s usually easy to pick up another). When building teams, Encarnacion looks for software developers who can solve problems in a mathematical way and are able to explain their thought process and reasoning. “Nobody writes a product on their own; it’s done in a team,” Encarnacion says. So a software developer needs to be able to effectively collaborate and communicate the “why” of their coding actions to their team members.

As their careers progress, software developers can choose the management track and become product or engineering managers, product or engineering directors, and VPs of product or engineering. Or they can choose the technical track and move into positions like architect or technical fellow where they’re thinking more broadly about how products are built and which technologies are best to use.

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UX Designer

Average salary: $74,776

A UX (user experience) designer figures out the visual component of a piece of technology—i.e., they design what the user will see and interact with. UX designers collaborate with both customers and their own colleagues to ensure that any products or services their company develops work well and are user friendly.

In addition to using their creativity and design skills to imagine the look and feel of a product or feature, UX designers facilitate user groups and document their thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors in relation to a specific problem that the tech company is trying to solve. Their main function is to constantly update and refine user interfaces to improve the customer’s experience by really understanding human behavior. Throughout the entire development process, UX designers ask themselves:

  • How do humans interact with technology?
  • Why does this person use this app more than another app?
  • How does the design influence the user’s behavior and engagement with the app?

Since the essential job responsibilities of UX designers are heavily centered on human behavior, this an appealing entry-level role in tech for those with non-STEM degrees, including graphic design or psychology grads (who also have design skills). UX designers may advance into roles such as senior UX designer, director of product development, or creative director.

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As you can see, there’s a range of different roles in the technology industry. Some roles rely first and foremost on coding and other technical skills, some blend both technical and non-technical skills, and other roles don’t require a heavy tech skill set at all. A number of different departments are needed to make a tech company run smoothly and create the world’s next great technologies. So whether or not you have a background in STEM, there’s an entry-level role that might be perfect for you.

By Yanira Guzmán - The Muse
The Muse
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