If you're considering studying a Bachelor's in Computer Science, you probably already know that this can lead to many careers.
Your first thoughts probably lean towards software development and companies such as Google, Facebook, Apple, or Microsoft. But, once you start researching more, you'll discover many different opportunities and, eventually, find one that perfectly suits you.
Find Bachelors in Computer Science
Let's look at some of the most popular jobs for Computer Science graduates and the average salaries in the US (based on data from PayScale):
1. Computer Technical Support Specialist
- Average salary in the United States: 50,200 USD/year
This job might be for you if you enjoy working with people and helping them with hardware or software problems. You get ups and downs, as well as a lot of variety every day. And hey, sometimes you get to laugh at a problem that's just outlandish.
Some of the main tasks of technical support specialists include:
- Answer queries from clients through phone calls, emails, or direct messages
- Document all the reported problems in the company's ticketing system
- Troubleshoot hardware and software issues by discovering the root cause
- Decide when a problem should go to the next level of support
You can find this type of job under various titles, such as IT support specialist, client advisor, 1st level support engineer, IT helpdesk technician, etc.
2. Software Developer
- Average salary in the United States: 72,580 USD/year
Do you want the job perks of working at Googleplex? Or the pride in saying you develop for Facebook? This job will suit you perfectly if you enjoy writing code, solving problems, and bringing digital programmes and applications to life.
Some of the main responsibilities of software developers include:
- Write and test new code for various applications or projects
- Improve existing software, fix errors, and adapt it to new hardware and devices
- Be familiar and work with development tools (e.g. Eclipse, Git, Mercurial)
- Collaborate with other specialists, such as systems engineers or computer programmers
3. Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst
- Average salary in the United States: 69,700 USD/year
This is a fancy title and, in a way, it's appropriate because you need to combine skills from two areas: Business Administration and Computer Science. Some of the main tasks of business intelligence analysts include:
- Curate company data and analyse it to discover insightful trends, patterns, or tendencies
- Write detailed reports of your findings and present them to the management
- Find new ways and tools to collect data more accurately and more efficiently
- Collaborate with other departments and staff members, such as the IT department, Human Resources (HR), mid and senior management, etc.
4. Web Developer
- Average salary in the United States: 60,300 USD/year
If you're more of a creative spirit and always critique the bad design of websites, you should consider a job as a web developer. You can build and design a website for any company, public institution, online retailer, NGO, and more.
Some of the main responsibilities of web developers include:
- Use HTML and CSS to create and test website layouts
- Test and ensure new features are compatible across various browsers and device types
- Write, edit, and improve software documentation
- Work with web or graphic designers to improve the website's visuals and the overall user experience
5. Software Quality Assurance (QA) Tester
- Average salary in the United States: 70,650 USD/year
If you can quickly checkmate someone in two or three moves, you might have the logical skills of a software QA tester.
Some of the main tasks of software quality assurance testers include:
- Test software: create tests, run them, evaluate, and save results
- Discover, isolate, and categorise software bugs
- Find difficulties that a user might experience while using the product
- Find new methods and tools to improve the overall testing process
6. Information Security Analyst
- Average salary in the United States: 73,150 USD/year
This type of job is ideal for people who always think ahead and consider multiple scenarios. If you always try to be one step ahead and prevent difficult situations from happening in the first place, this role might be a perfect fit.
Some of the main responsibilities of information security analysts include:
- Keep software and hardware up to date to enable new security features and remove security vulnerabilities
- Find security holes or weaknesses through penetration testing
- Create security strategies and share them with the staff
- Ensure the overall security, integrity, and privacy of company data
7. Computer Science Teacher
- Average salary in the United States: 53,500 USD/year
If you're already studying Computer Science, think about how instrumental your teacher has been for your development. Now imagine how much you could help someone else in the same situation or how you could influence the careers of hundreds of future students.
Some of the main tasks of Computer Science teachers include:
- Create lessons plans, activities, and computer lab work that are engaging and facilitate the learning process
- Adapt to the specific needs of each student; make sure nobody lags behind
- Stay up-to-date with the latest teaching methods, technologies, and interactive approaches
- Offer students (and parents) valuable and insightful feedback
Find Bachelors in Computer Science.
The best computer science schools in the world
According to the latest QS Rankings by TopUniversities, these are some of the best universities in the world that offer Computer Science degrees:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the US
- National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
- University of Oxford, the UK
- EPFL, Switzerland
- University of Toronto, Canada
- Tsinghua University, China
- The University of Tokyo, Japan
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea
- TU Munich, Germany
Remember, you can also study an online Bachelor's in Computer Science from the comfort of your home.