Technology salary benchmarks and trends

Name: Data at a glance
Creator: Robert Half

2027 Salary Guide

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This is not the final Salary Guide. Do not share this preview before September 10 to avoid distributing information that may change before launch. This draft version is intended for internal review and training purposes only.

Technology and IT salaries are growing more competitive for roles requiring data, AI, cybersecurity and systems modernization expertise. Companies need professionals with these specialized skills to advance critical technology initiatives—but they remain in short supply. While higher application volumes driven by AI-generated resumes can create the appearance of a deeper talent pool, it doesn’t always mean more qualified candidates.

Employers who assume the market has softened risk underpricing critical roles and missing out on top hires. The same job title can also carry very different pay expectations depending on the required experience with certain software, tools and platforms. Current salary data helps employers understand those differences, pressure-test role requirements and better align budgets with hiring needs.

Hiring managers: Meet with us to get customized salary insights and guidance so you can build offers candidates say yes to.

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The salaries below default to national averages. Select a job category and city to find figures for a specific market. Starting compensation can vary significantly based on a candidate’s skills, experience and certifications, as well as other factors including industry; company size, complexity or revenue; and demand for the role. To reflect this variability, we report our compensation data in 3 levels: low, mid and high.

AI, Machine Learning and Data Science

Consulting and Enterprise Systems

Data: Engineering, Analytics and Reporting

Executive Leadership

IT Operations and Support

Networking, Cloud and Systems

Security

Software and Applications Development

Technology Project Management

Web Development

Job Title

Low

Mid

High

AI Architect

145250

179750

204000

AI Engineer

154500

175000

196750

ML Engineer

124250

154500

177000

Data Scientist

123750

158750

186750

AI/ML Analyst

121250

150000

174000

RPA Engineer

107000

126000

155250

Low

The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is still developing core skills.

Mid

The candidate has moderate experience in the role or one similar, meets most requirements, and may hold transferable skills or relevant certifications.

High

The candidate has extensive experience in the role, demonstrates advanced skills, and often brings specialized certifications or industry experience.

Technology and IT compensation trends

Data at a glance

72%

of technology leaders are making more competitive offers, especially for business-critical roles with limited talent pools.

65%

are offering salaries above their planned range, citing the need to secure candidates with specialized skills as a top reason.

92%

are offering higher pay for relevant AI skills, with 60% offering more for AI-related expertise than for other tech skills.

Specialized skills

Data Science and Engineering

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

Data architecture and infrastructure

Data migration

Large language models

Machine learning

Enterprise Systems

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

ERP platform integration (e.g., Workday, Microsoft D365, Oracle NetSuite)

Financial systems and data fluency

HRIS and workforce analytics

Solutioning CRM architecture (e.g., Salesforce)

Networking, Cloud and Systems

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

Architectural design

Cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Oracle)

Infrastructure automation (e.g., Terraform, Ansible)

Systems integration and modernization

Security

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

AI governance

Cloud security architecture

Identity and access management

SIEM platforms and threat detection

Software and Applications

Organizations are paying more for high-impact skills tied to critical initiatives and to compete for in-demand talent.

Agentic AI

AI and ML integration

Cloud-native application development

Full-stack development

Rewards that prompt career moves

When base pay is similar, technology professionals weigh the full compensation package before deciding to accept a job offer or change employers. Top benefits and perks that influence a job change:

Work‑life balance and flexibility

Paid time off, hybrid or remote work options, flexible hours

Financial incentives

Bonuses, profit-sharing programs, stock options

Explore more total rewards insights

Roles, industries, certifications on the rise

Roles requiring specialized skills in areas such as data, AI, cybersecurity and cloud modernization are expected to have salary growth above the projected +2.1% average for technology positions.

+3.3% Business Intelligence Developer

+3.3% Data Scientist

+3.1% Cybersecurity Engineer

+3.0% Network/Cloud Engineer

+3.0% Software Engineer

+2.9% AI/ML Analyst

Employers in these industries need skilled professionals to advance security, digital transformation, data strategy and infrastructure modernization.

Financial services

Tech and IT

Manufacturing

Pharma and biosciences

Certifications can justify higher pay when they validate expertise in cloud, security, data, AI and project delivery.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

Certified Data Professional (CDP)

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

CompTIA (A+, Cloud+, Security+)

IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate

Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Project Management Professional (PMP)

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Salaries and trends by profession

Get 2027 starting salaries and salary insights in our other professional fields.

Finance and accounting

Marketing and creative

Legal

Administrative and customer support

Non-clinical healthcare

Human resources

The salary benchmarks in the Salary Guide From Robert Half are the result of a rigorous, multistep process designed to reflect projected market trends for 2027. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary levels. Learn more about our methodology.

Non-salary data is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. Respondents include hiring managers and workers at small (10-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000-plus employees) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across the United States.