Best IT Classes in Seattle
Information Technology, or IT, is a broad field that has many sub specializations, each focused on using computers and networks to create and manage digital data. Although IT has much in common with computer science, the two fields differ in that IT is oriented toward providing tech solutions to business problems, while computer science focuses on creating functional interfaces for digital systems.
The term “information technology” was first used in 1958 by the Harvard Business Review to distinguish multi-functional digital tech like computers from technology like typewriters, which are built for a single purpose only. Since then, IT has come to include a diverse variety of electronic data processes, including creation, storage, restoration, protection, and transmission. In layman’s terms, IT specialists are here to make sure that our electronic systems, data, applications, and networks function without a hitch.
Today, IT can be broken into three main branches, each offering many flexible and lucrative career prospects. While some IT workers use and maintain networks, servers, and data storage, others specialize in providing electronic security. Meanwhile, a third branch focuses on optimizing and debugging digital products and interfaces. Most IT professionals work with a team of other IT specialists who have different qualifications and responsibilities, including management, customer support, software development, cybersecurity, and data analytics.
To succeed in an IT career, you’ll want a thorough understanding of both hardware and software. Depending on your specialization, you’ll also need to learn additional subjects, which may include business analytics, database design, database management, project management, network administration, or telecommunications. You can explore these topics in local IT classes and bootcamps.
Best IT Classes & Schools in Seattle
As one of America’s top destinations for IT careers, Seattle is full of great training options for both casual and career-minded learners. Along with a slew of in-person courses, you can receive quality virtual training in real time, making it easy to customize your education for your lifestyle. Choose from short classes and longer bootcamps designed to prepare you for a career.
Noble Desktop, a leader in virtual education, offers live online IT courses for every pace and learning goal. Whether you prefer to hone in on a single IT skill by participating in a short Excel Bootcamp or plan to cover everything in one fell swoop through one of the school’s more comprehensive programs, Noble has a class just for you. Many graduates from courses like the Software Engineering Certificate and Data Analytics Certificate go on to have thriving IT careers. In addition to hands-on skills training, these popular career training programs pair you with an expert mentor and support you with resources and tips as you nail down your next job.
For students looking to learn cybersecurity live online, TLG Learning offers a variety of career preparation courses, including plenty of certification courses designed to help professionals prepare for exams like the CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam and the Network+ Certification Exam (N10-008). In addition to their popular Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) and Microsoft Security Operations Analyst courses, they also offer classes exploring topics like Architecting on AWS along with short Excel courses.
If you’re dreaming of a career in big data, the American Management Association offers experience-based data courses that are 100% live online. With classes like Data Analysis Fundamentals: A Hands-on Workshop, you can master basics in no time and quickly move on to higher-level skills in courses like Advanced Tools and Techniques for Data Analysis.
Seattle Industries That Use IT
Because businesses of all types rely on IT professionals for smoother operations, Seattle’s booming metropolis is a fabulous place to be in the IT business. IT services are in high demand in related fields like technology and professional services but also play a crucial role in industries like healthcare, finance, and logistics.
Technology
Of the Seattle workforce, almost 14% work in a technology industry or tech-related job, and in 2021 alone, the city saw more than 94,300 new tech job postings. In addition, Seattle has been hailed as a Tier One city for talented tech professionals, making it a prime location to get IT training. The Seattle area is a popular headquarters location for big tech companies, including Microsoft, Nintendo, and Google.
Professional Services
Highly concentrated in opportunities, King County employs more than 27,000 professional services workers, which is significantly more than most other regions of the same size. The industries included in this group were responsible for bringing in $5.1 billion in GDP in 2021. While there are hundreds of professional services companies located in the Seattle area, many workers also enjoy flexible employment through remote opportunities.
HealthTech
Employing one in every five people in the city, the healthcare business is considered a key industry in Seattle. This number is expected to grow by more than 15% between 2020 and 2030, making the need for qualified IT professionals even louder. Healthcare facilities such as Seattle Cancer Care rely on IT for data management, natural language processing (NLP), and cybersecurity. In addition to working directly for local healthcare and medical research facilities, IT professionals can also find satisfying work through Seattle HealthTech companies.
IT Jobs & Salaries in Seattle
With relevance in every industry under the sun, IT professionals are in such high demand across the board that companies shelled out 3.6 trillion dollars for IT services in 2020. This demand is expected to increase by 11% until 2029. In addition, job security in IT is so good that subfields like cybersecurity enjoy a 0% unemployment rate.
As of 2021, IT professionals earn an average annual salary of $100,000, almost $55,000 more than the median for other occupations. However, IT is a vast industry with many career possibilities that each offer different salaries depending on your qualifications and experience. At the bottom of the IT pay scale, Seattle’s IT Support Technicians earn about $58,000 each year, while highly experienced IT Directors at the other end of the spectrum earn between $150,000 and $198,000 every year.
In the Seattle Area, Data specialists typically earn between $82,000 and $270,000, with Data Analysts, Business Analysts, and Financial Analysts yielding roughly $86,000 each year. In exchange for more skills, Seattle’s Data Engineers reap annual salaries totaling $137,000, while the most experienced Cybersecurity Analysts can earn up to $270,000. For coding and development services, Seattle-based Software Engineers earn between $135,000 and $185,000, and IT Architects yield incomes ranging between $112,000 and $133,000.
IT is a diverse field that offers a wide range of other rewarding career paths, including application management, machine learning, blockchain, IT project management, virtual reality (VR), cloud computing, system administration, and DevOps.
You can start your job hunt today by browsing local job boards along with job websites such as Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and Indeed. For best results, target your online search using keywords like the following:
- AdTech
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Augmented/Virtual Reality
- Big Data
- Blockchain
- Business Services
- Cybersecurity
- Cloud Computing
- DevOps
- Digital Media
- Ecommerce
- FinTech
- HealthTech
- Information Technology
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Machine Learning (ML)
- Software
- User Experience (UX) Design
- Web Development
