Information technology jobs are expected to increase at a rate of about 18 – 26 percent through 2014, as organizations continue to adopt increasingly sophisticated technology and integrate it into their systems.

Job prospects should be best for college graduates who are up to date with the latest skills and technologies, particularly if they have some relevant work experience.

Due to the demand for computer support specialists and systems administrators over the next decade, those who have strong computer skills, but do not have a bachelor’s degree, should continue to qualify for some entry-level positions. However, certifications and practical experience are essential for persons without degrees.

As computers and software become more complex, support specialists will be needed to provide technical assistance to customers and other users. However, growth in support specialists jobs may be tempered somewhat as firms continue to cut costs by shifting more routine work abroad to countries where workers are highly skilled and labor costs are lower.

Physical location is not as important for computer support specialists as it is for others, because these workers can provide assistance remotely and support services can be provided around the clock.

Information technology jobs for systems administrators is expected to increase much faster than the average for other occupations as firms continue to invest heavily in securing computer networks.

Companies are looking for workers who are knowledgeable about the function and administration of networks. The information security field is expected to generate many opportunities over the next decade as firms across all industries place a high priority on safeguarding their data and systems.

Overall, information technology jobs for data entry and information processing workers is projected to decline through 2014. Job prospects will be most favorable for those with the best technical skills—in particular, expertise in appropriate computer software applications.

Employment of computer and information systems managers is expected to increase faster than the average through the year 2014. Technological advancements will boost the employment of computer-related workers; as a result, the demand for managers to direct these workers also will increase.

Similarly, the security of computer networks will continue to increase in importance as more business is conducted over the Internet. As a result, there will be a high demand for managers proficient in computer security issues.

Information technology jobs for programmers is expected to grow more slowly than average through the year 2014. Sophisticated computer software now has the capability to write basic code, eliminating the need for many programmers to do this routine work.

Programmers are at a much higher risk of having their jobs outsourced abroad than are workers involved in more complex and sophisticated information technology functions, such as software engineering, because computer programming has become an international language, requiring little localized or specialized knowledge.

Given the importance of networking and the expansion of client/server, Web-based, and wireless environments, organizations will look for programmers who can support data communications and help implement electronic commerce and intranet strategies.

A growing emphasis on cybersecurity will lead to increased demand for programmers who are familiar with digital security issues and skilled in using appropriate security technology.

Jobs for both systems and applications programmers should be most plentiful in data-processing service firms, software houses, and computer consulting businesses. These types of establishments are part of computer systems design and related services and software publishers, which are projected to be among the fastest growing industries in the economy over the 2004-14 period.

Infomation technology jobs for Computer software engineers are projected to be one of the fastest-growing occupations from 2004 to 2014.

Rapid employment growth in the computer systems design and related services industry, which employs the greatest number of computer software engineers, should result in very good opportunities for those college graduates with at least a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering or computer science and practical experience working with computers.

As with other information technology jobs, employment growth of computer software engineers may be tempered somewhat as more software development is contracted out abroad. At the same time, jobs in software engineering are less prone to being sent abroad compared with jobs in other computer specialties, because the occupation requires innovation and intense research and development.

Computer scientists and database administrators should continue to enjoy favorable job prospects.

As technology becomes more sophisticated and complex, however, employers demand a higher level of skill and expertise information technology jobs applicants. Individuals with an advanced degree in computer science or computer engineering or with an MBA with a concentration in information systems should enjoy favorable employment prospects.

Computer scientists and database administrators are expected to be among the fastest growing occupations through 2014. Job growth will not be as rapid as during the previous decade, however.

Here are the top five online job sites for information technology jobs, as measured by the Alexa rating (the lower the rating, the more popular the site. See our Online Job Search page for a detailed explanation of Alexa ratings.