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What is a junior information technologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Ranganathan Chandrasekaran,
Alexey Kolmogorov Ph.D.
The average junior information technologist salary is $56,919. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an information technology major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a junior information technologist. Junior information technologists with a Network 5 Certification certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 83,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Junior Information Technologist?

Ranganathan ChandrasekaranRanganathan Chandrasekaran LinkedIn profile

Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Illinois

As we roll into another month of the COVID-19 pandemic, graduating students are facing one of the worst moments of their lives. They face several uncertainties; due to financial challenges, uncertainty about completing their degrees on time, adjusting to online and hybrid modes of learning, and worst of all, facing the worst job market. As a result, I see the stress and anxiety levels among the graduating students to be significantly higher, at levels I have not experienced in my academic career.

Several businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, and they have rolled back their offers made to students for internships and jobs. Businesses have also resorted to downsizing and layoffs, and we are likely to see that continue, at least in the near term. However, two sectors that are showing promises of a quick turnaround are technology and healthcare.

It might take many months for the economy to get back on track, but the demand for information systems graduates is likely to grow, as a large number of businesses have turned to increased use of technology in this pandemic period. As more companies go digital, we need more professionals to manage the remote-work, technological infrastructure and meet the other demands of the business. Students pursuing education in information systems, computer science, and healthcare are going to be in greater demand.

On the positive side, the uncertainties induced by the pandemic have also helped students to prepare themselves better for a tougher job market. I found many students rise up and use the lockdown period to have a serious introspection and invest their time and effort in upgrading their knowledge and skills. The internship drought and rescinding of job/internship offers brought their dreams crashing down, but I found several students to quickly get over their disappointments, and engage in improving their skillsets utilizing the pandemic lockdown as an opportunity. I am aware of many students, especially in the information systems disciple, who spent time doing online courses, completing certification programs, and take up DIY projects on data analysis, developing analytical and forecasting models, and visualization of various aspects of the pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in massive amounts of data, released by several organizations worldwide, that have provided a stimulant for students to indulge in DIY-projects. I had several students approach me over summer to do some projects, and we have done some interesting projects using public datasets related to COVID-19.
ScoreJunior Information TechnologistUS Average
Salary
4.4

Avg. Salary $56,919

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 10.57%

Black or African American 10.86%

Hispanic or Latino 16.59%

Unknown 5.40%

White 56.17%

Gender

female 19.29%

male 80.71%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Junior Information Technologist career paths

Key steps to become a junior information technologist

  1. Explore junior information technologist education requirements

    Most common junior information technologist degrees

    Bachelor's

    47.0 %

    Associate

    29.8 %

    High School Diploma

    8.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific junior information technologist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Troubleshoot15.24%
    Technical Support9.82%
    Computer System6.60%
    Customer Service6.32%
    Phone Calls4.67%
  3. Complete relevant junior information technologist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New junior information technologists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a junior information technologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real junior information technologist resumes.
  4. Research junior information technologist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
    • Work with end-users on the phone to troubleshoot an indefinite range of problems remotely using remote connection software.
    • Install network software, including security, firewall and VPN software/hardware ensuring integration with existing network systems.
    • Resolve a one-way calling issue affecting VPN users cause by insufficient routing protocol configuration on several networking devices.
  5. Prepare your junior information technologist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your junior information technologist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a junior information technologist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable junior information technologist resume templates

    Build a professional junior information technologist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your junior information technologist resume.
    Junior Information Technologist Resume
    Junior Information Technologist Resume
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    Junior Information Technologist Resume
    Junior Information Technologist Resume
    Junior Information Technologist Resume
    Junior Information Technologist Resume
    Junior Information Technologist Resume
    Junior Information Technologist Resume
  6. Apply for junior information technologist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a junior information technologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first junior information technologist job

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Average junior information technologist salary

The average junior information technologist salary in the United States is $56,919 per year or $27 per hour. Junior information technologist salaries range between $35,000 and $90,000 per year.

Average Junior Information Technologist Salary
$56,919 Yearly
$27.36 hourly

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Junior Information Technologist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Cons

I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day

Pros

You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

I decided to go to technical support because I've been fascinated by technology all my life and I love working with the people as well. I want to use my technical know-how to solve directly the problems that customers have. I want to be the person who makes life easier and more enjoyable for people who have had a problem. This is what I like most as a technical Support.

Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

I enjoy the challenges and learning new things . Technology is always evolving.

Cons

Customer is unwilling to provide you with necessary information in order to assist them.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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