Careers for Students Who Like Technology (But Don't Want to Code All Day)

It's completely normal to like technology and not want to become a programmer.

Maybe you enjoy understanding how apps work or you like solving technical problems. 

Technology includes a lot more than coding. Here are seven careers you might not have thought about.

Web and Digital Interface Designers

A web and digital interface designer focuses on how websites and digital tools look and feel. They think about layout, usability, and how real people interact with technology. Their work can also include evaluating designs against accessibility standards, analyzing web metrics, and optimizing sites for search engine ranking.

Typical education: bachelor's degree
Median pay: $92,192
Job growth: +6.64%

Information Security Analysts

An information security analyst works on security for the protection of computer networks. Information security analysts also protect systems from cyber threats. Instead of building software, they focus on spotting vulnerabilities, preventing problems, and responding to active security breaches when they happen.

Typical education: bachelor's degree
 Median pay: $124,491
 Job growth: +14.83%

Computer Systems Analysts

A computer systems analyst helps organizations improve how they use technology. They analyze problems across science, engineering, and business, then figure out what's not working efficiently and recommend better systems or software.

Typical education: associate degree
 Median pay: $103,407
 Job growth: +6.93%

Computer User Support Specialists

A computer user support specialist helps people solve tech problems covering everything from hardware and software to installation, email, and operating systems. It's a hands-on role focused on helping others, and it can serve as a strong entry point into tech.

Typical education: bachelor's degree
 Median pay: $60,336
 Job growth: +1.34%

GIS Technicians

A GIS technician helps build, maintain, and use geographic information systems (GIS) databases that organize and analyze location-based data. They support scientists and other professionals, and may also provide user support for the tools and systems they manage.

Typical education: bachelor's degree
 Median pay: $106,480
 Job growth: +6.65%

Information Technology Project Managers

An information technology project manager plans and oversees IT projects from start to finish. They serve as the connection between the business side and the technical team,  tracking deadlines, standards, and costs without being the one to write the code.

Typical education: bachelor's degree
 Median pay: $106,480
 Job growth: +6.65%

One Last Thing

You don't have to decide everything right now. The point is to explore options and notice what sounds interesting. 

Technology is a huge field and there’s room for designers, strategists, problem solvers, analysts, and organizers. While some coding might be required for some of these careers, these roles would not have you coding every day. 

Take some time to explore careers on the BigFuture career search page and see which roles actually feel like something you'd want to do every day.

All income, education, and job growth data sourced from BigFuture career profiles, which draw on O*NET (Occupational Information Network) data from the U.S. Department of Labor.