IT job titles decoded: Navigating an IT career path
For tech job seekers, IT job titles can be simultaneously useful and confusing. When used properly, job titles offer insights into the scope and responsibilities of a role while also establishing salary and seniority expectations.
With loose standards around the plethora of IT job titles, the tech employment landscape can sometimes feel like the Wild West, with few rules governing rogue job listings.
But don’t just take my word for it. Many IT professionals in the Spiceworks Community, who we will feature throughout this article, have expressed the same frustrations.
“To be honest, I think most job titles – especially in IT – are inaccurate. I think it’s fair to say ‘SysAdmin’ is one of the worst (offenders), given how massively wide the spectrum of responsibilities can vary from place to place.” — Dimforest, IT professional
This article aims to cut through the noise and demystify IT job titles. I’ll explore common pitfalls to avoid, detail title variations across key IT job functions, examine the relationship between responsibilities and salary, and uncover useful rules of thumb to help you navigate the IT job market.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be empowered to make informed career decisions in a confusing job environment. Maybe you’ll even learn to embrace the chaos and use IT job title confusion to your advantage.
Common problems with IT job titles
For years, tech professionals have pointed out numerous issues arising from the misalignment between IT job titles, responsibilities, and pay. Some Spiceworks Community members have even shared horror stories of being hired for roles that turned out nothing like employers had promised.
“(I was) taken on to do a specific job, but on the very first day, I realised that I had been fed a line of horse feathers … the role was simply not what they had told me. I had no authority, no staff, could make no changes, and couldn’t even sit in on discussions about their set-up … I became immensely frustrated … they had no idea of my skill level or what I could do.” — Bottman, IT professional, U.K.
To avoid a similar fate, you should beware of common IT job title pitfalls.
Incorrect job descriptions
Employers (who might lack tech expertise) often improperly describe IT job responsibilities, increasing the chances of a mismatch in job expectations vs. reality.
Job titles used interchangeably
Titles such as “systems administrator” or “network engineer” describe IT professionals who manage specific types of infrastructure. Still, recruiters and hiring managers often use these kinds of titles to generically describe any IT role — even entry-level ones, with pay to match.
Title inflation
Roles with important-sounding titles on paper can sometimes turn out to be more junior positions, for example, “manager” roles that don’t involve managing any direct reports. Title inflation is dangerous because if you aren’t careful, you might land in a dead-end role with little opportunity for promotion.
Title deflation
In an age where HR departments are often flooded with job applications, algorithms increasingly filter job applicants without human intervention. If you have high-level skills (e.g., PowerShell automation), but end up with a generic or entry-level title like “IT specialist,” you could limit your future opportunities.
“Job descriptions are very misleading these days … I notice overinflated or misleading job titles at SMBs, not so much at large enterprise infrastructures. For example, at a SMB you might be an IT Director … but the IT Director might have one person reporting to him or he could be the only one in IT there … SMBs are good to getting general experience but can get you stuck in desktop/generalist positions (nothing wrong with that if that’s what you enjoy doing) … Larger organizations tend to be compartmentalized with more accurate job titles.” — Madhattergotham, IT professional
IT job titles decoder ring: Making sense of tech job listings
Because IT job titles vary greatly, paying attention to key responsibilities can help you accurately assess the nature of a given role. When you closely scrutinize job listings and ask pointed questions of recruiters and interviewers, you stand a better chance of cutting through IT career chaos and determining the true nature of a given job.
Below, I’ll dive deeper into the responsibilities and job titles associated with various tech occupations, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), along an IT support and infrastructure track, which involves the design, deployment, and maintenence of an organization’s IT systems and services (e.g., hardware, software, networks, etc).
Entry-level IT job titles
Help desk support / IT technician roles are great entry points for starting an IT career, even if you have no formal tech education or experience. However, these roles also tend to offer the lowest pay, and as many IT pros can tell you, this is where you pay your dues. Unless you love interacting with people — emotional intelligence definitely comes in handy — working directly with less tech-savvy end users can be a grind.
At the same time, these IT generalist roles allow you to get a taste of what the field has to offer. You’ll also have the opportunity to find out what you like about working in IT (or what you can’t stand).
Computer User Support Specialists
Related job titles: IT technician, Help desk technician, Help desk analyst, Help desk support specialist, Desktop support technician, Level 1 help desk technician, Tier 1 help desk, IT support specialist, Technology support specialist, Service desk technician, Computer user support technician, Technical support specialist. (See also: Junior, Intern, Tier 1)
Responsibilities: Entry-level role providing technical assistance to computer users with computer hardware and software, often including tasks such as printing, app installation, word processing, email, and troubleshooting operating systems.
Mid-level IT job titles
As you climb the seniority and pay scale, you can expect to take on more or increasingly specialized responsibilities. For example, a mid-level infrastructure role might focus more on deploying, managing, and optimizing IT systems (e.g., the “plumbing” of IT, including networking, storage, server, and cloud infrastructure) instead of troubleshooting end-user devices.
In a small or medium-sized organization, moving up might mean expanding responsibilities in a jack-of-all-trades role encompassing everything tech within the business. In larger organizations, IT roles often become more compartmentalized as you move further away from front-line user support.
The good news is that you can choose your own adventure. Some IT professionals prefer being an integral team member in a smaller company, serving as the go-to person for all things that use electricity. Other IT professionals would prefer to focus on one aspect of IT in a larger organization, even at the risk of becoming a bit more siloed.
The key differences between the two mid-level occupations listed below (besides pay) lie in responsibilities. While computer network support specialists maintain and troubleshoot existing IT systems, the more senior network and computer systems administrator occupation also deploys, configures, and optimizes them.
Computer Network Support Specialists
Related job titles: Computer Network Specialist, IT Consultant, Network Specialist, Network Support Specialist, Network Technical Analyst, Network Technician, Personal Computer Network Analyst, Systems Specialist, Information Analyst, Information Technology Specialist (Look for: Specialist, Analyst, Administrator, Engineer, Consultant, Coordinator)
Responsibilities: Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers, and other data communications networks. Perform network maintenance to ensure networks operate correctly with minimal interruption.
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Related job titles: Local Area Network Administrator, LAN Specialist, Network Administrator, Network Coordinator, Network Manager, Systems Administrator
Responsibilities: Install, configure, and maintain an organization’s local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers. Perform system monitoring and verify the integrity and availability of hardware, network, and server resources and systems. Review system and application logs and verify completion of scheduled jobs, including system backups. Analyze network and server resource consumption and control user access. Install and upgrade software and maintain software licenses. May assist in network modeling, analysis, planning, and coordination between network and data communications hardware and software.
Note: “Network administrator” and “Systems Administrator” titles are often used generically, especially in SMBs. For example, if only one or two IT people are working for a company, or when IT personnel don’t report to a technically savvy boss, you’re more likely to encounter inaccurate job titles.
High-level IT job titles
Senior IT roles involve more responsibility and often focus on overall tech strategy. In an infrastructure context, they tend to own projects that involve sizing and architecting complex IT systems and work with a team to deploy and optimize them to meet an organization’s needs.
IT professionals in these roles often call the shots that guide the activities of their peers or lead teams, although they aren’t necessarily people managers. In other words, some IT professionals are content to stay in these top-level technical roles if they don’t want to go down the managerial path.
Computer Network Architects
Related job titles: Infrastructure Engineer, IT Architect, IT Engineer, Network and Infrastructure Engineer, Solutions Architect, Systems Application Engineer, Systems Architect, Systems Consultant, Systems Engineer, Web Architect (Look for: Senior, Engineer, Architect, Lead, Principal)
Responsibilities: Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks. Perform network modeling, analysis, and planning, including analysis of capacity needs for network infrastructures. May also design network and computer security measures. May research and recommend network and data communications hardware and software.
Additional IT occupations and career tracks
While this article focuses on a career track starting in entry-level IT support and progressing down an IT infrastructure track, be aware that there are multiple entry points into IT and paths your tech career might take, depending on your interests.
- IT management: IT managers, IT directors, CIOs, and CTOs lead IT teams and help plan, coordinate, and direct technology-related activities in an organization.
- Software Development: Software developers design computer applications or programs, while QA analysts test and report defects in the code that runs them.
- Databases: Database architects design systems that organize and store information securely, while database administrators ensure they operate optimally.
- Cybersecurity: Information security analysts plan and implement security measures to protect devices and data from cyber threats
How to navigate IT job title confusion
In an environment where IT jobs are labeled inconsistently, you’ll have to keep a couple of important things in mind.
First, you want to ensure your current title is helping you get ahead in your current role. Secondly, you want to ensure that your title makes sense to potential employers by accurately reflecting your expertise and experience for future employers.
“A title becomes important is when looking for a new job (HR may focus on titles) or if it makes a difference in the pay bracket at your current employer (e.g., IT tech gets entry level pay while IT Specialist gets the next pay bracket).” — Carey Ferguson, IT professional
When you’re looking for a new role, you’ll have to navigate IT job title confusion to find opportunities that are a good fit. That means that instead of being frustrated by the mismatch between titles and job descriptions, you almost have to expect it.
Sometimes, you’ll have to think outside of the box and put a little extra effort into your search by more carefully reading the job description to increase your chances of discovering roles that suit you. Who knows, maybe there’s a hard-to-find diamond in the rough out there that other job prospects haven’t discovered yet.
“I went through a job search a little over a year ago, and I found myself applying for many jobs that were labeled Network Engineer, or Network Technician, when really they were sysadmin type jobs. During my search, I quickly learned that it made more sense to do a broad search for all IT jobs in my area, then filter through it the old-fashioned way (eyeballs) I ended up scoring a pretty sweet gig.” — Alan Loyd, IT professional
Conclusion: Charting Your IT Career Course
The IT job market can indeed feel sprawling and sometimes overwhelming. However, by focusing on what really matters — responsibilities vs. job titles alone — you can begin to make sense of the apparent chaos. While specific titles may lack universal definitions, understanding the core responsibilities can help point you in the right direction.
Remember that conducting thorough research and asking insightful questions is very important when you’re navigating the IT career landscape. By doing your homework when seeking out opportunities and proactively staying up to date on the various paths available, you can more confidently chart your course as your IT career progresses.
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