This Profession Tops the Best Jobs for 2026, with a Fantastic Salary of Rp2.9 Billion
The technology sector is a favourite due to the enticing salaries it offers workers. U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Tech Jobs list names the IT manager as the best job in the technology sector in the United States for 2026.
The median salary for an IT manager is recorded at US$171,200, equivalent to around Rp2.9 billion. This figure is based on an exchange rate assumption of Rp16,960 per US dollar, according to the close of trading on Friday, 27 March 2026, per Refinitiv.
In the report, the IT manager holds the top position amid increasing company needs for professional manpower capable of managing increasingly complex digital systems. This role is deemed crucial as it encompasses cross-departmental coordination, handling technical requests, and allocating resources to resolve urgent issues.
“IT managers often have to handle requests from various departments, prioritise help desk requests, and allocate company resources to resolve urgent technical issues,” quoting VN Express, Saturday (28/3/2026).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 15.2% job growth for IT managers between 2024 and 2034, with an estimated 101,600 job openings during that period.
The ranking by U.S. News considers five main indicators: future prospects (30%), salary potential (25%), employment rate (20%), job security and stability (15%), and work-life balance (10%).
The IT manager is also described as a bright career, including significant opportunities for promotions and salary increases, as well as flexible work schedules and good work-life balance.
“They also report relatively low stress levels related to the work environment and the complexity of job responsibilities,” it states.
In second place on the list is the information security analyst, with a median salary of US$124,910 and a projection of 52,100 new jobs, driven by rising cyber threats.
Meanwhile, the software developer ranks third with a median salary of US$133,080 and the largest projected job growth of 267,700 positions.
Fourth place is occupied by the data scientist with a median salary of US$112,590. The actuary profession, which analyses financial risks using mathematics and statistics, completes the top five with a median salary of US$125,770 and around 7,300 projected new jobs.
Overall, most jobs in the top 10 have median salaries above US$100,000. However, some professions like operations research analyst and web developer record salaries just above US$90,000, while the statistician is the profession with the lowest projected openings, around 2,700 positions.