Many technology company job openings don't require tech skills
Think you have to be a computer geek to work for a technology company? Think again. As tech startups of the past have matured into the employment giants of today, their hiring base has diversified, according to a survey of tech company job openings done by the employment website Glassdoor.
Glassdoor looked at tech companies with at least 100 job postings on its website as of June 26 and categorized the openings as either technical or non-technical.
While 57 percent, or almost 71,000 open jobs at tech companies, were for technical positions, about 43 percent, or 53,000 current open jobs in the tech industry, didn't require a technical background, the survey found.
That's good news for non-technical workers as tech companies are often among the most represented on Best Places to Work rankings and can offer unique perks like catered lunches, dog-friendly offices and flexible hours.
"When we think of employees at tech companies, what usually comes to mind are software engineers and data scientists — people with technical skills such as coding and machine learning," the survey said. "But, tech companies aren't solely hiring for tech roles. In today's job market, you no longer have to be a tech worker to work in tech."
While many companies such as Microsoft, Intel, and Amazon are still looking primarily for technical workers, other tech companies such as Verizon, IBM and Facebook are looking for non-technical workers for nearly half of their openings.
Account executive and program managers are among the most sought after non-technical jobs as well as sales, management, and marketing positions, according to the survey done by Amanda Stansell, a Glassdoor economic research analyst.
As for pay, the technical jobs still hold the edge for average salaries. Glassdoor looked at base pay to do its analysis for both technical and non-technical openings.
For non-tech jobs, salaries were concentrated in the $50,000 to $90,000 a year range, with the average being $73,500 a year. Tech jobs on the other hand ranged from $80,000 to $120,000 a year with an average base pay of $98.400.
The best paying non-technical jobs were for general, corporate and legal counsels, with average salaries ranging from $144,000 to $207,000, and strategic consultants at $136,000 a year. The best paying technical jobs were for software engineering managers with an average salary of $163,500 and data warehouse architects at $154,800.
