Top 10 Best Paid Tech Job in Charlotte in 2025

Charlotte's tech scene in 2025 is absolutely crushing it! The numbers are mind-blowing - tech jobs grew by 21.3%, way ahead of the national rate.

Charlotte ranks among North America's hottest tech hubs, with tech workers making up 11.2% of all office jobs.

The salary game is strong too - top tech roles are pulling in serious cash, with Data Architects banking up to $168,195 and Security Engineers reaching $176,537.

The city's got this perfect mix of fintech powerhouses and cool startups, plus the cost of living won't eat up your whole paycheck like in Silicon Valley. The tech job market is especially fire in areas like AI, cloud security, and software development.

Companies are fighting over talent, especially in fields like machine learning and cybersecurity. Looking ahead, experts predict another 5,000 new tech jobs by 2025, making this the perfect time to level up your tech career in Charlotte.

Our ranking methodology for Charlotte's top-paying tech jobs in 2025 combines fresh data from multiple reliable sources to give you the real picture of what's happening in the job market.

We've pulled together information from Pluralsight's latest tech salary research, which shows AI Architects hitting the $200k+ mark, making them the highest-paid non-executive role.

The competitive landscape is getting intense, especially in areas like cybersecurity, where entry-level positions are offering surprisingly good starting salaries due to the massive talent shortage (predicted to hit 85 million professionals by 2030).

• AI Architects: Roles offering $200k+ as the highest-paid non-executive positions in 2025.
• Cybersecurity: Entry-level jobs command higher starting salaries amid huge talent shortages.
• Cloud Computing: Salary spikes due to a lack of multicloud experience among professionals.

Cloud computing roles are seeing huge salary bumps because only 9% of professionals have multicloud experience, even though 85% of companies are rushing to adopt these strategies.

We've looked at salary trends across different experience levels, factoring in both base pay and total compensation packages. The local market dynamics in Charlotte show particularly strong growth in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud roles, with companies competing hard for talent.

Looking at the specific numbers, we're seeing entry-level tech salaries starting around $65k, while senior roles easily push past $150k. These figures reflect a solid 5% annual increase, with some specialized roles seeing even bigger jumps.

The rise of AI is creating new opportunities and pushing salaries up across the board, especially for roles that combine technical skills with business impact.

A few noted market leaders, including Nancy Harris, James Hernandez, and Mary Gonzalez, have commented on the surge in demand for technical professionals.

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) stands at the forefront of technological innovation, earning their spot as one of Charlotte's highest-paid tech positions.

According to recent salary data, CTOs in Charlotte command between $190,820 to $279,886 annually, with top performers reaching well over $300,000.

The role has evolved dramatically, with CTOs now leading both outward-facing technology initiatives and internal digital transformation. Modern CTOs typically need 15+ years of experience in IT, along with advanced degrees in computer science or business administration.

They're responsible for everything from cybersecurity to AI implementation, making them crucial players in Charlotte's tech scene. What makes this role particularly exciting is its impact - successful CTOs drive organizational efficiency, manage company growth, and shape the future of tech products and services.

With Charlotte's expanding tech ecosystem, especially in sectors like fintech and healthcare, CTOs need to stay ahead of emerging technologies while building high-performing teams.

The position requires a perfect blend of technical expertise and leadership skills, explaining why it's one of the best-paid roles in the industry.

As more companies establish their tech operations in Charlotte, the demand for skilled CTOs continues to grow, making it an incredibly rewarding career path for ambitious tech professionals.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) role has transformed into something seriously exciting in Charlotte's tech scene for 2025. These tech leaders are doing way more than just managing IT - they're revolutionizing how companies operate in the digital age.

Charlotte's CIO community is buzzing with innovation, as leaders tackle everything from AI integration to cybersecurity challenges.

The salary range for CIOs in Charlotte stretches from $180,000 to $260,000 annually, reflecting just how crucial these positions have become.

What makes this role super interesting is how CIOs are shaping the future of business.

They're not just tech experts - they're strategic leaders making huge decisions about where companies should invest their resources. The modern CIO's responsibilities now include managing AI implementation, overseeing digital transformation, and making sure companies stay ahead in the tech game.

It's pretty amazing how they're handling everything from data privacy to building scalable systems that can grow with their organizations.

The coolest part? Charlotte is becoming a major tech hub, and CIOs are at the center of it all.

The Transformational CIO Assembly happening in Charlotte shows just how much the role has evolved.

These leaders are working on cutting-edge stuff like integrating AI in cybersecurity and driving digital innovation. They're not just sitting in offices making decisions - they're actively collaborating with other tech leaders to solve real-world problems and create solutions that impact millions of users.

If you're into tech and leadership, becoming a CIO in Charlotte could be your ultimate career goal.

About Cloud Security Architects - they're absolutely crushing it in 2025! These tech professionals are the masterminds behind planning and implementing security measures that protect computer networks and sensitive information.

With the average salary hitting around $140,000 and potential to earn way more, this role is attracting so many young professionals. The work is super interesting too - you're basically like a digital fortress designer, constantly thinking about how to outsmart cyber threats.

The role goes way beyond just preventing attacks.

You get to work with cutting-edge cloud platforms like AWS and Azure, figure out complex security puzzles, and stay ahead of emerging threats. It's pretty intense - you need to know your stuff about encryption, security frameworks, and threat detection.

Plus, you're dealing with real-world challenges that actually matter, like protecting people's personal data and keeping businesses safe from cyber attacks.

What's really cool is how the field keeps growing.

With data breaches costing companies an average of $4.45 million in 2023, organizations are seriously investing in cloud security. The job outlook is incredible, with a projected growth rate of 32% over the next decade.

That means tons of opportunities for anyone willing to put in the work to learn the skills. If you're into problem-solving and want to make a real impact while earning serious money, this could be your perfect career move.

In Charlotte's tech scene of 2025, Golang Developers are seriously crushing it with competitive salaries and exciting opportunities. These developers are tasked with creating, designing, and maintaining high-performance software solutions using Go, Google's powerhouse programming language.

The role has become super important for companies building cloud services and scalable applications. Speaking from experience at local tech meetups, entry-level Golang developers in Charlotte start at around $105,000, with senior roles pushing $142,000 annually.

The best part? These numbers keep trending up as more companies jump on the Go bandwagon.

What makes this job totally worth it is the variety of work.

One day you might be building microservices, the next day you're diving into cloud architecture. Core skills that make a Golang developer stand out include mastering Go syntax, getting comfortable with concurrent programming, and being solid with testing practices.

Companies are specifically looking for developers who can handle complex systems and aren't afraid to tackle challenging problems.

The future looks bright too - getting certified in Golang can boost your career prospects significantly, with certified developers earning about 20% more than their non-certified peers.

Charlotte's tech companies are especially hungry for Golang talent in 2025, with major players in finance and healthcare actively recruiting. If you're thinking about getting into tech, learning Go could be your ticket to an awesome career in the Queen City.

The community here is super supportive, with regular meetups and coding workshops where you can level up your skills while networking with other developers.

Data Architects in Charlotte are crushing it in 2025, taking on major responsibilities in shaping how companies handle their data. As a Data Architect, you're not just writing code - you're creating and maintaining the whole data ecosystem, from conceptual models to actual database solutions.

The role offers serious earning potential, with contract positions ranging from $68 to $101 per hour, and full-time salaries hitting between $120,000 and $150,000 annually.

What's really cool is how data governance has become crucial - you're basically the guardian of an organization's data, making sure everything's secure, accessible, and running smoothly.

The tech scene in Charlotte is totally embracing data-driven approaches, and companies are actively searching for architects who can handle complex data systems.

A typical day involves creating data models, analyzing trends for process improvement, and making sure systems are optimized for speed.

The role requires solid technical skills in Oracle, SQL Server, and various operating systems, plus the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly. For anyone looking to break into this field, focusing on cloud platforms like AWS and Snowflake is essential, as more companies move their data operations to the cloud.

The best part? The field keeps evolving with new tech, so there's always something fresh to learn.

Companies need architects who can handle traditional databases while also staying current with modern data lakes, warehouses, and machine learning. With the right mix of technical skills and business knowledge, Data Architects are becoming key players in Charlotte's tech scene, making it an awesome career choice for anyone interested in working with data.

In 2025, Big Data Engineers in Charlotte are absolutely crushing it with incredible career prospects and competitive salaries. According to industry research, the average salary starts at $131,001, with senior positions reaching up to $300,000.

These professionals are transforming massive datasets into game-changing insights that companies can't get enough of. The demand is real - by 2025, global data volume will hit 175 zettabytes, making Big Data Engineers essential for business success.

The competition isn't as fierce as other tech roles, giving skilled professionals a serious advantage in the job market.

The toolkit for success is pretty straightforward - you've got to master big data technologies like Hadoop and Spark, plus have solid coding skills in Python or Java.

Cloud platforms are totally essential now, especially AWS and Azure, since that's where most companies are storing their data. Machine learning knowledge is a huge plus, helping you spot patterns and predict trends that businesses can use to stay ahead.

The cool thing is, these skills are super transferable across different industries, so you're not locked into one sector.

Data is basically digital gold in 2025, and Big Data Engineers are the modern-day prospectors making it valuable.

In Charlotte's growing tech scene, companies are racing to hire professionals who can handle their data needs. If you're thinking about getting into tech, Big Data Engineering is seriously worth considering - the field is expanding like crazy, and the skills you'll learn will be relevant for years to come.

In 2025, Security Engineers are the digital guardians shaping Charlotte's tech landscape. According to recent market analysis, Charlotte has over 17,000 open cybersecurity positions, with Security Engineers being among the most sought-after roles.

These professionals build and maintain security systems, protect networks from cyber threats, and handle incident response when attacks occur. The average Security Engineer in Charlotte now earns around $125,000 annually, with experienced professionals reaching up to $165,000.

What makes this role super interesting is the mix of technical challenges and real-world impact - Security Engineers get to work with cutting-edge tech while protecting important data from cybercriminals.

The role requires solid coding skills in Python and Java, plus knowledge of security tools like Nessus and Metasploit. The best part? No two days are the same - you might be configuring firewalls one day and running threat simulations the next.

With major companies like Bank of America and Red Ventures calling Charlotte home, Security Engineers are essential for protecting financial data and preventing cyber attacks.

The field is especially hot right now because of the rise in remote work and cloud computing, making security more critical than ever. For anyone interested in tech and problem-solving, this role offers serious growth potential and the chance to make a real difference in protecting people's digital lives.

In 2025, DevOps Architects are revolutionizing tech teams by bridging development and operations, making software delivery faster and more reliable than ever.

These professionals design and implement software infrastructure that enables teams to work together seamlessly, while managing automated deployment pipelines and cloud resources.

Their role has expanded beyond traditional IT boundaries, with responsibilities now including security integration, cloud strategy development, and performance optimization.

According to recent data, DevOps Architects in Charlotte earn between $120,000 to $180,000 annually, with the potential for higher earnings based on experience and expertise.

Key responsibilities include evaluating current software development processes, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing solutions that enhance productivity and reliability.

The position requires mastery of cloud platforms like AWS and Azure, proficiency in automation tools, and strong problem-solving abilities. DevOps Architects need to stay current with emerging technologies, including AI-driven operations and advanced monitoring systems, making this role perfect for tech enthusiasts who love learning and innovation.

As more Charlotte companies embrace digital transformation, the demand for DevOps Architects continues to grow, offering exciting opportunities for career advancement and the chance to work with cutting-edge technologies.

In 2025, Java Architects are absolutely crushing it in the tech world! According to recent industry analysis, Java continues to dominate enterprise-level applications, with architects leading the charge in digital transformation.

These professionals aren't just coding wizards - they're the masterminds behind entire system architectures, earning between $135,000 to $160,000 annually in Charlotte.

The role demands deep expertise in Java SE 11 or higher, and as recent tech trends show, Java maintains a solid 25% market share across major companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Google.

Java Architects need to stay on top of cloud-native development, microservices, and AI integration - it's literally changing every day! The Microsoft JDConf 2025 highlights that 45% of developers use Java across enterprise applications, making it crucial for architects to master cloud environments and modern frameworks like Spring Boot and Quarkus.

In Charlotte's growing tech scene, Java Architects are leading projects that require both technical excellence and business savvy. The role involves creating scalable solutions, mentoring development teams, and ensuring systems can handle whatever the future throws at them.

What makes this position extra exciting is the constant evolution - you're not just writing code, you're shaping how entire organizations operate in the digital space.

For anyone looking to level up their tech career, becoming a Java Architect in Charlotte is seriously worth considering - it's where technical skills meet real business impact, and the opportunities are just getting started!

Charlotte's tech scene is absolutely crushing it right now! According to recent industry reports, tech jobs are growing at an impressive 21.3% rate, more than double the national average.

Looking to level up your career? The highest-paying roles like CTOs and CIOs are pulling in $180,000+, while Cloud Security Architects and DevOps specialists are landing sweet deals between $130,000-$150,000.

The city's office market is booming, with tech workers making up 11.2% of all office positions.

With over 118,000 tech professionals already here, the competition is real, but so are the opportunities. The upcoming TECHSPO Charlotte 2025 is going to be huge for networking and checking out what's next in tech.

If you're thinking about getting into the field, focus on becoming a Data Architect, Security Engineer, or DevOps specialist - these roles are seriously in demand and offer major earning potential.

The best part? The city's startup scene is exploding with venture funding, making it perfect for anyone looking to make their mark in tech. Just remember to keep learning and stay on top of the latest tech trends - that's how you'll stand out in this fast-moving industry.