
Salary Transparency in the IT Industry: What Employees Want vs What Companies Offer
Salary transparency is a growing demand in the IT industry. We explore what employees really want—and how companies are responding.
When we think of IT companies, programming is usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, the tech industry has increasingly recognized the need for roles that don’t involve writing a single line of code. These positions focus on a wide range of functions that are essential to the growth and success of any IT company. Below, we explore some of the most in-demand non-coding roles in the industry today.
Some of the most in-demand positions in the IT industry today are management roles. These jobs are known for their fast-paced nature, constant communication, and generally rewarding salaries. While specific requirements vary from company to company, a degree in social sciences—particularly business or economics—is often preferred, along with relevant work experience. In terms of soft skills, strong and open communication, strategic thinking, and creative problem-solving are highly valued.
Management roles in tech companies typically include two distinct but often interconnected positions: Product Manager and Project Manager. Depending on the company’s internal structure, their responsibilities may overlap or require close collaboration, especially when multiple projects revolve around a core product.
In IT companies that build their own products, the Product Manager is responsible for overseeing the product’s design, strategy, and implementation. Their key focus is to ensure the product delivers real value to end users. In addition to managing development processes, they are also involved in shaping sales strategies and aligning product features with user needs and business goals.
As the title suggests, the Project Manager leads specific projects from initial idea to final delivery. They coordinate teams, set goals and timelines, assign tasks, manage communication, and monitor budgets. Their ultimate responsibility is to complete the project on time and within scope, while ensuring all deliverables meet quality standards.
While not strictly a managerial position, the Business Analyst plays a vital role in improving processes and supporting leadership teams. They act as a bridge between stakeholders and developers, turning business needs into actionable plans. Business Analysts gather insights from stakeholders, assess current operations, and suggest improvements to workflows and systems.
Their responsibilities may also include keeping up with emerging technologies, analyzing user data, monitoring budgets, reducing unnecessary costs, identifying potential business risks, and generating regular reports. In short, Business Analysts help companies stay efficient, informed, and competitive by constantly evaluating their performance and recommending ways to improve.
Design plays a vital role in almost every IT company. Designers work closely with developers on a daily basis to create new web and mobile applications and digital products.
Design positions are typically divided into two main categories: UI Designers (User Interface) and UX Designers (User Experience). In some cases, both roles are combined into one position, with a single designer managing the entire design process from start to finish.
These roles are essential for ensuring that a company’s digital product is complete, efficient, intuitive to use, and visually appealing. Good design not only enhances usability but also directly impacts user satisfaction and product success.
Have you ever left a website just because it didn’t look right?
A good UI designer not only has a sharp eye for design but also the skills to craft an appealing and intuitive interface that helps users navigate a website or product with ease. Their focus is on the visual side of the user experience — from color palettes, typography, and icons to button placement, layout, animations, and overall design consistency.
The UI designer’s mission? To make the product visually attractive, easy to use, and perfectly aligned with brand identity.
UX and UI designers often work hand in hand — unless, of course, one person handles both roles. While UI focuses on the look, UX is all about how the product feels and functions from the user’s perspective.
A UX designer is responsible for researching how users interact with a product or website and identifying ways to improve their journey. Their work is a blend of marketing insight, technical knowledge, and an understanding of human behavior.
The goal? Better navigation, higher retention rates, more conversions — whether that means newsletter signups, product purchases, or just more time spent on the platform.
Day-to-day, UX designers engage in user research, behavioral analysis, information architecture, data-driven design, and the creation of wireframes and prototypes — all to ensure a smooth, logical, and enjoyable experience for every user.
Depending on the size of the company, the marketing department can be as small as a single marketing specialist or as large as a full team dedicated to creating valuable content that engages customers.
In medium to large companies, there is usually a Head of Marketing or Marketing Coordinator responsible for the overall long-term marketing strategy. This person leads the team, which may include marketing specialists, assistants, administrators, and other roles.
There might also be a Marketing Automation Manager, who develops tools and systems to reduce manual work for the team, ensuring their efforts focus on critical tasks rather than routine ones. A Content Marketing Specialist creates and manages campaigns and oversees all online content—blogs, email newsletters, social media accounts, and more.
A Digital Marketing Manager often develops tailored digital strategies aligned with company goals. Their responsibilities include optimizing digital marketing campaigns, managing databases and Google Analytics, handling social media marketing and user analysis, and researching target audiences. They may also oversee SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) efforts or collaborate with specialists focused on those areas.
Additionally, copywriting and content writing are key roles within the marketing team. A Copywriter crafts concise, action-driven texts designed to convert readers into customers—such as social media ads, pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, sales emails, and promotional content. On the other hand, a Content Writer focuses on indirect sales by producing informative or entertaining materials related to the company’s products or industry, including blog posts, newsletters, e-books, brochures, and more.
Since the primary goal of almost every tech company is profit, the sales department plays a crucial role. Depending on the company’s focus, this department may consist of a whole team or just a single sales specialist.
This is another key non-programming role that ideally requires a solid understanding of finance, marketing, and business administration, along with excellent communication skills and proficiency in foreign languages. Moreover, a sales specialist must thoroughly understand the company’s vision and goals to effectively convey the value of its products to the target market. They are often responsible for developing business relationships with key clients, negotiating prices, and monitoring market trends and competitors’ progress.
Within the sales department, there can be various related roles such as Market Development Representative (MDR), Sales Development Representative (SDR), Sales Manager, Sales Administrator, and Customer Support. This department works closely with marketing since both focus on promoting and selling the company’s products or services.
In large IT companies, the Human Resources (HR) department is a vital and well-developed division, typically staffed by several professionals responsible for different areas. These include recruitment, testing and hiring, organizing professional trainings, measuring employee satisfaction, managing benefits and payroll, drafting internal policies, enforcing disciplinary measures, handling terminations, and maintaining employee records.
To learn how activities like team building improve workplace relationships, check out our article Team Building Activities to Strengthen Team Spirit.
Generally, the HR manager role requires a university degree, excellent communication skills, psychological insight, strong social intelligence, and knowledge of labor laws. This position can be very exciting because every company cultivates its own unique culture and values.
The list we’ve shared is by no means exhaustive. There are many other non-programming jobs in IT, such as system administrator, technical recruiter, QA tester, and more. Some require more technical expertise than others, but all are important tech-related roles that don’t involve coding.