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Find a path that fits you.

Explore some of the most common career paths for IS students, what the work actually looks like, the skills employers look for, and where BYU students have gone.

Explore the paths IS students take

Open a career path to see what the work looks like, the skills you'll need, where BYU IS students get hired, and who you can talk to if you want to learn more.

  • Product Management

    Turn customer needs into products people want to use.

    Product managers decide what gets built and why. They work across business, technology, design, and engineering to understand customer problems, set priorities, and guide products from idea to launch.

    Career Snapshot

    Common Roles

    Product Manager · Product Owner · Technical Product Manager · Product Analyst

    Starting Salary

    BS Information Systems

    $76K

    Median starting salary

    $77.9K average

    Master of Information Systems Management

    $89K

    Median starting salary

    $87.3K average

    Based on reported BYU IS placement salaries from Fall 2024–Summer 2026. Salaries vary by role, location, experience, and other factors.

    Skills to Build

    Technical & Product

    • Product tools (Jira, Confluence)
    • Data analysis & SQL
    • User research & testing
    • Technology & APIs
    • Prototyping

    Professional

    • Product strategy
    • Customer & market research
    • Roadmap development
    • Stakeholder management
    • Communication & leadership

    Where Students Go

    Talk to Someone

    Connect with an IS ambassador working in Product Management.

    Find an Ambassador
  • Consulting

    Solve complex business and technology problems for clients.

    Consultants work with clients to understand problems, identify needs, and recommend solutions. They combine business and technical knowledge to analyze challenges, design solutions, and communicate recommendations.

    Career Snapshot

    Common Roles

    Technology Consultant · Technical Consultant · Business Consultant · Solutions Consultant · Business Analyst

    Starting Salary

    BS Information Systems

    $80K

    Median starting salary

    $76.7K average

    Master of Information Systems Management

    $83.3K

    Median starting salary

    $82.8K average

    Based on reported BYU IS placement salaries from Fall 2024–Summer 2026. Salaries vary by role, location, experience, and other factors.

    Skills to Build

    Technical

    • Technical troubleshooting
    • Systems integration
    • Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure)
    • Data analysis & reporting
    • Solution design

    Professional

    • Client relationship management
    • Requirements gathering
    • Problem-solving
    • Communication & presentation
    • Business & IT alignment

    Where Students Go

    Talk to Someone

    Connect with an IS ambassador working in Consulting.

    Find an Ambassador
  • Business Intelligence & Data Analytics

    Turn data into insights that drive better decisions.

    BI and data analytics professionals use data to understand business performance, identify trends, and answer important questions. They work with databases, analytics tools, and visualizations to turn raw data into useful insights for decision-makers.

    Career Snapshot

    Common Roles

    Data Analyst · Business Intelligence Analyst · Business Analyst · Analytics Consultant · BI Developer

    Starting Salary

    BS Information Systems

    $75K

    Median starting salary

    $73.9K average

    Master of Information Systems Management

    $79K

    Median starting salary

    $81.6K average

    Based on reported BYU IS placement salaries from Fall 2024–Summer 2026. Salaries vary by role, location, experience, and other factors.

    Skills to Build

    Technical

    • SQL
    • Python & R
    • Data visualization (Power BI, Tableau)
    • Data cleaning & transformation
    • Statistics & data modeling

    Professional

    • Analytical thinking
    • Business problem understanding
    • Communicating insights
    • Stakeholder collaboration
    • Domain knowledge

    Where Students Go

    Talk to Someone

    Connect with an IS ambassador working in Business Intelligence or Data Analytics.

    Find an Ambassador
  • Software Engineering

    Build the applications and systems people use every day.

    Software engineers design, build, test, and improve software. They use programming, databases, APIs, and development tools to turn requirements into reliable applications and systems.

    Career Snapshot

    Common Roles

    Software Engineer · Software Developer · Full-Stack Developer · Front-End Developer · Back-End Developer

    Starting Salary

    BS Information Systems

    $79.9K

    Median starting salary

    $82.9K average

    Master of Information Systems Management

    $92.7K

    Median starting salary

    $95.1K average

    Based on reported BYU IS placement salaries from Fall 2024–Summer 2026. Salaries vary by role, location, experience, and other factors.

    Skills to Build

    Technical

    • Programming (Python, Java, C#, JavaScript)
    • SQL & databases
    • APIs & system integration
    • Git & version control
    • Debugging & problem-solving

    Professional

    • Requirements understanding
    • Stakeholder collaboration
    • Communication
    • Agile development mindset
    • Continuous learning mindset

    Where Students Go

    Talk to Someone

    Connect with an IS ambassador working in Software Engineering.

    Find an Ambassador
  • Cybersecurity

    Protect the systems, data, and technology organizations depend on.

    Cybersecurity professionals identify risks and help protect systems, networks, applications, and data. They work across technology and business teams to strengthen security, manage risk, and respond to threats.

    Career Snapshot

    Common Roles

    Security Analyst · Cybersecurity Analyst · Security Engineer · Security Consultant · Risk & Compliance Analyst

    Starting Salary

    BS Information Systems

    $73K

    Median starting salary

    $73.2K average

    Master of Information Systems Management

    $87.5K

    Median starting salary

    $83.3K average

    Based on reported BYU IS placement salaries from Fall 2024–Summer 2026. Salaries vary by role, location, experience, and other factors.

    Skills to Build

    Technical

    • Security & governance frameworks
    • Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure)
    • Systems architecture
    • Systems integration & APIs
    • Technical troubleshooting

    Professional

    • Governance & risk management
    • Problem-solving
    • Strategic thinking
    • Business & IT alignment
    • Stakeholder communication

    Where Students Go

    Talk to Someone

    Connect with an IS ambassador working in Cybersecurity.

    Find an Ambassador
  • Project Management

    Turn plans into progress and keep teams moving toward a shared goal.

    Project managers plan and coordinate projects from start to finish. They manage timelines, resources, risks, and stakeholders while helping teams stay organized and deliver successful outcomes.

    Career Snapshot

    Common Roles

    Project Manager · Technical Project Manager · Program Manager · Project Coordinator · Scrum Master

    Starting Salary

    BS Information Systems

    $75K

    Median starting salary

    $72.1K average

    Master of Information Systems Management

    $72.8K

    Median starting salary

    $72.9K average

    Based on reported BYU IS placement salaries from Fall 2024–Summer 2026. Salaries vary by role, location, experience, and other factors.

    Skills to Build

    Technical & Project

    • Project management tools (Jira, MS Project)
    • Agile & Scrum methodologies
    • Technical understanding
    • Risk & issue tracking
    • Reporting & dashboards

    Professional

    • Project planning & scheduling
    • Budget & resource management
    • Stakeholder management
    • Risk management
    • Leadership & communication

    Where Students Go

    Talk to Someone

    Connect with an IS ambassador working in Project Management.

    Find an Ambassador
  • Information Technology

    Build and support the technology organizations rely on.

    Information Technology focuses on the systems, infrastructure, and technology that keep organizations running. IT professionals work with cloud platforms, systems, integrations, data, and technical solutions to support business needs.

    Career Snapshot

    Common Roles

    Systems Analyst · IT Analyst · Solutions Architect · Cloud Engineer · Systems Administrator

    Starting Salary

    BS Information Systems

    $75K

    Median starting salary

    $71.2K average

    Master of Information Systems Management

    $83K

    Median starting salary

    $87.2K average

    Based on reported BYU IS placement salaries from Fall 2024–Summer 2026. Salaries vary by role, location, experience, and other factors.

    Skills to Build

    Technical

    • Systems architecture
    • Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure)
    • Systems integration & APIs
    • Data architecture & reporting
    • Technical troubleshooting

    Professional

    • Business & IT alignment
    • Requirements gathering
    • Problem-solving
    • Stakeholder communication
    • Technology planning

    Where Students Go

    Talk to Someone

    Connect with an IS ambassador working in Information Technology.

    Find an Ambassador

See where BYU IS students go

Curious what IS careers look like after graduation? Use the Career Explorer to dig into real BYU placement data, including salaries, companies, locations, and career outcomes.

Explore the data below.