Technology careers are among the most accessible high-paying fields for students willing to build skills early.
The Essential Classes
Computer Science — AP CS Principles is a good introduction. AP CS A goes deeper. Take both if possible.
Math through Calculus — machine learning and data science require calculus. Don't close doors by stopping at Algebra 2.
Statistics or AP Statistics — data is everywhere in technology. Valuable in every tech role.
Physics — especially relevant for hardware engineering, robotics, and electrical engineering.
What to Build Outside Class
In technology, what you've built matters as much as your transcript.
- Build a personal website — HTML and CSS are learnable in a weekend
- Complete a free coding course — freeCodeCamp, Khan Academy, or CS50 (free from Harvard)
- Enter a hackathon — Congressional App Challenge, FIRST Robotics
- Contribute to open source — GitHub activity is visible to employers and colleges
The Cybersecurity Track
Cybersecurity has a significant talent shortage. High school students can pursue:
- CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) certification — no prerequisites
- CyberPatriot — national cybersecurity competition for high school students
- SANS CyberStart — free cybersecurity training program for students
Starting cybersecurity skills in high school puts you years ahead of college classmates.