Computer Occupations (Other Roles) Career Assessment
A catch-all bucket, not a job title — here is what is really inside it
Welcome
Start with the honest part. Nobody advertises a job called "Computer Occupations, All Other." This is a government filing bucket, not a career. It is where the counters put every computer job that does not already have its own code.
That does not make it useless. This bucket holds about 1,000 workers in North Dakota and about 70 openings a year, which is more than most single tech jobs here. This page shows you which real jobs are hiding inside it and where to go to get real numbers for each one.
This takes about 15 minutes.
What is a Computer Occupations (Other Roles)?
Here are the actual jobs the government files under this code, by name: web administrators, geographic information systems technologists (map and location data), document management specialists, penetration testers (people paid to break into systems on purpose), information security engineers, digital forensics analysts (people who pull evidence off computers and phones), blockchain engineers, computer systems engineers and architects, and information technology project managers. Those nine jobs have almost nothing in common except that they all touch a computer.
The Reality: Because this bucket holds nine unrelated jobs, the middle pay of $37.66 an hour is a blend, and it may not describe any one of them. A document management specialist and a penetration tester are not paid the same. Do not plan your life around the blend. Pick the real job inside the bucket that interests you, then go find numbers for that job. This page will send you to the right places.
Your Responsibilities:
- Pick which real job inside this bucket you actually want
- Look up that specific job, not the group average, before you commit
- Learn the core skills every job in this bucket shares: networks, operating systems, and scripting
- Build something you can show people, not just a list of courses
- Get one credential that matches your chosen job, not five that match none
- Ask North Dakota employers what they actually pay for that specific role
- Look at the security and mapping roles first — those are where North Dakota hires
- Keep learning, because these tools change every couple of years
Your real job has a real name. Your task is to find out which one it is.
A Day in the Life
8:00 AM — There is no single day here, so here is a real one: a digital forensics analyst.
8:15 AM — Take in a laptop from an internal case. Photograph it and log the chain of custody.
9:00 AM — Make a copy of the drive. You never work on the original.
10:30 AM — Search the copy for deleted files and login records.
12:00 PM — Lunch.
12:45 PM — A penetration tester down the hall is doing something else entirely: trying to get into the company's own website.
2:00 PM — Write up exactly what you found, in language a non-technical manager can read.
4:00 PM — File the report. Everything you wrote could end up in front of a lawyer.
Every real job in this bucket has a different day. That is exactly why you should pick one.
Training in North Dakota
There is no degree in "Computer Occupations, All Other." Train for the real job instead. Nobody offers a program in this bucket, because it is not a thing. What North Dakota does offer is solid two-year and four-year computer training that feeds every job inside it. Start with the general computer training below, then add the one thing your chosen job needs: mapping software for the map jobs, security tools for the security jobs, project management for the project jobs.
Training Pathways:
- Two-year degree or certificate (1 to 2 years): A computer or information technology associate degree gets you into help desk, web administration, document management, and mapping work. Lake Region State College builds certificate tracks in networking, cyber security, and web design right into its program. This is the cheapest and fastest door.
- Four-year degree (4 years): A computer science, information systems, or cybersecurity degree is what the security engineer, systems architect, and senior project jobs ask for. Every four-year school in North Dakota has one, and several run them online.
- Come in sideways from the job you already have (1 to 3 years): Plenty of people in this bucket started on a help desk or in an office and moved across. Learn the specific tool your employer already owns, volunteer for the project nobody wants, and let your job title catch up to your skills.
Where to Train in North Dakota:
- Lake Region State College (Devils Lake) — Information Technology, AAS 60 credits or Certificate 30 credits, with certificate tracks in Computer Networking, Cyber Security, and Web Design. Covers networking, ethical hacking, operating systems, databases, and digital forensics — lrsc.edu/programs/information-technology
- Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — GIS Technician Certificate, online or on campus, for the mapping jobs in this bucket — bismarckstate.edu
- ND State College of Science (Wahpeton and Fargo) — Computer Science and Information and Communications Technology programs, certificate and AAS — ndscs.edu
- University of North Dakota (Grand Forks or online) — B.S. Computer Science; B.B.A. Information Systems; B.S. Geography with geospatial science, plus graduate GIS certificates — und.edu
- North Dakota State University (Fargo) — B.S. Computer Science with tracks including Cybersecurity, Data Science, and Software Engineering; Information Technology major — ndsu.edu
- Minot State University (Minot or online) — B.S. Computer Information Systems; B.S. Computer Science — minotstateu.edu
- United Tribes Technical College (Bismarck) — Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, and Cybersecurity and Data Privacy. A tribal college option in the middle of the state — uttc.edu/academics/programs
Before You Start: Comfort with computers and a habit of reading documentation without giving up. Basic algebra. For the security and forensics jobs, a clean background check, because you will be trusted with other people's data.
Tip: Start with financial aid, scholarships, and any help an employer offers — that is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like training, tools, work boots, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you sign up rather than after. Registered apprenticeships let you earn a paycheck while you learn — see jobsnd.com/job-seeker/apprenticeships for ND programs.
Certification & Licensing
No license. The certification you want depends entirely on which real job you picked. There is no certification for this bucket, and anyone selling you one is selling you nothing. Below are the credentials that match the real jobs inside it. Pick the line that matches your job and ignore the rest.
Match the Credential to the Real Job:
- Mapping jobs — Esri technical certifications, and the GISP for people with experience behind them
- Security engineer and penetration tester jobs — CompTIA Security+ to start, then an offensive security or ethical hacking credential once you can actually do the work
- Digital forensics jobs — vendor forensics certifications from the tool makers, plus the GIAC forensics credentials
- Web administrator jobs — cloud platform certifications and a portfolio of sites you actually keep running
- Document management jobs — records and content management credentials, plus whatever document system your employer owns
- Information technology project manager jobs — CompTIA Project+ to start, then the PMP once you have led real projects
- Every job in this bucket — CompTIA A+ and Network+ are the common floor, and they are cheap enough to be worth it even if you change direction later
The Exams: All of these are computer-based multiple-choice exams, and several of the security ones add a hands-on portion where you have to actually do the task. Practice exams are widely available.
Cost: Entry-level computer certifications commonly run a few hundred dollars per exam. The advanced security and project credentials cost more and several require documented work experience before you can even sit. Check the issuing body's own site for current fees, because they change every year.
Keeping It Current: Most computer certifications expire in about three years and are renewed with continuing education or by passing a newer exam. Budget for that from the start.
Salary & Job Outlook
North Dakota Computer Occupations (All Other group) Pay (May 2025):
- Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $18.62–$26.80/hour ($38,730–$55,740/year)
- Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $37.66/hour ($78,330/year)
- Experienced (top 25–10%): $48.77–$59.42/hour ($101,450–$123,590/year)
What that means: This is a blended number for nine different jobs and it may not describe any one of them. The $18.62 bottom is closer to document management and entry mapping work. The $59.42 top is closer to security engineering and systems architecture. The $37.66 middle describes the bucket, not a person. Use it to see that the field as a whole pays well in North Dakota, then go get a real number for the real job you want.
Jobs in North Dakota: About 1,000 people work in this whole "All Other" group in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 1,120 (about 13% growth). Expect about 70 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 8% growth — much faster than average.
Outlook: Good, for the group. About 70 openings a year in North Dakota across the whole bucket, growing faster here than nationally. But you cannot apply to the bucket. Go to the pages in this same area that carry real numbers for real titles: the GIS technologist page covers the mapping jobs in this bucket; information security analyst has about 30 openings a year in North Dakota and a middle wage of about $51.70 an hour; software developer has about 100 openings a year, the most in this area; and network and computer systems administrator has about 40. Those four pages will tell you more about your actual future than this one can.
Who Hires in ND: State government and the state information technology office in Bismarck, Microsoft's Fargo campus, banks and insurance companies, health systems, energy and pipeline companies, counties and cities, universities, and information technology service companies. Remote work for out-of-state employers is common in this group, especially in security and project roles.
Work Setting: Offices or remote, regular hours, with on-call rotations in the security and system roles. The mapping jobs add some field work.
Physical Demands: Light. Long hours at a screen. Eye strain and wrist strain are the real risks, so a good chair and setup matter more than people expect.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 15-1299); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.
Where This Leads
Path 1: GIS Technologist — Maps and location data. Read that page in this area — it has real numbers.
Path 2: Information Security Engineer — Build and defend systems. Strong North Dakota demand.
Path 3: Penetration Tester — Get paid to break in on purpose, then write it up.
Path 4: Digital Forensics Analyst — Pull evidence off computers and phones for investigations.
Path 5: Computer Systems Architect — Design how the whole system fits together. A senior role.
Path 6: Information Technology Project Manager — Run technology projects and people. A common landing spot after years of hands-on work.
The Real Talk
What's Great:
- About 70 openings a year across the group
- Growing faster in North Dakota than nationally
- Several ways in, including two-year degrees
- Pay reaches well past $100,000 at the top
- Remote work is common
- Security and mapping skills are genuinely needed here
What's Hard:
- The job title does not exist — you have to pick a real one
- The middle pay is a blend of nine unrelated jobs
- Some of the jobs inside need a four-year degree
- Certifications expire and cost money to renew
- Long screen time
- Security and forensics work carries real responsibility for other people's data
Be Honest: Are you willing to do the work of choosing a real job inside this bucket instead of taking the average? Will you go get numbers for that specific job before you enroll anywhere?