These are the 20 best tech jobs in America in 2020 based on salary, job openings, and employee satisfaction

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These are the 20 best tech jobs in America in 2020 based on salary, job openings, and employee satisfaction
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  • Glassdoor's annual compilation of the best jobs in America is filled with tech positions, many of which topped the list for 2020.
  • The company takes three main factors into account when ranking the positions: median annual base salary, overall job satisfaction, and number of job openings.
  • Front end engineer topped the list this year, replacing the role of data scientist, which has ranked as the number one job on Glassdoor's roundup since 2016.
  • The list is further evidence of the growing demand for tech jobs and tech-oriented skills in the job market.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The technology sector continues to be a lucrative industry for job growth, but that doesn't mean all tech-oriented jobs are equal when it comes to salary and demand.

Career search and reviews website Glassdoor just shared its yearly list of the best jobs in America, and tech positions landed at the top of the list. The compilation ranks the top 50 occupations in the country by the median annual base salary, overall job satisfaction, and number of job openings.

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Nearly half of the entire 2020 list is composed of tech jobs, with the No. 1 ranked position being front end engineer. That role replaces another popular tech job that had been at the top of Glassdoor's list since 2016: data scientist.

The job of a front end engineer entails managing the public-facing portion of a website or app - i.e. the "front end." Front end engineers are usually tasked with managing and implementing the user interface of a website or app, although the job requirements will vary depending on the employer.

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"While data scientist remains a thriving role, we're seeing a high demand for front end engineers with over 13,000 open roles, nearly double the number of data scientist open jobs," Amanda Stansell, Glassdoor's senior economic research analyst, wrote in a blog post announcing the list. "In addition to numerous open jobs, front end engineers report competitive salaries and high job satisfaction."

Glassdoor's list is further evidence of the ongoing demand for tech-oriented jobs and skills in today's job market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' list of the fastest-growing occupations also includes positions in software development and information security, for example. Software developer jobs also ranked among CareerBuilder's highest-paid and fastest-growing jobs in the United States, as MarketWatch reported.

But if you are considering a new career in tech, make sure you're doing so for the right reasons and not just for a high salary, says Michael Ellison, founder and CEO of computer science education non-profit CodePath.org.

"If you're building a career based on what you're interested in, it's going to be a lot more sustainable," Ellison told Business Insider in a previous interview when asked about his best advice for learning how to code.

Here's a look at the top tech jobs for 2020 according to Glassdoor.

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20. Network Engineer

20. Network Engineer

Overall ranking: 49

Job satisfaction rating: 3.6 out of 5

Number of job openings: 6,138

Median base salary: $71,028

19. Automation Engineer

19. Automation Engineer

Overall ranking: 46

Job satisfaction rating: 3.8 out of 5

Number of job openings: 2,658

Median base salary: $85,456

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18. Data Analyst

18. Data Analyst

Overall ranking: 44

Job satisfaction rating: 3.7 out of 5

Number of job openings: 6,848

Median base salary: $62,973

17. Sales Engineer

17. Sales Engineer

Overall ranking: 42

Job satisfaction rating: 3.8 out of 5

Number of job openings: 2,854

Median base salary: $87,608

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16. QA Engineer

16. QA Engineer

Overall ranking: 39

Job satisfaction rating: 3.8 out of 5

Number of job openings: 3,321

Median base salary: $81,632

15. UX Designer

15. UX Designer

Overall ranking: 38

Job satisfaction rating: 3.8 out of 5

Number of job openings: 3,308

Median base salary: #90,478

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14. Product Designer

14. Product Designer

Overall ranking: 34

Job satisfaction rating: 4.2 out of 5

Number of job openings: 1,946

Median base salary: $102,000

13. Cloud Engineer

13. Cloud Engineer

Overall ranking: 33

Job satisfaction rating: 3.6 out of 5

Number of job openings: 4,668

Median base salary: $110,600

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12. Software Developer

12. Software Developer

Overall ranking: 32

Job satisfaction rating: 3.5 out of 5

Number of job openings: 31,909

Median base salary: $80,429

11. Scrum Master

11. Scrum Master

Overall ranking: 29

Job satisfaction rating: 3.8 out of 5

Number of job openings: 2,894

Median base salary: $100,000

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10. Systems Engineer

10. Systems Engineer

Overall ranking: 27

Job satisfaction rating: 3.5 out of 5

Number of job openings: 16,850

Median base salary: $92,225

9. Applications Engineer

9. Applications Engineer

Overall ranking: 18

Job satisfaction rating: 3.7 out of 5

Number of job openings: 9,550

Median base salary: $76,854

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8. Salesforce Developer

8. Salesforce Developer

Overall ranking: 14

Job satisfaction rating: 4.2 out of 5

Number of job openings: 3,639

Median base salary: $81,175

7. Software Engineer

7. Software Engineer

Overall ranking: 7

Job satisfaction rating: 3.6 out of 5

Number of job openings: 50,438

Median base salary: $105,563

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6. Data Engineer

6. Data Engineer

Overall ranking: 6

Job satisfaction rating: 3.9 out of 5

Number of job openings: 6,941

Median base salary: $102,472

5. Devops Engineer

5. Devops Engineer

Overall ranking: 5

Job satisfaction rating: 3.9 out of 5

Number of job openings: 6,603

Median base salary: $107,310

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4. Product Manager

4. Product Manager

Overall ranking: 4

Job satisfaction rating: 3.8 out of 5

Number of job openings: 12,173

Median base salary: $117,713

3. Data Scientist

3. Data Scientist

Overall ranking: 3

Job satisfaction rating: 4 out of 5

Number of job openings: 6,542

Median base salary: $107,801

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2. Java Developer

2. Java Developer

Overall ranking: 2

Job satisfaction rating: 3.9 out of 5

Number of job openings: 16,136

Median base salary: $83,589

1. Front End Engineer

1. Front End Engineer

Overall ranking: 1

Job satisfaction rating: 3.9 out of 5

Number of job openings: 13,122

Median base salary: $105,240

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