People who gravitate toward graduate computer science programs may be looking to update or upgrade their current technical skillset—or they may be looking to pivot their careers. Regardless, there is plenty of room for more of these professionals across all sectors. 

According to the latest information from the National Center for Education Statistics, computer and information science master’s degrees are growing the fastest of any field of study. So, with a fast growing and competitive industry, questions for graduates arise: What types of jobs and opportunities are available to master’s in computer science graduates? Where are these professionals most needed, and why?

To find out more about the demand for computer science-educated workers, Fortune spoke to Indrajit Ray, professor in the department of computer science at Colorado State University. 

How computer science programs can help companies find more data-savvy workers

“Our current society is significantly data-driven,” Ray says. “What has changed within the last decade is the ability to rapidly process that data and make sense out of the complex hidden features in that data—and in the process create more and more data.”

It’s no secret that companies are seeking to become more data-driven in their business strategies. With computer science, better hardware and algorithms make this possible, resulting in high demand for graduate degree holders in this field. 

Jobs that require collaboration with domain experts from other disciplines to solve complex problems are typically the most common jobs for graduates with a master’s degree in computer science, Ray notes. This includes areas like business supply chain management, scheduling and operations, healthcare, finance, information management, and more. 

Additionally, there are roles for computer science degree-holders who are involved more directly in developing computer hardware, networks, cybersecurity technology, databases, operating systems, high-performance computing, programming languages, and application software design. 

As computing and technology evolve, how master’s degree programs in computer science can help

“Based on my own experience in our program as well as anecdotal evidence from conversations with colleagues from other universities, receiving a master’s degree in computer science—and related disciplines such as computer engineering, information technology or computer, and information science—is a common way to pivot careers,” Ray says. This makes sense given the demand and high pay associated with these occupations. Glassdoor estimates that in 2023, the average salary of a computer scientist was about $141,000 annually—plus over $30,000 in additional pay from things like bonuses.

Many of the students in Colorado State’s master’s degree program in computer science are mid-career professionals who have a bachelor’s degree in computer science and 10 or more years of applicable experience. These students need to enhance their depth of knowledge, or acquire new skills in emerging areas such as cybersecurity, AI, and machine learning to remain relevant in their jobs, Ray says. 

Grads with a master’s degree in computer science have more opportunities than those with just undergraduate degrees in the field. For example, computer and information research scientists typically have a master’s degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is also common for data scientist positions, which are also in high demand. 

People with an undergraduate degree may have fewer job opportunities because they need advanced knowledge in traditional computer science areas like computing theory, algorithms, programming languages, computer hardware and networks, and operating systems.

Job candidates are also required to know rapidly emerging areas like cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, Ray tells Fortune. Because of this, those with a computer science master’s degree are typically well-equipped to apply for roles beyond just a computer scientist. In fact, those with a computer science degree may find themselves well-equipped for many of the positions listed by Glassdoor in 2022 as the “Best Jobs in America,” including full stack engineer, software engineer, and java developer.

Cybersecurity and data roles are in high demand for grads with a master’s degree in computer science

Ray describes the overall contribution of computer scientists as two-fold: People with a master’s degree in computer science bring in technical know-how and skills to identify engineering, business, and societal problems that pose novel challenges in computing—and then they develop the theories, models, and solutions to address those challenges. 

“Currently, two types of positions are in very high demand and expected to remain so over the next several years,” Ray says. “These are jobs that require expertise in cybersecurity and those requiring expertise in data management, data mining, and data analytics.”

By 2025, 463 exabytes of data will be created each day globally, estimates Raconteur (for reference, one exabyte is about 1 billion gigabytes). While this means great potential for powerful solutions and insight across countless areas, this exponential growth in data also means more security and privacy risk and challenges.

“Unfortunately, industries have been very slow to respond because to a significant majority security is an afterthought,” Ray says. “Things are changing, which is good—this sector is expected to grow much faster than average.” 

See how the schools you’re considering fared in Fortune’s rankings of the best master’s in computer science programs, psychology programs, public health programs, business analytics programs, data science programs, and part-time, executive, full-time, and online MBA programs.