Education • Career • Jobs
IT Courses – Preparation, Books, Scope & Salary
Explore in-demand IT courses, how to prepare, recommended resources, career scope & salary expectations (2025-2026).
| Course / Track | Typical Duration | Key Topics / Books / Resources | Preparation Tips & Tricks | Scope / Job Roles | Salary Range (India) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (AI/ML) | 6–12 months (bootcamps / certifications) or 1–2 years (PG / specialization) |
Books: “Deep Learning” (Goodfellow), “Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn & TensorFlow”. Libraries: TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, NumPy, Pandas. Courses: Coursera / edX AI specializations, upGrad’s AI/data science programs. (Resources: upGrad, trainings.internshala.com, Learning Routes) |
Start with Python & Math basics (linear algebra, statistics). Do small projects, Kaggle practice. Build portfolio with real datasets. Learn both theory & implementation. | Data Scientist, ML Engineer, Researcher, AI Engineer, AI Developer (FinTech, Health, e-Commerce, Autonomous systems). | Entry: ~ ₹8 LPA; Mid: ₹18–30 LPA+ (depending on specialization & company) |
| Data Science & Big Data / Data Analytics | 3–6 months (specialized / certificate) to 1–2 years |
Books: “Python for Data Analysis” (Wes McKinney), “Naked Statistics”. Tools: SQL, Python/R, Power BI, Tableau, Hadoop / Spark. Resources: Internshala, Udemy, specialization courses (upGrad, trainings.internshala.com, Learning Routes). |
Focus on strong statistical reasoning. Do projects, dashboards, real datasets. Use online competitions. Emphasize clean data processing pipelines. | Data Analyst, BI Analyst, Data Engineer, Big Data Engineer, Reporting / Insights teams. | Entry: ~ ₹6–12 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹15–25 LPA+ |
| Cloud Computing & DevOps / SRE | 4–8 months for cloud basics; 6–12 months for advanced DevOps / architect roles |
Resources: AWS / Azure / GCP cert exams; “Kubernetes Up & Running”, “The Phoenix Project”. Tools: Docker, Terraform, Jenkins, CI/CD, serverless architectures. (Learning Routes, upGrad) |
Build hands-on labs. Use free tiers of AWS/GCP/Azure. Setup CI/CD pipelines. Automate infra tasks. Learn monitoring & logging. | Cloud Engineer, DevOps Engineer, SRE, Cloud Architect. | Entry: ~ ₹8–15 LPA; Mid/Senior: ~ ₹20–35 LPA+ |
| Cybersecurity / Ethical Hacking | 3–6 months for basics; 6–12+ months for specialized roles |
Books: “Web Application Hacker’s Handbook”, “Practical Malware Analysis”. Certifications: CEH, CompTIA Security+, CISSP. Tools: Wireshark, Metasploit, OWASP labs. (Resources: Indeed, Livewire Courses) |
Practice on TryHackMe / HackTheBox. Understand networking & cryptography. Keep up with vulnerabilities. Build labs and document findings. | Security Analyst, Penetration Tester, Incident Responder, Security Auditor, DevSecOps. | Entry: ~ ₹6–10 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹15–25 LPA+ |
| Full-Stack Web Development / Software Development | 4–9 months (bootcamps/diploma); 3–4 years (degree) |
Languages & frameworks: JavaScript, Node.js, React, Angular, Express, Django; Databases SQL/NoSQL. Books: “You Don’t Know JS”, “Eloquent JavaScript”, “Clean Code”. Resources: FreeCodeCamp, Udemy, Coursera, Livewire Courses, trainings.internshala.com. |
Build end-to-end projects. Learn REST/GraphQL, Git, deployment. Focus on performance, security & responsive UI. | Front-end, Back-end, Full-stack Developer, Web Developer. | Entry: ~ ₹5–10 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹15–25 LPA; Senior ~ ₹30 LPA+ |
| Mobile App Development | 4–9 months (specialization / bootcamps) |
Technologies: Flutter, React Native, Android (Kotlin/Java), iOS (Swift). Books/Resources: Official docs, “Programming Flutter”, Android Programming guides. |
Focus on one platform, build apps end-to-end, publish to stores, optimize UX & performance. | Android Developer, iOS Developer, Cross-platform Developer. | Entry: ~ ₹6–12 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹18–30 LPA |
| UI/UX & Product Design | 3–6 months specialization / diploma |
Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD. Books: “Don’t Make Me Think”, “About Face”, “The Design of Everyday Things”. |
Build case studies, portfolios, user research practice, and learn basic front-end for better collaboration. | UI Designer, UX Researcher, Product Designer. | Entry: ~ ₹4–10 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹12–20 LPA; Senior ~ ₹25 LPA+ |
| Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | 3-6 months (certifications) or 6-12 months (advanced training) |
* Tools: UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism * Books: “Learning Robotic Process Automation” by Alok Mani Tripathi * Courses: UiPath Academy (free), Edureka, Simplilearn, Internshala trainings |
Start with basics of process mapping and automation logic. Build small bots (like Excel/Email automation). Learn integrations with ERP/CRM. Focus on scaling and error-handling in automation. |
RPA Developer, RPA Consultant, Automation Architect, Process Analyst. Demand in BFSI, Healthcare, Retail, IT Services, Shared Services. |
Entry: ~ ₹5-8 LPA Mid: ~ ₹12-20 LPA Senior/Architect: ₹25-35+ LPA |
| Product Management (Tech) | 6 months – 1 year (certifications / PG) |
Topics: Agile, Scrum, market research, product analytics. Books: “Inspired” (Marty Cagan), “Lean Product and Lean Analytics”. Courses: upGrad, IIIT programs. |
Understand users, analytics, stakeholder management. Build side projects and practise communication. | Product Manager, Associate PM, Product Owner. | Entry: ~ ₹10–18 LPA; Mid/Experienced: ~ ₹25–40 LPA+ |
| Blockchain & Web3 | 3–6 months (certificate); 1 year (specialization) |
Concepts: Smart Contracts, Solidity, DApps, Ethereum, Hyperledger. Books: Mastering Bitcoin/Ethereum; online hackathons & docs. |
Build mini dApps, participate in hackathons, learn security & gas optimization. | Blockchain Developer, Smart Contract Engineer, Solidity Dev. | Entry: ~ ₹8–15 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹25–35 LPA+ |
| Internet of Things (IoT) / Edge Computing | 6–12 months (hardware + software) |
Topics: Sensors, Arduino/Raspberry Pi, Embedded C, Python, MQTT, BLE, Edge ML. Resources: Maker kits, projects, labs. |
Build hardware projects, learn security for devices, integrate cloud & edge components. | IoT Engineer, Embedded Engineer, Firmware Developer. | Entry: ~ ₹6–12 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹18–28 LPA+ |
| Cyber Physical Systems / Robotics & Automation | 1–2 years (specialization); shorter courses for basics |
Robotics, ROS, control systems, automation, AI integration. Books: “Robotics: Modelling, Planning, and Control”. |
Build robots, simulate work, and participate in contests & labs. | Robotics Engineer, Automation Specialist, RPA Developer. | Entry: ~ ₹8–15 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹20–35 LPA+ |
| Cybersecurity / Risk & Compliance / Governance | 3–6 months (basic certs); 1–2 years for senior roles |
Certs: CEH, OSCP, CISM; Tools: SIEM, firewalls; Books: “Security Engineering”. Topics: Risk frameworks, GDPR, ISO standards. |
Combine technical skills with compliance knowledge. Build pentest labs & study frameworks. | Security Auditor, Compliance Officer, Risk Analyst, Governance Specialist. | Entry: ~ ₹8–12 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹20–35 LPA; Senior: ~ ₹40+ LPA |
| Software Testing / QA Automation | 3–6 months (certificate) |
Tools: Selenium, Cypress, JUnit/TestNG, Postman, performance testing. Books: “Lessons Learned in Software Testing”. |
Get hands-on with test scripts, automation frameworks, CI integration, and write test plans. | QA Engineer, Automation Tester, Test Engineer. | Entry: ~ ₹4–8 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹12–20 LPA |
| Digital Marketing & Analytics | 2–6 months (certification) |
Skills: SEO, SEM, Google Ads, Analytics, Content, Social Media. Books: “Digital Marketing for Dummies”; Tools: Google Analytics, SEMrush, Ahrefs. |
Run real or mock campaigns, measure ROI, build a portfolio and stay updated with platform changes. | Digital Marketer, Growth Marketer, Content Strategist, Analytics roles. | Entry: ~ ₹3–7 LPA; Mid: ~ ₹10–20 LPA; Senior: ~ ₹25+ LPA |