As the rise of digital transformation continues in organisations across the world, in-demand jobs in tech continue to evolve and shift to meet the growing need. Job roles that focus on advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), and the Internet of Things (IoT) means the demand for employees with these skills is going through the roof and many businesses are investing more into acquiring, hiring and developing the right talent so that they can remain relevant and competitive on the global stage.
CompTIA chief technology evangelist, James Stanger, says that a mix of tech and business skills will be required and in demand for jobs in tech for nearly every position, “People have been talking for a long time about the digital transformation of business. We’re going to see alot of job roles either being redefined or no longer being relevant. Having a strong IT skillset will remain valuable, but should have a strong focus on business.”
Raj Mukherjee, senior vice president of product at job search site Indeed, says, “Demand for tech workers continues to grow at a pace that’s unmatched in other industries.” Mukherjee continues, saying that jobs that are currently in-demand in tech, such as full stack developer, will continue to enjoy accelerated growth in the next few years, notwithstanding the emergence of newer jobs in tech that will gain centre stage attention as well.
“Emerging technologies will be key catalysts for in-demand jobs,” said Sarah Stoddard, community expert at job search site Glassdoor. “From artificial intelligence, automation, virtual reality, cryptocurrency and more, demand for jobs in engineering, product, data science, marketing and sales will continue to rise to support the innovation happening.”
Here are 10 of the most in-demand tech jobs in 2020
1. Solutions Architect
According to Glassdoor’s recent research, a solutions architect is the most in-demand, highest-paying tech job, with thousands of positions needing to be filled.
The advance of tech in business requires a counterbalance of soft skills, or interpersonal skills, to bridge the two hemispheres of tech and people. A solution architect must have both technical and business skills, as they handle the design of one or more applications or services within a business, and how it impacts on business outcomes. As a result, they often need to explain complex technical terms to management in an understandable way, and to translate business needs to technical teams.
2. Data Scientist
As the second most in-demand, high-paying tech job, according to Glassdoor, and listed as the top tech job in America, data scientists are expected to remain in high demand in 2020. Nearly every organisation can collect data, and every one of those needs people to effectively organise and analyse this information, for the good of the business.
The ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise businesses and processes, through automation and digitisation, means that there has been an explosion in the demand for people with these skills. According to Udemy for Business’ 2020 Workplace Learning Trends Report: The Skills of the Future, today’s workforce needs to be equipped to function in an AI-enabled world and predicts that 2020 is the year that AI goes mainstream.
3. Cybersecurity engineer
In the hyper-connected world, which we do business in, cybersecurity is a major concern for companies and consumers alike, says Marc Cenedella, CEO and founder of executive job search site Ladders. “Because of this emphasis on organisational safety, we’re seeing a huge upswing in the number of security engineer jobs meant to be the first line of defence to safeguard lucrative products and services.”
Internet of Things (IoT) security will become a particular area of focus within cybersecurity, as connected devices become staples in daily life with cybercriminals looking to exploit them, said Stephen Zafarino, vice president of national recruiting for recruiting agency Mondo. “Companies are looking to figure out how we can protect these new products that we’re putting online and make sure they’re not a vulnerability.”
4. Full stack developer
Full stack developers continue to be among the top in-demand tech jobs, with thousands of job openings needing to be filled, according to job search site Indeed.
Paul Wallenberg, head of tech recruiting services at recruitment company LaSalle Network, says, “Some companies are moving away from siloed back-end and front-end development teams, which requires hiring developers who can work on all levels of the application stack.”
5. Python developer
The rise of AI and machine learning technologies has brought about an increased search for Python developers. It is also the fastest-growing programming language, is relatively easy to learn and has a growing developer community.
6. Java developer
In spite of the rise in demand for programming languages like Python and R, Java developers are still in high demand, according to data from Indeed and Glassdoor, with the growth of the cloud keeping it in the top 10.
7. JavaScript developer
JavaScript remains in-demand, with organisations that have development teams that are structured between front-end and back-end teams on the lookout for technologists who can use various JavaScript libraries and frameworks to deliver more compelling user interfaces.
8. Cloud engineer
The search for talent with cloud computing or cloud engineer skills has increased by 27% since 2015. As the trend to move away from on-site IT infrastructure in favour of a cloud-first approach increases, so too the need for technologists with cloud experience is dramatically increasing.
9. Scrum master
Many organisations are recruiting so-called scrum masters to drive excellence in self-organisation and to change quickly in their Agile environments. Businesses are increasingly looking to Scrum so that they can better organise software development.
10. DevOps engineer
DevOps engineers are growing in demand as the DevOps workflow gains popularity amongst organisations. Organisations need a person who both understands the Software Development Lifecycle, and who understands the various automation tools for developing digital pipelines (CI/ CD pipelines). Demand is high for DevOps engineers who successfully work with developers and IT staff to oversee the code releases.
In conclusion
As tech is embraced and implemented by more and more non-tech organisations, such as health care, finance, and automotive to streamline workflows and increase profit, tech talent is no longer restricted to tech organisations. These in-demand jobs in tech will continue to flourish as more and more businesses across all sectors strive to remain competitive in this ever-evolving workplace of the future.
