From high salaries to unparalleled career growth, joining the tech industry in 2024 is a fantastic option for those who are eager to take advantage of the new year and all the sector offers. But the tech industry is vast–what jobs will be the most in-demand heading into 2024? What are the skills hiring managers are prioritizing during the candidate selection process?
We’ll answer these questions and much more in this article. But before we get to the good stuff, it’s important to fully understand the growing importance of tech and why so many people are making the switch to tech. So let’s dive right in.
If you’re completely new to tech, start understanding the tech job landscape and how to navigate it with this easy guide. If you’re ready to start picking up skills and want to know which ones are the most in-demand in 2024, let’s carry on!
Why Are Tech Jobs so Attractive?
You’re in your current role and doing just fine, like so many other people. But it does feel like there’s something missing, be it a salary that reflects your hard work and education, flexible work arrangements that allow you to enjoy work outside of the office, or a career that really feels like you’re making a difference. These are all very common things to feel when you’re in a job that doesn’t quite match your goals and aspirations; in fact, these are some of the most common reasons cited when talking to those who have made the move to tech.
So, if these are some of the reasons why people are choosing to pursue a career in the tech industry, does that mean that the tech sector offers these benefits? It does–and more:
Tech salaries are among the highest:
Thanks to the in-demand nature of these roles and constant need for development and growth on the job, companies are willing to pay well for a tech employee that meets their needs. According to Glassdoor and other salary benchmarking sites, tech salaries are consistently higher than the national average in most European countries. For example in Germany a Web Developer can earn between €50,000 and €60,000, with the national average salary being around €51,000. In France, UX/UI Designers can also expect to earn between €50k-60k, but the average salary sits around €42,360.
The tech sector is one of the most flexible:
Following the pandemic, lots of companies realized that they don’t need to require employees to be in the office five days a week and even more learned that employee satisfaction grew when remote or hybrid options were a reality. In addition, companies were able to reach new groups of potential candidates when geographic limitations were removed.
Although news headlines like to make a big deal about big tech companies calling people back to work, this is not the norm. Despite sensationalist headlines, the tech industry remains generally remote-friendly. Basecamp and Shopify remain 100% remote, with Basecamp even ditching IRL offices entirely. Square and X (Twitter) have also announced permanent work-from-home options. Microsoft, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Hubspot, and Google have adopted a hybrid model, allowing employees to choose which days they come to the office and which days they stay home.
The tech sector welcomes outsiders:
Lots of tech newbies are intimidated by the idea of entering an entirely new field and we get it. How can you compare to someone with a tech university degree or years of experience in the field? Luckily for career changers, the tech sector is full of opportunities for everyone and welcomes skills from all backgrounds. As tech becomes widely accepted across the board, the skills needed from tech professionals is expanding to need completely new abilities that were before only associated with other professions.
Now that you know why so many people are choosing to move into tech, let’s start by covering exactly what the tech hiring forecast for 2024 is and what skills to add to your resume to present the best possible application.
In-Demand Tech Roles in 2024
What do we mean by an ‘in-demand’ role? In-demand tech roles aren’t just what’s hot right now (we all saw those Crypto job posting pop up when Bitcoin was on everyone’s tongues), but what’s becoming increasingly necessary.
These are the roles that are born out of new tech becoming the standard for companies both inside of tech and outside. For example, organizations from a wide variety of industries are adopting AI and Cloud storage as their ‘new normal’, and are scrambling to find professionals with the skills they need.
In 2024, we can expect to see an increased interest in the following areas:
Cloud Computing
Typical job roles: Cloud Architect, Cloud Engineer, Cloud Developer, Cloud Security Specialist, DevOps Engineer, Cloud Consultant
Necessary skills: Proficiency in cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud), Java, Python, Docker, Kubernetes
Average EU salary: €55,000 - €90,000, depending on role and location
Demand: Estimated 23% increase in cloud-related job roles, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
In an era where companies are collecting more and more data, the importance of a place to securely store this data for processing and analysis has never been more pronounced. Physical storage centers are extremely expensive to operate and maintain, not to mention the danger of keeping all your data in one place. The cloud has emerged as an incredible alternative to on-site data centers, providing cost-effective, efficient, and customizable data storage solutions to all companies.
The cloud is a relatively new tool that is still taking off and gaining importance; however, professionals skilled in cloud applications are predicted to skyrocket as more companies take advantage of this solution. If you can master the cloud, you can master the tech job ladder!
Data Analytics
Typical job roles: Data Analyst, Business Analyst, Financial Data Analyst, Operations Data Analyst, Marketing Data Analyst, Healthcare Data Analyst
Necessary skills: Proficiency in SQL, Python, R, and Excel, data visualization, statistics and machine learning, strong analytical and problem solving.
Average EU salary: €40,000 - €90,000, depending on role and location.
Demand: 23% growth between 2022 and 2032, significantly faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
We know that the best decisions are backed by data and now that companies are capable of collecting so much data regarding their products and services, clients, and competition, skilled professionals who can sort, analyze, and visualize this data are in high demand. And the best part of choosing a career in data analytics? You’ll be prepared for a wide range of roles in a job that will always be searching for skilled employees.
Data-backed decisions are the key to a strong business and this will never go out of fashion--trust us.
DevOps
Typical job roles: DevOps Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, Release Manager, Infrastructure Engineer, Automation Engineer
Necessary skills: Proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), cripting languages (Python, Bash, PowerShell), Knowledge of CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI), and soft skills like communication and adaptability.
Average EU salary: €55,000 - €80,000, according to Payscale.
Demand: According to Deloitte, an increasing number of organizations across all verticals are hiring more and more DevOps professionals.
As we mentioned a few times already, the tech sector is fusing with so many other areas and more and more professionals are coming together to provide their expertise in their specific field, which has led to the introduction and widespread adoption of the DevOps methodology. DevOps seeks to strategically combine and streamline the teamwork process across different roles, making the entire project run smoothly.
This is a new field, but one that is quickly gaining importance as an increasing number of companies work towards efficient project management.
Artificial Intelligence
Typical job roles: AI Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, Data Scientist, AI Research Scientist, AI Product Manager, Ethical AI Specialist,
Necessary skills: Python, R, Java, C++, Machine Learning algorithms, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras, linear algebra, calculus, probability, and statistics.
Average EU salary: €60,000 - €110,000 depending on role and location.
Demand: According to Grandview Research, the AI job market is set to grow 37% between now and 2030!
We’re sure you expected to see artificial intelligence on this list; after all, it’s one of the biggest talking points in tech right now. From ChatGPT to automation, it truly seems like there are no limitations with artificial intelligence and that’s why artificial intelligence professionals who are ready to learn and grow with the next tool are high on the list of recruiters.
If you’re ready to commit to continuous learning and development throughout your career, consider exploring artificial intelligence.
The AI Job Market is a HUGE area to explore. Make it easier by starting with this further reading:
In-Demand Tech Skills in 2024
With some of 2024’s top roles defined, let’s shift towards the skills you should try to add to your resume in the next year.
Programming languages
Regardless of which industry you’re in, you can probably benefit from learning new programming languages. Whether you’re looking to understand how to talk to developers as a Product Manager, or you’re a front-end developer looking to go fullstack.
Generally, we see that programming languages land solidly in the ‘necessary skills’ section of job postings, rather than the ‘nice to haves.’ The more you learn, the more job positions you automatically unlock for yourself! But don’t get carried away; quality is more important than quantity here and you’ll need to focus on obtaining a true and complete adoption of the language before moving on to your next.
Image source: Maanthraa Technologies on LinkedIn
To make sure you’re making the right choice, check job postings for your dream job, and make note of the specific languages they’re asking for. If you’re still figuring out what your dream job is, be tactical and take a look at the top 5 most in-demand programming languages in 2024.
Hacking (the good kind!)
Cyber threats are becoming increasingly dangerous as artificial intelligence tools can be used to create incredibly believable phishing scams; hackers are also becoming more skilled when it comes to penetrating protected systems. And this is where ethical hackers (or white hat hackers) come into play; these hackers work for companies to hack their systems and identify any vulnerabilities before malicious hackers do the same.
Sustainability-focused design
Sustainability is becoming incredibly important in almost every field, but especially design. Today, UX/UI designers need to take the environment into consideration, not just the user, to ensure that their designs are truly beneficial for all. The next generation of UX/UI designers will need to think about an entirely new group of concerns when creating a design, such as accessibility, societal impacts, and the environment.
Future designers will need to show prospective employers that they take this commitment seriously through well thought out designs and a full portfolio.
Choosing Which Skills to Learn: What Next?
We’ve armed you with a lot of information, but now the decision is yours to make. Consider the following factors when choosing which skill to learn next:
Is this a requirement for my dream job?
Is there demand for this skill/is another skill going to replace it soon?
Do I have the foundational knowledge needed to pick up this skill?
Is there another skill that’s even more important than this one?
Will I enjoy learning this?
Is this something I need to learn to land a job, or is it something I can pick up on the job?
No matter which tech skills you already have, or which ones you’re aiming to pick up next, there’s a place for you in the tech industry! You just have to find it.
About the Author:
Juliette Carreiro is a tech writer, with two years of experience writing in-depth articles for Ironhack. Covering everything from career advice and navigating the job ladder, to the future impact of AI in the global tech space, Juliette is the go-to for Ironhack’s community of aspiring tech professionals.
