The tech industry, in a word, is booming. Expected to account for 8.9 million U.S. jobs last year, according to CompTIA’s State of the Tech Workforce report, it’s no secret that the industry’s strong standing means that companies are actively recruiting for talent.
In Robert Half Technology’s 2023 IT salary report, 56 percent of surveyed companies said that they planned to hire for new roles in the upcoming year. Thirty-nine percent said they have plans to hire for vacant positions. In the same survey, notes CIO Magazine, 86 percent of respondents said that finding the right candidates for areas such as software and applications development, technology process automation and cloud architecture and operations, poses difficulties.
It’s one of the reasons why roles in some of those focus areas are in demand for Q4 and into 2024. Here’s a look:
Cybersecurity Specialist/Analyst
Average annual salary: $102,600
As the threat of cyber attacks continues to grow, the industry at large needs to keep one step ahead of bad actors propagating cybercrime. Thus, cybersecurity specialists are in great demand, responsible for ensuring the security of a given organization’s network, data and systems.
Their responsibilities — implementing security measures, monitoring for threats and responding to incidents when they occur — mean that cybersecurity specialists must possess a strong understanding of the latest security threats as well as the tools and techniques used to defend against them.
Cloud Architect
Average annual salary range: $120,000–$335,000
With more companies moving their operations to the cloud, the role of the cloud architect has become increasingly important. Cloud architects design and implement cloud-based systems and applications from the front to back end, ensuring that they are secure, scalable and highly available.
In their capacity, cloud architects are responsible for selecting the appropriate cloud platform, designing the architecture and ensuring that the system can meet an organization’s needs. To become a cloud architect, you’ll need a working knowledge of at least one OS, plus proficiency in networking, programming languages and cloud security.
Machine Learning Engineer
Average annual salary: $131,490
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly transforming the way we work and live, and AI/ML engineers are responsible for developing the features that power these technologies.
An AI/ML engineer might be a member of a firm’s data science team, where they’ll research, build and design models put into AI programs. Designing and developing ML algorithms and systems, running system tests and performing analysis are all part and parcel of an AI/ML engineer’s roles and responsibilities.
With the continued growth of AI and ML, we can expect to see a surge in demand for AI/ML engineers into 2024 and beyond.
DevOps Engineer
Average annual salary range: $117,679–$137,912
DevOps, or Development Operations, is an approach to software development that emphasizes collaboration and communication between development and operations teams. And DevOps engineers are responsible for designing and implementing the tools and processes that support this approach.
What are a DevOps engineer’s primary roles and responsibilities? They’ll be involved in release engineering, the building and deploying of application code; infrastructure provisioning and system administration, including maintaining servers, storage and networking resources; and DevOps advocacy, educating other engineers how DevOps fits into a business’ structure.
Full Stack Developer
Average Annual Salary: $81,188
Full stack developers are responsible for developing both the front-end and back-end (the server side) components of web applications and sites. In addition, a full stack developer has a full, varied list of responsibilities: aiding with software design/development, building out new APIs, performing tests, troubleshooting software, fixing bugs and collaborating with other departments to make sure operations are up and running smoothly.
A trained full stack developer must possess a strong understanding of a variety of programming languages as well as experience with database management, user interface design and server-side scripting. Coding skills are a must. A college degree is preferred, though not a requirement.
Tackle Your Tech Opportunities
What’s great about the tech industry in 2023/2024? Opportunities are abundant at every turn. No matter your interest, focus or specialty, there’s a role out there that lets your talents shine. These in-demand positions are just a sampling of the types of positions available today across the country.
So whether you’re in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Baltimore or surrounding areas, contact us at Advantage Professionals to get started on your tech position journey. We’ve been placing top-tier IT professionals in their dream roles for 30 years, and we’re happy to be your partner in success.