Since the emergence of digitalization, the IT sector continues to boom. We are witnessing a number of innovations in the technological and virtual world that continues to shape careers and required skill sets. Increasing focus on technological deployment across industries has made the IT field lucrative in the job market.
While IT professionals are most likely to hold certifications in CompTIA and Microsoft, a greater percentage are pursuing credentials in AWS and Cisco in 2019. Here is a list of the most important IT Skills for 2019.
1. Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing is the most demanded skill in IT today. According to Forbes, the global expenditure on cloud computing will rise 19.4% annually between 2015 and 2019, further accelerating the demand for cloud computing professionals.
Cloud Computing gives its users the liberty to have limitless data and multiple services to manage that data. It can be classified into infrastructural services, platform services, and software services. There are different organizations making cloud service.
A quite interesting point of cloud service is that it has impacted many technologies, such as artificial intelligence on a larger scale. There are about 28,000+ job opportunities in cloud computing in the US alone.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is transforming business and processes. There are plenty of job opportunities in this area, however, due to the increasing demands for this skillset, there is a lack of the right talent with the required skills in this domain. According to Indeed, in the last 3 years, the demand for AI skills has more than doubled and there has been over 119% of the increase in the job postings for this area.
There are similar job roles like Machine Learning Engineer (average annual payout of $115,000), Data Scientist (average annual payout of $120,000), Business intelligence developer (average annual payout of /$92,000), Research Scientist (average annual payout of $99,000), etc. According to Glassdoor, the leading employers of AI include Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, Intel, Accenture, Samsung, Lenovo, Adobe and Uber. There are around 15,000+ job opportunities in the US in this field.
3. Analytical Reasoning
Analytical reasoning is one of the fastest growing concerns of IT companies. With the concern of data growth, there are multiple, analytical decisions an IT professional has to take. These skills are in high demand due to the increasing need of more precise and evaluated decisions. It is becoming exponentially necessary because of the volume of data in the Cloud, which could be used in a destructive manner with one wrong decision. There are around 32,000+ reasoning job opportunities available in the US.
4. Data Science
Today when knowledge is power, data is money. What if we combine both, and have the power to manage the data!
One of the most valuable skills these days. Data science is a multidisciplinary domain that solves complex problems by combining data inference, algorithm development, and technology. It evolves to be the most promising career path of this age. There are around 26,000+ data scientist jobs available in the US. The median salary of a mid-level data scientist is over $125,000.
5. Software Testing
While software development is the core of every IT business, the dependence of different industries on IT has accelerated the demand for software engineers and testers. Most IT companies require properly skilled and informative professionals who are able to understand the usage and functionality of the developed software. Software testing will reduce the risk of errors and ensure hassle-free functionality. There are around 11,000+ manual software testing jobs available in the US with an average salary of $55,000+.
6. Cyber Security
As data security is now an emerging concern among the users, and with a rise in cyber crimes, IT companies along with other data-rich companies are now emphasizing the safety and security of their data. The high demand and low supply of skilled cybersecurity experts have resulted in higher payouts for cybersecurity professionals, reporting an average annual salary of $116,000. There are currently 37,000+ jobs posted on Linkedin for cybersecurity experts.
7. Application Development and Programming
Developing skills are in high demand these days and are expected to increase in the coming years because of the customization needs of businesses both small and large. The updated algorithms of Google and the transition of the world towards mobile from desktop has boosted the demand of highly skilled professionals in this domain. The average annual salary for app developers ranges between $45,000 to $98,000.
8. Networking and Wireless
Networking holds the IT industry together. There are vast number of networks required to support the growing IT industry and the needs of those who use technology. As the networks grow in size and volume, so do the needs for professionals to tackle network issues and facilitate security in networking. The average annual salary of a network engineer is $100,000.
9. Systems and Enterprise Architecture
In a company, there are different departments that undergo their own functions and have their own needs. A systems and enterprise architect understands and develops the proper infrastructural framework that facilitates the needs for all departments. A well-organized architecture would help organizations build and standardize an IT infrastructure that aligns with their business goals. There are over 9,000 job posts for enterprise architects in the US with an average salary of $130,000+.
10. Project Management
A basic truth in IT is that its efficiency is measured by the success of its project (timeline, budget, revenue, etc). Therefore, it is very important to ensure that all the parameters of a project are identified and organized before and during a project. This is the role of a project manager. A project manager is highly organized, efficient, and loves spreadsheets! The average salary of a project manager in the US is $90,000 with over 17,000 job opportunities in this domain.
A professional having any one of these skill sets will have a head start on creating and establishing a long-term career. At Training Concepts we see people from all sorts of backgrounds achieve their dreams of changing careers, advancing skills, or just having a job that they are proud of.