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The top tech skills to learn for a salary boost
5 minute read | James Milligan | Article | Career development | Upskilling
Skilled tech workers are more in demand than ever. Even those in non-tech roles can benefit from learning a new skill – but which ones? Read on to learn which tech skills are in demand, and the best tech skills to earn more.
Technology professionals are set to be in-demand industry-wide as we head into the future. It’s also a current issue, with the vast majority of employers having experienced skills shortages in the past year.
As a result of these shortages, salaries across the sector are rising. There are even bigger rises for professionals working in areas where skills are deemed the most invaluable, according to the Hays UK Salary & Recruiting Trends 2022 report.
Professionals in cyber security are seeing increased demand and rising wages, as organisations look to avoid and mitigate costly reputational damage through a security breach.
Likewise, salary increases in software development were above average, as organisations continue to upgrade their digital product and service offering. Professionals in data and advanced analytics roles are also in demand, as are those working in cloud services.
The below roles are set to be the most in demand as we head into a digital future:
For the rest of the industry there is further good news – many tech employers say they plan to increase pay in 2022 in an attempt to plug the skills gap.
Whether you plan to move on or stay with your current employer, it is important to be aware of your own ‘market value’. Could you earn more in line with regional and national averages and your own seniority and skillsets? You can find this out by using our salary checker.
Armed with that knowledge, you can make a case for a higher salary. You can also build on your existing skills to ensure that no employer would want to risk losing you.
If you don’t currently have those skills, what can you do to build on them?
Those who combine in-demand skills with the traditional management abilities of leadership, communication and project management will be those who become truly indispensable. They’ll also be best placed to see a pay increase in the year ahead.
As business and technology continue to evolve and develop, opportunities in tech are no longer restricted to just tech companies. In fact, the best jobs and corresponding salaries could potentially be outside of the traditional IT sector.
“Tech jobs are paid £10,000 more on average than non-tech jobs”, said Caroline Rae, Commercial Director of Tech Nation.
“Non-digital companies are also becoming more reliant on digital tech workers, as tech pervades every business and new forms of work evolve.”
Sean Bave, General Manager & Vice President of Stack Overflow, further clarified: “Every company must become a tech company to some degree in order to remain competitive. This means demand for developer talent has skyrocketed and it shows no sign of slowing.
“Developers spend (on average) seven hours of their own time per week learning new skills necessary to their jobs.”
A technology professional who can take a leaf out of the developers’ books will be in a great position to secure the best roles in the future. By upskilling in areas such as cloud, cybersecurity and management, tech talent can see their demand and earnings skyrocket.
It’s clear that demand for the very best tech professionals is ongoing – and likely to be there for years to come. Be thorough with your research and accurately ascertain your market value. Those top tech jobs – and the salaries to go with them – are there for the taking.
Find out how your salary compares and what you could be earning with the Hays salary checker. Alternatively, contact your local consultant to discuss your career options.
James is Director of Hays IT, Digital Technology and Project Solutions in the UK, Ireland and EMEA. Having joined in 2000, he is responsible for the strategy of Hays’ Project Solutions, IT and Digital Technology businesses, which includes IT contracting, permanent technology recruitment, resource augmentation and statement of work solutions across both the private and public sectors.
