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Today’s job market is saturated with tech companies and their jobs, but only those who are able to meet these 10 in-demand tech skills of 2024 will be able to stand out from the crowd and reach higher career goals. The tech industry continues to grow and evolve. With this growth comes the need for more developers and coders, who are building products that are changing the way we live and work every day. Here are the top 10 in-demand tech skills of 2024, along with their associated median pay in the US.
1) Machine Learning (ML)
This term has often been confused with Artificial Intelligence, but it is actually a subset. ML involves developing computer programs that are capable of learning from data and/or performing tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception and speech recognition. According to a study by Mckinsey & Company, investment in AI technologies is expected to grow more than 30% over 5 years. An experienced ML engineer can expect an average salary of around $250K-$350K USD per year! You don’t need to be a math whiz or have any coding experience to get started. You just need your own dataset and some time to experiment with different algorithms. I recommend taking your first step by playing around with Kaggle’s tutorial on classification. It teaches you how to train a simple classifier using a dataset of housing prices, so that if given two new housing prices (one high and one low), your program will predict whether they’re high or low values. If you want to really dig into machine learning once you’ve got some programming skills under your belt, Udacity offers another great intro class: Intro To Machine Learning (ML). It will teach you all about key concepts like supervised vs unsupervised learning, clustering vs regression analysis, neural networks and even deep learning – which is quickly becoming a hot topic among tech companies looking for experts in artificial intelligence.
2) Data Science
1: Which of the following data structures allows elements to be added and removed in a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) order?
Data science is becoming increasingly important to nearly every industry, which is why it’s one of our top tech skills for 2024. Even if you don’t have a background in math or science, learning data science skills can pay off handsomely. According to BLS, people with advanced degrees in these fields may be employed as statisticians, mathematicians, and data analysts. It also pays quite well—with median salaries hovering around $80K per year—and even those with lower skill levels (see below) stand to see an uptick in their salary over time. So while it might not be your first choice for a career, learning data science skills could definitely boost your salary overall and give you a nice head start if a career shift ever becomes necessary. And just think about how many businesses out there are likely going to need these skills in the next five years. For example, banks and credit unions will need more data scientists to handle analytics and process more complex transactions than they do today. The healthcare industry will continue to employ big data specialists who can manage large volumes of patient information from both paper and electronic sources. And retail stores will want employees who know how to use customer demographic information from social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to better understand what customers want. If you think about it that way, suddenly some pretty dry topics like statistics look a lot more interesting!
3) Cloud Infrastructure
Whether you’re working as a system administrator or simply getting into tech, having knowledge of cloud infrastructure will be an extremely valuable asset. Cloud computing services are still in their infancy but it’s already clear that they’re here to stay. As such, cloud infrastructure is an incredibly fast-growing field with plenty of demand for employees who can keep up with its rapid developments. If you’re looking to enter tech and don’t have experience with hosting, monitoring and managing web applications on a distributed network (like AWS), then becoming familiar with these concepts should be one of your first steps. You may not want to pursue a career in cloud computing but understanding how it works will make you more value wherever you work. And regardless of what kind of tech jobs you choose to pursue, being able to use and manage cloud resources will come in handy. After all, most organizations—even those without plans to use cloud technologies—will likely have some sort of hosting platform that their developers need access to. Thus, even if you work outside of IT there’s a good chance you’ll end up dealing with some form of virtualized server at some point during your career. Why take chances? Become well versed in the fundamentals now so that when it comes time for promotions or raises no one has any doubts about whether or not you deserve them!
4) Database Management Systems (DBMS)
Database management systems are one type of software used to store, organize and search for data. A variety of skills will be needed for working with DBMS in the coming years, including knowledge about NoSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server. These database systems are most commonly used by banks, retailers and e-commerce companies. DBMS job skills include administration, design, data modeling and architecting.
5) Mobile Development Frameworks and Tools
Android and iOS app development used to be different enough that developers had to specialize in one or another, but with technology changing so rapidly, it’s becoming harder and harder for new developers to keep up. But as software plays a more prominent role in our lives, there’s an ongoing demand for talented people who can build apps for mobile devices. Whether you’re new to programming or coming back after taking a few years off, consider picking up on some basic skills like Objective C (for iOS) and Java (for Android). Having experience with both major platforms will make you far more marketable than those who only have one language under their belt. And if you’re feeling ambitious, create your own app and put it out there! It might not turn into a million-dollar idea, but at least you’ll know what it takes to get started.
6) Internet of Things (IoT)
It’s clear that IoT is poised for rapid growth in all aspects of our lives. From thermostats and alarm systems to coffee makers and toothbrushes—everything will eventually be connected to WiFi. So if you’re tech-savvy, consider learning how to program an IoT device or developing a skill set in one of several programming languages (e.g., NodeJS) that are used to build these devices—or apply those skills elsewhere in computer science or development. As IoT becomes more widespread, we can expect jobs related to designing and building applications for connected devices to grow. If you don’t want to learn code, but want something more hands-on than coding, there are still opportunities in quality assurance testing. After your product has been built and tested for bugs by software engineers, quality assurance testers then test its functionality before release.
7) Cybersecurity, Cryptography, & Information Security
You’ve likely seen posts about social media marketing, but what do those words mean? How does it impact businesses and brands? Social media marketing is one of most vital components to a company’s brand. And while many marketers still aren’t sure how they can make social media work for them, it’s no surprise that more and more companies are jumping on board every day. What are some specific ways you can use social media in your business? Here are a few examples: Facebook Groups: Create a space where people with similar interests can come together to share ideas, experiences and their own knowledge. This is one way to create an engaged community around your brand or cause. You could also conduct Q&A sessions or host expert interviews within groups you’ve created. There are several other ways to engage customers using Facebook Groups. The key is knowing which method works best for your audience. Twitter Chats: Another great example of using social media in business is through Twitter chats. These virtual conversations bring together experts and influencers across industries and topics to discuss relevant issues on a weekly basis. Each chat has its own hashtag so users can follow along easily, participate by asking questions or adding their own thoughts and recommendations—and see who else was participating at any given time during each chat session. LinkedIn Groups: The network has millions of active users making it one of the top platforms for professionals looking to connect with like-minded individuals from all over the world—which makes it perfect for reaching out to customers!
8) Application Programming Interface (API) Architecture
An API is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. A good API makes it easier to build and maintain an application by providing all or some of the required infrastructure. An API may be as simple as a few lines or as complex as a suite that is distributed across multiple computers and servers in different locations. Some APIs consist only of software code available to other programmers for integration into their own projects; others are designed for end-users to access via apps and websites. This skill will help you integrate data from third-party systems into your own. For example, if you want to use Salesforce data in your app but don’t have permission from Salesforce to do so, you can use an API to pull that data directly from Salesforce without having to ask for permission. That way, if there are any changes on their side (e.g., they decide not to allow third parties), you won’t be affected and will still have access through your app. This kind of technology isn’t limited just to large companies—even small startups can benefit from using APIs when they need them!
9) User Experience Design & Testing
User experience (UX) design is what differentiates a mere app from one that users can’t stop raving about. It encompasses many disciplines, including digital marketing, user interface (UI) design, information architecture and experience strategy. As UX designers, we come up with personas (fictional representations of target users), wireframes (illustrations showing webpage structure and navigation), and prototypes (functional mockups). After getting feedback from real people in our target market, we make changes to improve usability. Today’s job market demands UX design skills; you could land a role as an entry-level designer or one that combines UX research with UI capabilities like visual design and front-end development. Even if your work doesn’t involve actual design, understanding UX will help you sell products and services better. And employers increasingly seek employees who can both strategize business processes and execute them through technology. Employers also look for expertise in data analytics and reporting, especially when it comes to large datasets such as those collected by mobile apps. You may find jobs listed under titles such as data scientist or analyst, but there are plenty of other positions out there if you know where to look.
10) Social Media Marketing
If you’re looking to develop your social media marketing skills, there are a number of platforms to choose from. Hootsuite and Buffer are both great options for managing multiple social media accounts, as well as scheduling posts in advance. With these tools, you can track engagement and discover new users to follow, while staying on top of competitor activity. If you’re considering becoming a blogger or starting a vlog (video blogging), then Medium is an ideal choice. It’s based on storytelling and has been consistently ranked among the most popular online publications in recent years. Medium publishes stories from hundreds of authors every day and allows them to earn money from display advertising placed alongside their work, meaning your new skills could quickly start translating into revenue streams. Another option is LinkedIn, which has become one of the most popular social networks in recent years. Here, you can set up company pages and use its internal messaging system to keep up with contacts from past jobs or professional connections. If your job requires any sort of graphic design or video editing skills, then it might be worth taking some time out to brush up on those too—we’ve rounded up some excellent resources that’ll help get you started below: Just remember that being able to create something doesn’t mean it will make people want to buy it! You still need some form of salesmanship even if all you’re doing is selling yourself by way of freelance gigs. Get out there and do something about getting noticed before you’re old enough for Social Security.