The world around us is changing. Today, long-term career success depends on your ability to anticipate the future. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the world of tech, where constant innovation combined with new legislation, skills shortages, flexible working models, talent mobility, ED&I and corporate sustainability create constant new challenges for both organisations and individuals to solve.

Naturally, these trends fuel the demand for skilled professionals – most notably IT professionals who can design, implement and maintain new technologies in a constantly evolving world of work.

It can be hard to keep pace with change. So, if you’re planning your future IT career path, we’ve compiled this list of tech jobs that we expect to be most sought-after by employers in the future. Some of these jobs already exist and will undergo even faster demand growth in coming years. Others are new roles that will rise to the fore.

Naturally this list will evolve over time, so check back regularly to ensure your upskilling is focused on areas that will futureproof your career and work for your tomorrow.

12 best tech jobs of the future

1. Blockchain developer

Blockchain developers are responsible for developing and implementing applications that use blockchain technology. These professionals are expected to soon be in high demand as more businesses look to adopt blockchain technology to ensure the security and integrity of their data.

With the market for blockchain technology expected to grow to over $57 billion by 2025, blockchain developers can look forward to a busy career with strong future potential.

2. UX designer

User experience (UX) designers are responsible for creating an easy and enjoyable experience for users when interacting with a product or service. They work to understand user needs and desires and design solutions that meet those needs.

As more businesses undergo digital transformations and develop customer-focused interfaces, the need for professionals who can create an effective user experience will continue to grow. In fact, the number of UX designers needed worldwide is expected to grow to 100 million by 2050.

3. IoT engineer

The Internet of Things (IoT) is predicted to be one of the biggest technological trends of the next few years. With the number of connected devices projected to reach over 30 billion by 2025, demand for Internet of Things (IoT) engineers currently dwarfs future requirements.

Talented IoT engineers develop and deploy technology that makes it possible for physical objects to connect and interact over the internet. From everyday home automation, such as interconnecting lights, air conditioners and appliances for remote operation, to wearable health monitors and smart cars, IoT’s future looks bright.

4. Software engineer

As more organisations turn to technology to improve their operations and interact with customers, there is a greater demand for software engineers who can design, develop, test and maintain software that enables such transformations.

The growth of big data and the IoT adds to the ever-growing demand for software engineers with expertise in data analytics and machine learning. Investments in software development have also increasingly shifted towards the cloud, so engineers with experience in cloud computing are at an advantage. In addition, the growth of e-commerce platforms has increased the demand for software engineers experienced with web development and digital marketing.

The industries currently hiring the most software engineers are technology, finance, retail and healthcare.

5. Robotics engineer

Robotics engineers design, build and maintain robots. No longer restricted to the realm of science fiction, robots are becoming commonplace, with many current applications in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and defence. For example, there are robots that can clean and disinfect supplies and linens in hospitals to reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), or military robots that can deliver supplies and perform other logistical tasks without putting humans at risk.

The global robotics market is expected to be worth over $99 billion by 2026 (up from $36 billion in 2020). This astonishing growth will create strong potential for long-lasting careers in this field.

Increased investment in the development of Cobots (collaborative robots), which are intended to interact with humans, will also drive increased demand for robotics engineers. Cobots are more like the robots we imagine in that they look and act like humans, as opposed to those designed to optimally perform specific tasks, such as the robots used in car assembly.

As carmakers experiment with autonomous driving and car-sharing services, automotive is another growth industry. Robotics engineers working in this field can expect a good degree of job security, with demand for their skills set to increase in the coming years.

6. Cloud engineer 

Cloud computing enables organisations to securely store, manage and process critical data over the internet. With more organisations utilising cloud computing, demand has – and will continue – to rise for dedicated cloud engineers who can design and implement bespoke cloud solutions.

Cloud engineers are currently in highest demand in the technology, finance and healthcare industries, with retail, media, entertainment and education not far behind.

The increasing volume of data generated by consumers and recorded by organisations has led to greater demand for cloud computing engineers who can leverage AI, big data and machine learning. The global market for cloud computing is expected to grow to $1.3 trillion by 2026, providing plenty of future job opportunities.

7. Data scientist

The growth of big data and the IoT has caused a dramatic increase in the amount of data available to organisations. However, all this data is next to useless without a data scientist skilled at analysing and extracting in-depth and actionable insights that provide a competitive advantage.

Organisations across almost every industry have realised the potential of leveraging data to find efficiencies and new opportunities. Data will remain a top concern for organisations, creating continued future a demand for data scientists.

The growth in demand for data scientists has also fuelled demand for data engineers who can create efficient data pipelines for organisations. Having data engineering and data analysis skills will further future proof your employability in this field.

8. Machine learning engineer

Where data scientists find and report on opportunities hidden in large data sets, machine learning engineers design algorithms that can autonomously leverage this data to improve products and services. For example, Netflix uses machine learning to recommend movies and TV shows that its users will likely enjoy. Amazon uses machine learning to predict what items customers are likely to buy.

The global market for machine learning is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2026, with some of the top employers in the tech industry continuing to hire skilled professionals wherever they can be found. Other industries hiring machine learning engineers include telecommunications, media, government and defence.

Machine learning engineers often collaborate with data scientists and analysts to determine the best way to get value out of their organisation’s data. While machine learning is a highly technical skill set, future job opportunities are expected to remain high.

9. Mobile application developer 

With over 6.5 billion smartphone users globally, the creation of, and demand for, mobile applications will only increase. Organisations across nearly all industries are looking to increase their investment in mobile applications to gather data from, connect with, and sell to consumers.

This is fuelling growing demand for mobile application developers who can create innovative, user-friendly apps that meet the needs of their customers.

10. IAM engineer

IAM (Identity and Access Management) engineers are responsible for managing users’ identities and access to systems and data. They use their expertise to ensure that only authorised users can access  privileged information where users are required to have a trusted digital identity.

IAM systems are essential in any organisation that wants to protect its data. With cybercrime on the rise, more organisations are looking for professionals to effectively set up and manage their CIAM (Customer Identity and Access Management) and PAM (Privileged Access Management) systems.

The IAM market is projected to grow to $46 billion in 2028, with advances in blockchain technology driving innovation in this field. This will create strong future demand for IAM engineers.

11. DevSecOps engineer

Development, security and operations (DevSecOps) engineers are responsible for ensuring the security of applications and systems throughout their development lifecycle. They work with developers and security professionals to create secure applications from the start and automate security testing of a CI/CD pipeline.

Organisations are increasingly looking for DevSecOps engineers to secure their systems from inception. Software developers who have followed a DevOps framework are transitioning to DevSecOps to test and prepare for potential security exploits.

The global DevSecOps market is expected to grow to $15 billion by 2027, with demand for DevSecOps engineers evident across all industries that develop software. Demand for DevSecOps engineers will increase further as organisations scramble to ensure their software does contain vulnerabilities.

12.  AppSec engineer

Every business is eager to launch or improve its own app and collect data from users, but without the right security measures in place, these apps can be compromised and do more harm than good. Somewhat worryingly, research has indicated many organisations still release code with known vulnerabilities, primarily because they were discovered too late in the development lifecycle.

This is where application security (AppSec) engineers come in. AppSec engineers work with developers to ensure that applications are secure from the start. They also work with security professionals to identify and fix vulnerabilities.

AppSec engineers will be in high demand over the coming years to mitigate the risk of releasing applications that put users’ information at risk.

Which future IT jobs will you go after?

As you can see, there’s no shortage of technology jobs that could provide a successful career path. If you’re committed to building a rewarding long-term career plan, these are the roles that will continue to grow in demand in the years to come. Can your career grow along with them?