The 7 most in-demand tech jobs for 2018

Job 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile 95th percentile

Business
intelligence $83,750 $104,000 $130,250 $175,750
analyst
Data scientist $100,000 $119,000 $142,750 $168,000
Database
$97,750 $104,000 $130,250 $175,750
developer
$32,000 (Tier 1); $38,000 (Tier 1); $45,500 (Tier 1); $54,000 (Tier 1);
Help/support
$38,000 (Tier 2); $45,000 (Tier 2); $54,000 (Tier 2); $63,750 (Tier 2);
desk technician
$48,500 (Tier 3) $57,500 (Tier 3) $69,000 (Tier 3) $81,500 (Tier 3)
Network
$55,000 $62,500 $80,000 $104,750
administrator
Data security
$100,000 $117,500 $135,750 $168,750
administrator
$102,500
System
$64,500 $78,750 $95,750
administrator

Hot: Security jobs

Despite headline-grabbing security attacks, many companies are still woefully
unprepared. Still, there are far more openings than security experts.

“We’re definitely seeing more full-time in-house security folks and many as members of
the executive team,” says Medina. “Security is a top concern for all companies.
Unfortunately, there’s a real scarcity of security folks, so finding one is a challenge.”

TEKsystems’ JasonHayman says this year he’s seeing increased demand for
developers who know Python, Ruby and Java — coupled with credentials in information
security.

“Testing new applications in real time and being able to integrate security testing into
the process speeds up time to market,” Haymansays, “helping organizations who are
seeing faster growth react and scale with demand.”

Hot:Data security administrator

Handling large amounts of data requires a dedication to security to protect your business,
employees, clients and customers. Data security admins are responsible for defining network
security requirements, ensuring all security measures are up to date, monitoring company-wide
security practices and implementing security strategies.
 Skills and experience to look for:

 Critical thinking and complex problem solving

 Innovative and proactive thinking
 A willingness to continue learning new skills
 Strong programming, mathematics and general engineering skills
 A bachelor’s degree, relevant certifications and a background in computer science

Hot:Business intelligence analyst

Business intelligence analysts need experience in database technology, analytics and reporting
tools; businesses typically look for candidates with a bachelor’s degree in computer science,
information systems or engineering. You’ll want to hire someone with the right skills to
understand your business’ data needs and then communicate those to stakeholders. It’s a role
with growing importance as business needs pivot to relying on harvesting and making sense of
data.

Skills and experience to look for:

 Experience with database queries

 Stored procedure writing
 Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)
 Data cube technology
 Strong written and verbal skills

Hot:Data scientist
While you need a BI analyst to help understand and communicate data patterns from a business
perspective, a data scientist is the person who helps gather, process and analyze data. They
should also be skilled in communicating those findings and offering recommendations to others
in the business.

Skills and experience to look for:

 Programming languages (specifically Python or Java)

 Strong analytical skills
 Strong mathematical skills
 A masters or Ph.D.

Hot:Database developer
When hiring a database developer, you’ll want to look for candidates who demonstrate analytical
and problem-solving skills. Since they’ll be responsible for developing and managing enterprise
 databases, you’ll want to go into hiring with a clear idea of what skills you’re hiring for, and
what type of developer will best suit your needs.

Skills and experience to look for:

 Bachelor’s degree in computer science or database experience

 Experience with enterprise database programs like Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle or IBM DB2
 Certifications such as Microsoft Certified Database Administrator or Oracle Database Administrator
Certified Professional

Hot:Help desk or support desk technician

For customer-facing businesses, the help desk is an important part of running an efficient
business. As the first line of defense for customer service and troubleshooting, help desk workers
need to have the right technical and soft skills for the job. Robert Half Technology breaks out the
role of help desk technician into three tiers, since the job description and requirements can vary
significantly based on the business.

Skills and experience to look for:

 Tier 1: Entry-level positions that require less than two years of experience, an associate’s degree or
coursework at a technical school.
 Tier 2: Positions requiring two to four years of experience, a two-year or bachelor’s degree and relevant
work experience.
 Tier 3: Four or more years of experience in a help desk setting, bachelor’s degree in a related field and
professional certifications.

Hot:Network administrator
Network administrators are responsible for handling LAN/WAN protocol, software and
hardware. They spend a lot of time troubleshooting and typically need to be on call in case of an
emergency or failure. What you look for in experience will depend on how extensive your
network needs are, but there are certain skills and certifications that can help you find the most
qualified workers.

Skills and experience to look for:

 Troubleshooting and communication skills

 Analytic and diagnostic skills
 A willingness to be on call after hours
 A bachelor’s degree or five-plus years of related work experience
 Professional certifications
 Hot:System administrator
Like most jobs in IT, a system administrator should demonstrate strong problem-solving,
communication and analytical skills. But a system admin also needs a strong technical
understanding of the company’s specific hardware and software. What you need in a system
admin will vary depending on the services, hardware and software you rely on.

Skills and experience to look for:

 Experience with servers, backup and recovery and installing, patching and upgrading software
 Experience troubleshooting and resolving hardware, software and networking problems
 A bachelor’s degree in computer science, associate’s degree or technical training certificate
 Certifications such as the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Systems
Engineer (MCSE) or Sun Certified System Administrator (SCSA).

13 Top Tech SkWhile job seekers will offer an array of technical skills, employers
are typically looking for a more balanced employee who also possesses soft skills that are not
readily apparent on a resume. The ability to communicate with others and be approachable in their
demeanor can go a long way for potential candidates looking to break into the tech space.

From strong communication skills and adaptability to experience with the latest technologies,
here are several skill sets expected to be in high demand in the tech industry in 2018,
according to 13 members of Forbes Technology Council.

1. Experience With AI

The field of artificial intelligence is seriously understaffed. Specifically, finding technology leaders
(CIO/CTO, head of product, etc.) who know how to credibly manage teams made up of AI, data
science and innovative product specialists will prove to be difficult

2. Skills To Envision, Design And Develop AR Apps

Over the last year, we have seen a number of companies produce hardware and software
features to support augmented reality and machine learning. The people with the skills to envision,
design, and develop applications that take advantage of these new chips and APIs will be in high
demand. - Chris Kirby, Voices.com
3. Data Science Talent

With the rise of big data and machine learning, data scientists are becoming a key component in
many industries -- from finance and banking to health care and drug discovery. Companies will be
investing on a big scale in talent acquisition in this field. - Andrii Buvailo, Enamine

4. Mobile Application Development

Mobile application developers will continue to be in high demand, just as they have been the past
few years. The demand will get greater in 2018, though, and successful app developers should be
fluent in multiple programming languages, including Java, HTML5, Objective-C, C++, C#, Python
and Swift. Also, app developers with UX and UI design skills can offer much more value for project
management. - Scott Stiner, UM Technologies

5. Excellence In Cybersecurity

Given the recent infiltration of networks, there will be an increased need for excellence in
cybersecurity. Organizations need to ensure they are protecting the data they capture behind the
walls of their networks. Stakeholders are becoming increasingly aware of cybersecurity concerns
and therefore demanding companies address the issue. The tech industry will need expertise in this
area in 2018. - Maria Clemens, Management and Network Services

6. Talent For SaaS In The Cloud

IT professionals with skills in cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS) will be the hot ticket
in 2018. Virtualization skills in Amazon AWS, Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware for private cloud
hosting will, without a doubt, help you stand out from the crowd. Experience with DevOps,
containers, the entire cloud stack and IPv6 will also benefit your chances for a top job
tremendously. - Jeremy Williams, Vyudu

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and
technology executives. Do I qualify?

7. Ability To Adapt To New Tech

One of the most important characteristics of a tech star is the ability to adapt to new technologies.
It is almost impossible to predict what will be the norm six months from now. Someone who is
constantly learning will be very successful in the future of this unpredictable field. - Arthur
Pereless, Pereless Systems

8. Coding And Engineering Experience

An engineering mind and coding skills are now essential for the high-tech industry. Everything is
about new ways to build and use products and services that are more intuitive. - Chalmers
Brown, Due
9. Applied Machine Learning

Data science has been growing rapidly as a profession. But if data science applies in settings where
we care about the interpretability and theoretic soundness of the methodology, like any science,
applied machine learning is just about the results. Being able to experiment with common neural
networks in Tensorflow will outstrip tinkering with R programming as demand increases. - Carson
Kahn, Volley (Volley.com)

10. Programming Knowledge

Programming, especially with multi-faceted languages like Javascript and Python, are the most in
demand, whether you're an infrastructure engineer, software engineer or even a digital marketing
professional. These languages are not only used to build scalable applications but
also to automate, streamline processes or crawl data across disparate systems. - Bianca
Diosdado, Octagon Talent Solutions

11. Any Skills Related To Analytics

Machine learning and data analytics are going to continue to grow and change the face of the IT
industry as we know it today. I’ve even encouraged my daughter to take analytics as her major
knowing that it’s going to be a game-changer in the near future. - Michael Ringman, TELUS
International

12. Cross-Team Functionality And Communication

There’s an increasing amount of overlap between different job functions, and communicating
effectively with different members of an organization is essential. Projects require collaboration
between developers, marketers, and designers, and not everyone adapts to understanding the
different languages and workflows of each team. - Zohar Dayan, Wibbitz

13. Digital Transformation

An important skill is to identify and implement digital platforms across the whole organization that
will impact operational efficiencies and increase revenue. - Naresh Soni, Tsunami ARVR