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Discover how technology offers a world of exciting new job roles and demands specialized expertise. Whether you’re seeking a career change or aiming to elevate your skills, this article reveals the path to a promising future.
As technology evolves, new job roles are emerging every day. Professionals who have the right expertise are in high demand. If you are looking for a career change or to level up your skill set, these rapidly growing opportunities could be your path forward.
As economic concerns persist, you might be wondering: is now really the right time to jump into something new? A report from CompTIA found that despite the noise around tech layoffs, jobs in the tech sector will actually grow by 3% in 2023 (that’s 286,400 new jobs). Another study from CBRE found that tech workers in the US have increased 11.4% since 2020, a further indication that the tech industry’s hiring slowdown hasn’t impacted the growth of technical roles overall.
Every company is a tech company today, and demand for talent that can wrangle data, design immersive experiences, and write code continues to rise. New technologies are evolving rapidly. The time to get your foot in the door is now. As more companies invest in areas like AI and immersive experiences, demand for talent with relevant skills will surge.
So what exactly are the hottest emerging tech jobs? Let’s break down the roles, the job descriptions, what skills you’ll need, and potential salary.
Top 5 in-demand tech roles
AI prompt engineer
As generative AI tools like ChatGPT explode in popularity, it’s created a new hot job: AI prompt engineer. An AI prompt engineer helps write questions and prompts for AI systems, and then evaluates their responses. The goal is to improve the quality and relevancy of AI’s output. For example, they might spend time asking different questions, fact-checking responses, refining models and then trouble-shooting problematic content. They could also develop guides and tips for users to help them maximize their use of the AI engine, such as by suggesting certain prompts or ways of writing prompts.
AI prompt engineer roles are unique because they can be highly paid (one sample role found on LinkedIn pays $50 per hour, but some are rumored to pay a salary of up to $375,000), yet they don’t require a college degree. All you need is basic coding skills and an understanding of how generative AI works. So, if you love to nerd out by exploring everything that’s possible with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, this might just be the job for you. A little creativity also helps.
While these roles don’t currently require advanced degrees or skills, by investing in further education you can help distinguish yourself and likely command a higher salary. For example, you could study natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and data science. In terms of programming languages, Python and Java could also be valuable. If you have specific subject matter expertise in a certain field (like the medical field), you might also want to advertise that since you’ll be able to design and fact check niche prompts on that topic.
Data analyst
While the role of data analyst is long-established, those who have a data analytics skill set continue to be in high demand. From insurance to high tech and environmental science, every industry needs data analysts to remain competitive today. Data analysts help companies make sense of their data by identifying trends, patterns and insights that inform business decisions.
There are many different hats you can potentially wear as a data analyst, as almost every corporate department needs one (or more). For example, you could support a company’s marketing, customer service or sales functions.
If you want to become a data analyst, you will need experience with database querying tools and languages, and analytics tools. For example, SQL is a commonly required language to learn, but R and Python are also increasingly valuable. You might want to gain proficiency in tools like Excel, Looker and Tableau. A strong understanding of statistical analysis and analytical problem solving is also key. Since data analysts also communicate their findings to managers and executives, presentation and communication skills are increasingly important.
Data analysts earn above-average salaries across the globe. In the US, the average salary for a data analyst in 2022 was $72,323. In the UK, it was $65,079 while in Australia it was $90,000. In Singapore, data analysts can earn an average of $4,550 per month.
Data scientist
An even higher paid data role is that of a data scientist. Data scientists have expertise in quantitative modeling, experimentation and developing algorithms. They often work on cross-functional teams to identify business problems that could potentially be addressed with data-driven solutions. Instead of just analyzing data and using it to make decisions, they develop algorithm-based tools that perform specific actions based on a company’s data. They also perform experiments that might inform the direction of a company’s products or marketing strategy.
Data scientists tend to have more advanced knowledge of programming languages than data analysts. The two most in-demand languages for a data scientist are Python and R. However, data scientists also need to have data visualization, data mining, mathematical modeling, and problem solving skills. Because they focus heavily on experimentation, data scientists should also understand the principles of experimentation (e.g., the scientific method).
Pay for data scientists varies from country to country. Data scientists can make an average of $59,145 in total compensation in the UK. In Switzerland, they can make on average $118,096. In Australia, a data scientist might make $87,218 on average. In the US, salaries tend to be the highest, with data scientists earning $122,480 on average.
Full-stack developer
Full-stack developers are developers that do it all: front and back-end development. This means they can create and maintain websites and web-based applications, as well as manage databases and back-end systems. Their goal is to ensure web-based technologies operate seamlessly.
To become a full-stack developer, you should focus on learning front-end programming languages as well as back-end frameworks and database management. Languages to learn include HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Front-end frameworks to dive into include React and Angular, while back-end frameworks include Node.js and Django. Languages like SQL are also key if working with databases. Additionally, you should understand version control (Git) and visual design principles, and have strong problem-solving skills.
The average base salary for a full-stack developer in the US is $123,430. In Europe, full-stack designers can expect to earn a starting salary of around €54,000. This role is also highly paid in Australia ($110,000 – $130,000) and Singapore ($5,300 to $5,700/month).
Video game designer
As immersive technologies like VR and AR become more advanced, the gaming industry is only getting more exciting. As such, demand for video game designers is surging.
Video game designers conceptualize and design interactive games in collaboration with visual artists, 3D modelers and programmers. In addition to visual graphic design skills, game designers need to have a strong understanding of gameplay mechanics and a creative mindset for developing captivating storylines.
The need for video game designers is growing as the global video game market is expected to grow by 12.9% by 2023. If you want to be a video game designer, becoming proficient in game design principles is a good first step. You should also gain an understanding of 3D modeling and animation in tools like Substance, as well as game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine. In terms of programming languages, C# and C++ are critical in the gaming industry. Creativity and problem-solving skills also go a long way.
Like the other hot tech jobs of 2023, video game designers are highly compensated. In the US, they make an average salary of $149,794, while in Germany, they make €49,154. In Singapore, the average video game designer earns $4,160 per month.
The time is now
Economic uncertainty might have you on the fence about trying a new career path. But the tech industry continues to offer highly paid, rewarding jobs with work-life balance and great benefits. Because technology is always changing, learning the latest skills can help you future-proof your job security and pursue an exciting new field. So, where to start? Taking a course or bootcamp, like the ones offered by General Assembly, can help you jumpstart your next step.
Do you want to break into one of the fastest growing tech jobs? Sign up for an upcoming workshop to learn more.