The Most In-Demand Tech Skills In 2023

With every new year, more companies are moving further away from traditional offline methods of conducting business in favour of the digital world. Every business, no matter its service or product, needs the latest technology in order to reach a wider audience, whilst protecting itself from risk.

The most in-demand tech skills in 2023 mirror the acceleration of businesses towards cloud computing and the desire to access data at the touch of a button.

With 10+ years of experience working as a vertical market specialist recruiter and more recently as an Associate Director of VIQU, I understand what tech skills employers want and will be looking for in 2023.

The most in-demand tech skills in 2023: Cloud Computing

While Cloud Computing is not a new technology, its use significantly increased during the pandemic as companies adapted to the changing world of work.

The pandemic pushed many businesses into using the cloud, and the demand has continued to grow ever since. Through the cloud, businesses are able to store data through the internet rather than via onsite servers, which can be both expensive and insecure. By decentralising company data, it mitigates the risks of all the information being held in one physical space with the potential of it being destroyed, stolen, or damaged all at once.

The Cloud also allows companies to access data whenever they want at a touch of a button. This can be integral for companies that allow for remote working, flexible working, or have workers situated across the globe.

As the modern workplace continues to change, the way we use and store data has adapted as well. This makes cloud computing one of the key tech careers in 2023 where I expect to see a lot of demand.

Cyber Security

As demand rises, the cyber security skills gap is only getting bigger. With lots of access courses and upskilling opportunities, many tech careers in 2023 will be established in cyber security. Will it be enough to cope with the growing need?

The necessity for increased cyber security has skyrocketed in the past few years. In 2021 alone, there were 1,243 cyber attacks in the UK, up 10% from the year before. So crucial is security that the UK government created The Cyber Security Council in 2020 to investigate these serious attacks.

These incidents pose a huge risk to businesses of all shapes and sizes, which is why security is becoming one of the most sought-after IT skills. Not only can cyber security attacks damage businesses directly if data is stolen, corrupted (or even held for ransom!) but it also has a much further reach of ruining a business’ reputation. It can make people lose trust in the company affected and can cause people to think twice before using their services or products.

As you can imagine for businesses to mitigate these risks, demand for cyber security skills has soared in the past few years. With the skills shortage plaguing the job market, cyber security will be one of the most lucrative tech careers in 2023.

Data

Working effectively and securely with data has always been in demand. However, the way we collect, use, and store data has changed.

Handling data compliantly is crucial for businesses. The Facebook data scandal a few years back, which resulted in fines for Facebook worth billions, is a great case study of why businesses need to protect data properly and stay strictly within data laws and regulations. Even four years later, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is still suffering from the fallout of the scandal and has recently settled an undisclosed amount in a lawsuit.

Along with handling data legally, there is also demand for those chasing tech careers in 2023 to have skills in effectively processing and analysing data. According to estimates, 3 million additional tech jobs are expected to be created by 2025, with 15% of those jobs involving data. Technology advances in Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality mean that the way businesses can collect and analyse data is changing, making up-to-date data skills highly desirable in the tech industry.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest technological advances of the past few decades. As AI machines become more capable and closer to performing tasks in a way that can mirror humans, the potential they can bring to businesses is startling.

From customer service chatbots to machines predicting consumer behaviour, it is understandable why AI is so attractive to businesses. It can also help to automate repetitive jobs, which some say will free up individuals to tackle more time-consuming and complicated tasks.

Whilst AI cannot fully replace humans, (which I’m sure many are glad of!) it can be incredibly useful to employers. It is an area that is quickly garnering the most sought-after IT skills as businesses start to take advantage of these new technologies.

DevOps

When considering what tech skills employers want, it is hard to ignore the demand for DevOps.

From our own IT salary survey, we found those working to automate and integrate processes between software developers and technical teams are achieving some of the highest salaries in IT, and this is largely due to demand.

A DevOps team consists of IT professionals who cover both the development and operations side when creating and maintaining an IT infrastructure. Their tasks and responsibilities can be explained as a lifecycle – from planning to installing a new technology, to coding and building it, to testing, releasing, and deploying, to then operating and monitoring, and then back to planning for any upgrades or changes. This continuous approach of building, testing, deploying, and then monitoring is what limits the risk of the company’s IT infrastructure failing or breaking down.

The world is moving online which is causing a big boom in the market. Whilst DevOps has been an area of the IT industry that has had one of the most sought-after IT skills for many years, it still is an in-demand tech skill in 2023.

The most in-demand tech skills in 2023 mostly revolve around businesses continuing the transition online, mitigating the risks of this move, and effectively dealing with data and new technologies.

If you are looking to further grow your business by adopting the latest tech, contact us or click here for more information on how we can assist you in recruiting the best IT professionals in the market.