Which IT professions are most in demand in 2024?

Top 5 in-demand IT professions in 2024 Which IT professions are most in demand in 2024? In 2024, the IT labor market continues to show incredible demand for professionals, offering impressive career prospects. In the face of structural skills shortages, companies are willing to offer salaries well above the market average to attract the most talented and experienced workers. So what professions will be most in demand in the IT industry in the near future?

In 2024, the IT labor market continues to show incredible demand for professionals, offering impressive career prospects. In the face of structural skills shortages, companies are willing to offer salaries well above the market average to attract the most talented and experienced workers. So what professions will be most in demand in the IT industry in the near future? Let's dive into the world of tech and take a look at what skills and roles remain promising this year.

Cloud Engineer

What they do

Cloud engineers are architects of virtual infrastructures. They design, deploy, manage and optimize an organization's cloud infrastructure and ensure that IT resources are always available, efficient and secure, whether in a public or private cloud or in a hybrid environment.

On a day-to-day basis, this means juggling virtual servers, networks and storage, as well as orchestrating applications and web services. They are also responsible for migrating existing systems to the cloud, which is a real technical and strategic challenge for companies undergoing digital transformation.

They are also responsible for migrating existing systems to the cloud, which is a real technical and strategic challenge for companies undergoing digital transformation.

How to get into this profession?

While holding a degree specializing in IT, networking or telecommunications, cloud engineers can complete their training by earning certifications from industry giants (AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect, etc.), often after several years of working in IT.

Cloud engineers can complete their training by earning certifications from industry giants (AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect, etc.), often after several years of working in IT.

How much will cloud engineers earn in 2024?

In 2024, cloud engineer salaries will increase by 7-13% compared to 2023, according to a salary survey conducted by international recruiting firm PageGroup. Thus, cloud engineers will be able to claim annual salaries ranging from  €55,000 to  €70,000 after two years of employment and up to  €85,000 after 10 years, which is around $7,000 per month.

DevOps Engineer

What a DevOps engineer does

In simple words, a DevOps engineer is the liaison between developers (Dev) and operations services (Ops). Their job is to create automated systems that allow development teams to test and deploy their applications quickly and reliably.

In this profession, the professional needs to have a good understanding of common systems architecture and the software development lifecycle. A DevOps engineer should also have experience with tools that automate and manage deployment cycles - Jenkins, Travis CI , CircleCI and so on. In addition, scripting skills in Python, Bash or Perl are required to automate repetitive tasks.

How do I get into this profession?

The traditional path to the DevOps engineering profession usually begins with a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, sometimes followed by a master's degree specializing in agile methods, systems administration, or software development.

Professional experience in software development and system administration is often required before specializing in DevOps, and certifications in specific DevOps tools such as Docker, Kubernetes or AWS are strongly recommended.

How much does a DevOps engineer earn in 2024?

The DevOps engineer profession often tops the rankings of the highest paying jobs in IT.
According to PageGroup, the salary of a DevOps engineer in 2024 will increase by 10-15% to between  €55,000 and  €70,000 per year after two to five years of employment.

Pentester

Pentesters, or penetration testers, are responsible for detecting security flaws in IT systems as a preventative measure. This is essentially ethical hacking, where the specialist must act and think like a real hacker. Their daily job is to investigate vulnerabilities in depth. They use hacking tools to identify and exploit them, after which they document their findings and recommend improvements.

Pentesters are technophiles with an insatiable curiosity and excellent knowledge of operating systems, networks, and web applications. They are adept at using penetration testing tools (such as Metasploit, Nmap and Wireshark) and have a deep understanding of attack techniques and exploitation vectors.

How to get into this profession

Pentesters often start with a degree in cybersecurity, IT or networking, culminating in a graduate degree. But it's in the field, such as bug bounty platforms, CTFs (Capture The Flag) or virtual labs, that one becomes a specialist. Nevertheless, formal education is not a prerequisite - many talented people get these jobs purely through self-education.

How much does a pentatester get paid in 2024?

At the beginning of your career, you can expect to earn  €45,000 (13% more than in 2023). After two to five years of work, you can expect a salary between €45,000 and €60,000.

After two to five years of work, you can expect a salary between €45,000 and €60,000.

Data Analyst

Data Analysts are professionals who put huge amounts of information, also called Big Data, through their paces on a daily basis. This profession is at the intersection of math, statistics, management and IT, which makes it both challenging and exciting.

The professional, using a suite of data mining and processing tools, dive into vast oceans of data to extract valuable information and make the numbers "talk." They help companies better understand market trends, optimize performance, forecast and ultimately streamline decision-making. They typically work with heterogeneous teams to identify data problems and propose solutions based on concrete facts and quantitative analysis.

Data analysts should definitely be proficient in statistics and data analysis software such as R and Python with its Data Science libraries (Pandas, NumPy, etc.) as well as business intelligence tools such as Tableau or Power BI. A good understanding of SQL databases is almost always required.

In addition to technical skills, data analysts must be able to demonstrate keen analytical thinking, pay attention to detail without losing sight of the big picture, and present their findings clearly and persuasively, tailoring the presentation to the audience. Data analysts must be able to demonstrate a keen analytical mind, pay attention to detail without losing sight of the big picture, and present their findings clearly and persuasively, tailoring the presentation to the audience.

How to get into this profession

Starting data analysts should seek a degree in math, statistics, or computer science. Specialized studies in data science or data analytics are preferred. Internship experience or personal projects related to data analytics will help candidates stand out from the crowd. However, there are a myriad of opportunities in the market today for self-education or informal education in the field of data analytics.

How much do data analysts get paid in 2024?

According to Michael Page, data analysts in 2024 will be able to claim an annual salary of between €35,000 and €75,000 depending on the experience and size of the organization they work for.

UX designer

The UX designer, or user experience designer, ensures accessibility and user enjoyment! Their job is to design functional and intuitive products based on a deep understanding of users' needs and behaviors.

They create mockups, prototypes, and detailed specifications that guide development teams. Working closely with users, developers and product managers, the UX designer ensures that the user experience is consistent from start to finish and that every element of the product is designed with the user in mind.

On a technical level, they should be proficient in design tools such as Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma and Axure, and have some understanding of basic frontend principles in order to communicate with developers.

Communication and presentation skills are also essential, as explaining and defending your design decisions is an integral part of the job. Creativity, empathy and problem-solving ability are the pillars of success in this profession.

How to get into this IT profession

Traditionally, UX designers come from a variety of fields: graphic design, psychology, interaction design, and IT. Courses and online courses can also serve as a springboard for those looking to retrain or hone their skills. In addition to training, UX designers need to assemble a solid portfolio to showcase their skills and approach to design.

What UX designers are paid in 2024

In 2024, UX designers' annual salaries range from €40,000 to €80,000 per year. Please note: this position is one of the top 5 most in-demand digital professions, driven by the rapid development of digital business and the need to communicate with an ever-wider audience.

Conclusion

The IT occupations market in 2024 promises to be one of the fastest growing fields, where high salaries and career opportunities go hand in hand with increasing demands for skills and knowledge. Cloud engineers, security specialists, DevOps engineers and UX designers all play key roles in the digital transformation of businesses. Those who are willing to invest time in training and obtaining professional certifications can expect impressive career prospects. The salary growth seen in 2024 only confirms that the demand for IT professionals will steadily increase and their contribution to the success of companies will become even more significant.