A review of recent job surveys in the US to highlight the most in demand ICT/tech skills and jobs in 2015, and into the foreseeable future.

On its current trajectory, the ICT/tech space is expected to get considerably larger and more sophisticated, as new technologies, applications and products and services continue to be developed to better address known problems, and those we did not even know we had. Worldwide, and more so in the Caribbean, students and adults alike have been concerned about identifying opportunities that could influence their studies and help them to better position themselves for the job market. On the other hand, though occasional statements have been made about the current tech/ICT-related skills shortage and the demand for those skills into the foreseeable future, frequently, those statements are relatively general, without specifics or context.

In this post, we highlight the results of two recent careers-related surveys conducted in the United States (US). Though the results published covered the broad gamut of skills and jobs, our focus is on those in the ICT/tech space, which could possibly suggest the potential demand for those skills globally, and not just in the US.

Survey results

Within the last two months, Forbes and MSN Money published the results of surveys on the most in demand skills and highest paying jobs in the US. In both surveys, jobs in the tech/ICT-related field dominated the lists produced.

In the survey results published by Forbes, which was based on data collected by Glassdoor, a popular jobs and careers website, Software Engineers were the most in demand skills, with over 99,000 job openings. In the top 25 highest paying jobs in demand (see Table 1), around half of them were ICT/tech related, with Software Architect and Software Development Manager being in the top five.

25 Highest Paying Jobs In Demand (Glassdoor)

Table 1: 25 Highest Paying Jobs In Demand as at 17 February 2015 (Source: Glassdoor)

 

In the MSN Money article, the emphasis of the survey, which was undertaken by OnlineDegrees.com, was slightly different than that of Glassdoor. OnlineDegrees.com focussed on the most employable degrees, which essentially would prepare students for a range of jobs and positions, which in turn, was the focus of the Glassdoor survey.

In determining the most employable degrees, OnlineDegrees.com sought to take into account the cost/time commitment required to earn a degree, and the likelihood it would “lead to a high-paying/fast-growth career in as little time (and with as little cost) as possible” (Source: MSN Money). Table 2 highlights the top 15 degrees that, according to OnlineDegrees.com, offer the best potential return on investment.

Table 2: Top 15 most employable degrees in 2015 (Source: MSN Money)

Table 2: Top 15 most employable degrees in 2015 (Source: MSN Money)

Once again, the survey results are dominated ICT/tech-related degrees, with Computer Programming (Specific Applications), Network and System Administration, Information Technology, and Computer Software Technology, in the top five. It is also important to highlight that in addition to being well-paying, over a 10-year period, which would end in 2022, tech/ICT jobs are expected to be in demand into the foreseeable future.

 

Image credit:  krishnakumar omanakuttan (flickr)

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