Which tech skills do employers want job candidates to have? According to the ninth edition of the Dice Tech Job Report, organizations want tech professionals who possess a broad range of abilities, including (but certainly not limited to) the capability to manage cloud platforms and write code in some of the world’s most popular programming languages.

First thing to note: if a tool, app, or language is ubiquitous among government and private employers, knowing how it works will only boost your chances of landing a job. Organizations across the country built their tech stacks on a handful of popular technologies, including programming languages such as Python and SQL, cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, and cutting-edge technologies such as automation. As covered in the Job Report, job posting data from the second half of 2022 makes it clear that hiring managers and recruiters are on the hunt for technology professionals who have mastered these popular technologies and can use them to iterate and evolve tech stacks. 

At the same time, many employers are thinking ahead to the future, and hiring those technology professionals who have a grasp of emerging technologies that could make a huge difference in coming decades. For that reason, artificial intelligence and machine learning saw notable year-over-year growth. And, as more organizations awaken to the importance of data science to their long-term future, there’s equally intense demand for R (a programming language used in data analysis), Power BI, data science and related disciplines. 

Many organizations (particularly larger tech companies) hired exuberantly during the first half of the year, only to start tightening their proverbial belts in the face of economic uncertainty. However, these technologies are so fundamental to modern business operations, and so critical for the foreseeable future, that employers will likely continue hiring for them no matter what.  

For technology professionals, the takeaway is clear: mastering some of the most popular programming languages and tools can open all kinds of opportunities, given the widespread demand for those skills. Employers are also interested in technology professionals’ grasp of the fundamentals of software engineering and systems; once you learn those, you can solve all kinds of challenges for a variety of organizations. And keep an eye on next-generation technologies such as automation and machine learning, as these will play an ever-bigger role in organizations over the next decade and beyond.

For more crucial insights, check out the Dice Tech Job Report! As you plot your career for 2023 and beyond, use this data to help determine which skills to learn and opportunities to pursue.