Which cutting-edge technologies have seen the most job growth over the past few years? A new report breaks it down—showing there are lots of opportunities for tech professionals, no matter what their interests and specialization.
Consulting firm McKinsey’s Technology Trends Outlook 2023 shows that job postings noticeably rose between 2021 and 2022 for segments such as applied A.I., next-generation software development, cloud and edge computing, and more. Take a look at the chart, which was generated from 150 million job postings during that period:
There are some caveats here, of course. After enjoying a good deal of buzz last year, for example, interest and funding in web3 seems to have dropped off, including a notable decline in startup investment. It’s been a similarly rough ride for immersive reality technologies, despite companies like Meta pouring billions of dollars into the space; the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset could energize this market, but nothing’s guaranteed.
Overall, though, these trendlines offer good news for a variety of tech professionals. Whether you’re interested in chip architecture, cloud computing, renewable energy, generative A.I., or other cutting-edge segments, there are employers who want to utilize your skills to advance their strategies. Many of these technologies will also serve as the foundation of the coming economy, which could translate into significant job security.
However, training for these technologies can often prove a long and arduous process, and finding tech pros who’ve mastered their intricacies can be a daunting challenge for employers. “This bright outlook for practitioners in most fields highlights the challenge facing employers who are struggling to find enough talent to keep up with their demands,” added the McKinsey report. “The shortage of qualified talent has been a persistent limiting factor in the growth of many high-tech fields, including A.I., quantum technologies, space technologies, and electrification and renewables.”
Among the categories listed above, only some segments of renewable energy, climate tech, bioengineering, and some aspects of space technologies (such as remote sensing) have a talent surplus. The rest operate in a severe talent deficit, even for relatively commonplace technologies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the Python programming language. Given that demand, consider asking your employer if they’d be willing to pay for additional training so you can upskill.
