The tech job market is undergoing tumultuous times.
Alarming charts like this one from Visual Capitalist are showing a steep decline in Software development jobs.
Yes, US tech job postings are significantly down from their peak figures in 2022, even falling considerably below pre-pandemic levels in some measures.
So, is this the death knell for software engineers? I don’t think so.
While the regular software roles might be consolidating (remember, we now have AI coding assistants to boost developer productivity), the demand for specialized tech talent is still rising.
Where the Tech Jobs Are Really Growing in 2025
Wondering where the opportunity is? Here’s the data from Live Data Technologies, analyzing over 6.7 million job changes since 2019:
🚀 Machine Learning (ML): Leading the pack with roughly 60-65% growth. This aligns perfectly with projections showing ML roles booming through the next decade, especially in areas like healthcare, where AI specialist postings have jumped 40% since 2020.
📊 Data Science: Showing strong, consistent growth around 35% since 2019. As businesses rely more heavily on data, these roles are projected to grow another 36% through 2033.
🧠 Artificial Intelligence (AI): Growth here is accelerating rapidly, moving beyond general AI to specialized roles like Generative AI and Computer Vision engineers. AI job postings have seen significant increases recently (it peaked at 16,000 as of October 2024).
And it doesn’t stop there. We’re seeing continued high demand for:
👉 DevOps Engineers: Essential for efficient software delivery cycles.
👉 Cybersecurity Professionals: Non-negotiable in today’s high-risk environment. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a very strong growth (around 32% through 2033) for roles like Information Security Analysts, reflecting the ongoing need to protect data and systems.
👉 Full-Stack Developers: Continues to be a foundational role valued for its versatility across the stack. While this specific dataset indicates growth is trailing the hyper-growth AI/ML fields, their broad capabilities cannot be discounted.
👉 Cloud Architects & Security Engineers: Foundational for modern infrastructure.
👉 Blockchain Engineers: A growing field with massive long-term potential.
Opportunities are also becoming more industry-specific. Think HealthTech leveraging AI for diagnostics or FinTech driving innovation in payments and blockchain.
So, the question remains.
How Can Tech Professionals Seize This Opportunity?
First and foremost, don’t get misled by the headlines. This is not about fewer jobs. It’s about having the right FIT.
➡️ Specialize: Align your skills with where the market is heading. Focus on high-growth areas like ML, AI, Data Science, or Cybersecurity. These disciplines are directly addressing critical business needs – from leveraging data insights and automating processes to defending against increasingly sophisticated threats. Needless to say, specialists in these domains are highly sought after.
➡️ Keep Learning: The World Economic Forum flags analytical/creative thinking and AI/Big Data skills as crucial by 2027. Python, popular frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch, and techniques such as natural language processing (NLP) are currently dominating the AI skills landscape. Also, remember that continuous knowledge development is key to any skill/technology you learn.
➡️ Combine Skills: Don’t settle for just being a tech expert; Become a problem solver. Blend tech expertise with domain knowledge (e.g., healthcare, finance) or cross-functional abilities (like AI ethics). Professionals who can speak both ‘tech’ and ‘business’ are invaluable in any industry.
So, while headlines might shout about decline, the real story in tech is about transformation and opportunity. The surge in specialized tech like AI, ML, or data science is nothing but the future unfolding itself.
For tech professionals, this presents an interesting opportunity to upskill, specialize and step into high-impact roles that would define tomorrow’s innovations.
So my advice?
Stop adapting to change. Start leading it.