Along with the pandemic came a huge shift in the job industry, forcing many companies to make cuts and reevaluate their needs to survive the year ahead. Most noticeably, the hospitality industry lost millions in revenue and suffered a 23% drop in employment, but the massive dip in economic spending affected businesses in every sector. The tech industry lost thousands of jobs as well.
The lockdowns, social distancing, and overall decrease of in-person interactions has forced us all to come to terms with the truth: life is getting more and more digital. With that in mind, there may be good news: according to a survey by industry association CompTIA, even as the US as a whole lost 140,000 jobs in December 2020, the tech industry showed a growth of 391,000 positions, about 44% of which were IT staff, software developers, and IT project managers. (link) Seeing a strong increase in remote working and digital communication can only mean one thing: IT and tech jobs will see stronger growth than almost any other industry in 2021.
So what tech industry jobs will be in high demand this year?
Software Developer
Ranked #2 in U.S. News Best 100 Jobs for 2021, a software developer will have their pick from an estimated 316,000 new positions this year. Whether it's creating an app to program your home, fixing bugs in existing software, or perfecting the operating systems of the future, their analytical thinking and problem solving skills will be in high demand.
Information Security Analyst
With digital information needs on the rise, cybersecurity becomes more of a concern. Information Security Analysts establish effective protection systems for company networks and sensitive user data.
Data Scientist
Companies are collecting vast amounts of information every day, utilizing data to shape their product offerings, goals, and businesses. A data scientist is critical in gathering, refining, and analyzing this information to determine actionable insights with which decisions can be made.
Web Developer
It's no surprise that global e-commerce sales are expected to hit $5 trillion in 2021, and with brands forced to adapt to a shift in shopping and browsing habits, companies will be scrambling to polish up their digital presence. Enter: the web developer. Responsible for building and maintaining websites, and as part of a rich network of creative tech freelancers, web developers will be called on by all sorts of companies to improve their digital presence, from small businesses lacking the infrastructure to sell online, to larger brands that need to reach new customers.