From artificial intelligence to quantum computing, the tech industry is transforming industries and driving innovation in unprecedented ways.
According to IDC, over half of the global economy is built on, or influenced by digital services. By the end of this year, almost 90 per cent of organisations worldwide will have already started to invest in digital tools to augment physical spaces and assets.
As the enterprise turns digital, new technologies are transforming the way the world interacts, communicates and collaborates, marking the beginning of a new era of work fuelled by digital innovation.
But with technology rapidly evolving, the demand for specific skills changes year by year. A few years ago, COBOL programmers were some of the highest-paid professionals in the space.
But in 2023, the best-paying jobs are all directly related to data science, cloud architecture, artificial intelligence and application development. But which tech careers are here for the long run?
In this list, we’ll explore five careers that will define the future of the tech space, delving deep into the skills and expertise needed to thrive in the ever-evolving world of technology.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer
Within the past six months, AI has emerged as transformative technology of the 21st century, revolutionizing industries and reshaping the way we live and work. Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT last November, AI development has exploded, with the technology gripping Silicon Valley in an AI arms race that shows no signs of slowing. With the increasing adoption of AI in fields like healthcare, finance, transportation, and more, the demand for AI engineers is expected to soar within the next few years,
AI engineers are at the forefront of developing sophisticated algorithms, machine learning models, and neural networks that enable machines to learn, reason, and make decisions like humans. They are responsible for designing and implementing AI solutions, training and fine-tuning models, optimizing performance, and ensuring that AI systems are safe, ethical, and compliant with regulations.The demand for AI engineers is projected to grow exponentially in the coming years as organizations across industries embrace AI to gain a competitive edge, improve operations, and deliver innovative products and services.
Cybersecurity Expert
With the rapid digitisation of businesses and the increasing reliance on technology, the need for cybersecurity experts has become more crucial than ever, making it a top tech career of the future. Cyber threats and attacks continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, posing significant risks to organizations' data, systems, and reputation. As a result, businesses are investing heavily in cybersecurity measures to protect their valuable assets and sensitive information, creating a growing demand for skilled cybersecurity experts.
Another key driver for the growing demand for cybersecurity experts is the increasing focus on data privacy and protection. As the rate of cybercrime soars, organisations are prioritizing data security to maintain customer trust and comply with data protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Cybersecurity experts play a critical role in ensuring that organizations' data is secure and protected from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other malicious activities.
Data Scientist
As data becomes the new currency in the digital age. data science has emerged as a prominent and in-demand career of the future due to the ever-increasing volume of data generated by businesses, individuals, and devices. Data scientists are experts in analyzing, interpreting, and deriving insights from complex data sets to inform decision-making and drive business strategies. With the growing reliance on data-driven decision-making in various industries, data scientists play a critical role in extracting meaningful information from data to gain a competitive edge.
The demand for data scientists is projected to grow exponentially over the next few years as organisations seek to leverage data to gain insights, optimise operations, and improve customer experiences. Data scientists are instrumental in driving innovation and research in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and big data analytics. They are responsible for developing and implementing algorithms that power AI applications, creating predictive models for IoT devices, and analyzing massive datasets to derive actionable insights. As organizations continue to harness the power of these technologies, the demand for skilled data scientists is expected to rise.
Cloud Engineer
Cloud engineering has rapidly emerged as a career of the future due to the increasing adoption of cloud computing by businesses across various industries. Cloud computing has become an integral part of modern IT infrastructure, enabling organizations to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and scale their businesses. The demand for cloud engineers is expected to grow exponentially as businesses continue to adopt cloud-based solutions for their operations and move their applications over to the cloud.
Cloud engineers are essential in ensuring smooth and secure migration of applications and data to the cloud, as well as ongoing management and optimization of cloud environments.
They play a crucial role in helping organizations leverage the benefits of cloud computing, responsible for designing cloud architectures, implementing cloud solutions, ensuring data security and privacy, and optimizing cloud performance.
Robotics Engineer
As technology continues to advance, robots are becoming increasingly sophisticated and capable of performing tasks that were once reserved for humans. Robotics engineers are at the forefront of designing, developing, and maintaining robots, making them a vital part of the future technology landscape. Robotics engineers are responsible for creating robots that can perform complex tasks autonomously, efficiently, and safely. They design and develop robotic systems, including hardware, software, and control systems, and integrate them into various applications, such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, agriculture, and more. They also work on improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of existing robots, as well as developing new technologies and techniques to enhance robot capabilities.
The demand for robotics engineers is expected to grow significantly in the coming years as more and more industries adopt automation and robotics to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. Robotics engineers are essential in enabling organizations to leverage the benefits of robotic automation, such as increased productivity, precision, and safety. They are also crucial in addressing the ethical and societal implications of robotics, including safety, privacy, and human-robot interaction.