As the US market landscape continues to evolve, one thing remains the same: the need for experts with niche tech skills. If you’re looking to put your best foot forward to employers this year, it may be time to upskill in one of these coveted competencies. Discover how these in-demand skills can pivot your 2024…

1. Cybersecurity

With cyberattacks on the rise, the need for cybersecurity professionals who can shore up company systems is only growing – however, the availability of this talent is scarce. It’s estimated that there is a shortfall of 3.4 million cybersecurity candidates globally. As technology continues to innovate, and cyber attacks rise, employers are going the length to secure top skillsets.

There are currently over two million cyberattacks recorded per year, and by 2025, these attacks are With cyberattacks on the up, companies are recognizing that now, more than ever, securing their systems needs to be a top priority. “It’s important now, more than ever, for employers to seek top cybersecurity skills such as risk and compliance, cybersecurity operations, and cloud” Senior Consultant and Talent cybersecurity expert, Emma Corcodilos shares.

In 2024 there has been a notable increase in AI demand and integrations within cyber technology. It’s been especially interesting to see how cyber and compliance has been impacted by the rise of AI. So far, these new innovations are ensuring that the demand for cyber skillsets is only growing.

Uncover more about the latest in cybersecurity in our Cybersecurity Hiring Market Snapshot here.

2. Artificial Intelligence

As AI takes off, the need for talent who understand the ins and outs of this cutting-edge tech is higher than ever. As generative AI becomes even more prominent in the US, Data from Oxford University also reveals that globally, the demand for AI skills has increased five-fold since 2015.

As companies continue to adopt this technology and cybercriminals increasingly leverage AI tools to develop more sophisticated attacks, demand is only set to increase for those with competencies in machine learning, data science, natural language processing (NLP), and beyond. In fact, it’s predicted that by 2025, 97 million new AI-related roles will be created, however, the supply of talent simply isn’t there yet – in the US and UK, 51% of organizations note that they currently don’t have enough appropriately skilled employees in-house to execute their AI strategy, while 20% of this group expects it will be a challenge to recruit the right talent. As such, AI can craft strategic threats making it impossible to provide a solid approach without the right people on board, driving significant demand for AI and cyber professionals.

AI is also integrating with Microsoft technologies in a product called Microsoft CoPilot, a large language model (LLM) to enhance Microsoft Graph and M365 workspace. This integration is both taking AI and the Microsoft space by storm, by changing the way we work, and creating a new wave of productivity that the industry has never seen before. Ultimately this will increase the need for professionals with skillsets in both spaces to provide optimal solutions.

3. Cloud Security, Infrastructure, and Data Analytics

Cloud Security, Infrastructure and Data Analytics opportunities have seen high demand over the past year and are a few of the most in-demand skills in the US market. As companies continue their Digital Transformation journeys, the need for skilled & experienced talent is on the rise. Dylan Cohen, Talent US Director of Microsoft and Cloud Solutions shares that, “Specialists in cloud security, infrastructure & data analytics have seen a large increase in their salaries & hourly rates over the last year, and I don’t see that changing.” In fact, it’s projected that the number of jobs requiring data analytics skills such as Power BI, Azure Data Factory, Synapse, AWS Big Query, will grow by almost 28% by 2026.

According to Talent North America CEO, Colin Etheridge, “These three areas (security, infrastructure, data) opportunities have seen high demand over the past year and are some of the most in-demand skills. Professionals who stay up to date on all the new certifications relating to these areas have a distinct advantage in their job search when compared to those candidates who are not up to date on their certifications”. Possessing these skills & certifications will set you ahead of the competition, especially as new technology emerges.

The growing integration of Cloud and Data Analytics technologies into businesses is also increasing opportunities for the market, with tech such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Products (GCP) driving this market forward. “Everyone is looking to make a splash in their respective industries with these new technologies. Data and AI, along with security, are always at the forefront of most C-Suite conversations. If these executives really want to break from the pack, they’ll need to hire distinguished thought-leaders and elite engineering teams to drive this transformation” says Dylan Cohen.

4. Microsoft

As most Microsoft enthusiasts know, Microsoft is notorious for constantly evolving and changing their technology stack – and not just by changing the names of these products! With new developments across Dynamics 365, Modern Workplace, M365, and Azure, the demand for these skills are rapidly increasing as technology innovates. “In the Microsoft consulting space, and really in any D365 related role, delivery is expected on full project lifecycle responsibilities from pre-sales, implementations, to post go-live support” Senior Consultant Mike D’Esposito shares.

Microsoft Azure is still one of the leading cloud computing platforms. With the continuous enhancements to Azure Security, it will continue to dominate the industry in 2024 to help with ongoing user threats, as security threats increase. This combined with the demand for AI/Data has resulted in Azure skills demand increase of 50% within the recent 12 months. There has also been a notable increase in Microsoft Power BI tools of about 56% in the previous 12 months.

AI is also taking the Microsoft workspace by storm as they unveiled Microsoft CoPilot and Dynamics CoPilot. Each software takes large language models (LLM) and combines with data in the M365 and D365 applications, to turn words into productivity tools. These two new capabilities will take productivity to new heights and increase candidates with these skillsets to power new projects.

As the software need increases, the search for those skills is a necessity for any top employer looking to stand apart from the competition. Since these skills are in high demand across North America, the power is in the people. “I’ve seen a huge increase of salaried D365 professionals becoming independent contractors in hopes of demanding higher hourly rates, bringing home more than what they would annually as a salaried employee, while enjoying the freedom of being their own boss” Director Dylan Cohen has noticed.

Check out our job search for Microsoft opportunities available in 2024.

5. Engineering

The engineering market is positioned for a notable uptick in 2024 due to technological progress, sustainability initiatives, and evolving industry requirements. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for engineers is expected to increase by 4%, adding a projected 65,000 jobs. Within the engineering space both Generative AI and Sustainable Technology are making a significant impact on the industry, as companies look for innovative ways to increase productivity while being conscientious of the effects it can have on the industry, people, and ultimately environment.

So what are the top skills needed to excel in this industry?  “Despite how this industry evolves, there are still a need for tech skills within the US job market such as TypeScript/TypeScript, React, Node.js, Python, Rails.” Director of Recruitment, Will Boulton shares. As technology continuously innovates to benefit the engineering industry, it’s imperative that the workforce has these dependable skills to evolve and keep up.

Within engineering, both Product Design and Project Management skillsets are also in high demand. Innovative leaders that can manage both high-level project and product development will take any organization to new productivity levels. Director of Recruitment, Will Boulton, shares that when searching for solutions, “strong design leaders are able to integrate data and user centric design principles, with strong understanding of how UX and Visuals affect the overall customer experience.”

So how can we stay ahead of the engineering curve? For professionals and businesses, it’s more than just keeping up with trends- it’s about leading the way.

Ready for your next career move in 2024? Check out our job search for opportunities in tech, transformation and beyond.