Grow Your Career With These Hot Tech Jobs
It still feels hard to believe, but 2022 is in full swing. While no one can predict what types of economic, cultural or pandemic-related surprises are in store for us this year, we can predict what some of the hottest tech jobs will be in 2022. If you are a tech professional interested in advancing your career or making a change, it’s important to keep an eye on trends like this so you can strike while the iron is hot.
The Great Resignation Continues Growing A Boom For Tech Jobs
Since March of 2020, millions of Americans have taken time to reevaluate their priorities and examine their job and career choices. By September of 2021, more than 4.4 million American workers had left their jobs, creating a situation where employers had to pull out a lot of stops to attract new employees.
And while the tech sector has always been hot, hiring has been on fire since the entire country became remote-first, and companies in every industry and every sector became extremely reliant on technology to keep their businesses running.
This has forced companies to examine things like pay rates, perks, bonuses, organizational culture and diversity when it comes to attracting and retaining tech talent. And so, 2022 might be the best year ever to seek out new career opportunities in IT.
Hot Tech Jobs For Your Career Search
Whether you are thinking about changing tech jobs, changing your specialization or growing your IT career, it’s essential to keep an eye on hiring trends. Here are some of the hottest tech jobs to consider for 2022.
Hot Tech Job Category: Developers
“Development” covers a broad range of specializations. Developers are responsible for creating products or services for their employers using coding languages. Every tech professional with a coding background knows that languages can come and go, but right now, the most popular are Java, C# and C++.
These are some of the hottest development jobs for this year:
- Mobile Developers
- Software Developers
- Full-Stack Developers
- Front-end Developers
- Back-end Developers
- DevOps
- Business Intelligence
- Machine Learning
Salaries for developers have a broad range based on experience, job title, geography, and industry, but the average ranges span from $58,000 for entry-level through $110,000 for seasoned and experienced veterans.
Hot Tech Job Category: Engineers
IT engineering jobs also cover a broad range of specializations. Engineers may specialize in software development and deal with programming, network engineering that keeps systems running smoothly, or computer hardware engineering in which they design physical products.
IT engineering jobs that employers will be looking to fill in 2022 include:
- Software and Software Automation
- Network Engineers
- Security Engineers
- DevOps
- Systems Engineers
- Data Engineers
IT engineering salaries also span a broad range based on location, experience, job title, expertise, etc. In the U.S., averages fall anywhere from $75,000 for entry-level to $120,000 for advanced engineers.
Hot Tech Job Category: Cyber Security
According to the University of Maryland, hackers attack a system every 39 seconds, which amounts to an average of 2,244 attacks per day. Not all attacks are successful, but businesses and government agencies cannot afford to sit back and let someone breach their systems.
When an organization falls victim to a cyber security attack, they lose data, they lose customer trust, and they stand to lose a lot of money. That’s why companies are investing billions of dollars in security, making cyber security professionals in extremely high demand.
Companies across the country are looking for full-time, project-based, and contract cyber security professionals for roles like:
- Security Engineers
- DevOps
- Security Analysts
- Policy Developers
- Compliance Experts
- Security Advisors
- Security Administrators
Average salaries for cyber security professionals in the U.S. range from $60,000 on the lower end to $125,000 on the higher end.
Hot Tech Job Category: Cloud Computing
Cloud-based systems have become much more cost-effective and efficient in recent years and have become much more critical since companies have gone remote-first. So while cloud computing isn’t the most innovative segment of the tech sector, it is a booming segment, to be sure. A Fortune Business Insights report estimates a 17.9% growth in the market size for cloud computing globally. The cloud computing market is estimated to hit a value of $791.48 billion over the next several years.
This boom means employers will be looking for people to fill key positions like:
- Cloud Infrastructure Architects
- Cloud Engineers
- Container Architects
- Cloud Software Engineers
- Developers
- Cloud Security Experts
As with other categories, salaries for cloud professionals are based on a variety of factors. The lowest 10% of workers earn $50,000 per year, and the highest earn an average annual salary of more than $140,000.
Hot Tech Job Category: Project Management
Project managers have been in high demand for years, and that demand shows no signs of waning. More companies in more sectors are creating positions and career paths for project managers as their tech initiatives become more complex. PMs are needed to help control costs, reduce costs, increase efficiency and productivity, and ensure profitability.
Look for companies to fill roles like these:
- IT Project Managers
- Engineering Project Managers
- PMO Managers
IT project managers’ salaries can fall between $67,000 at the entry-level and $125,000 for more experienced professionals.
Sectors Hiring Tech Professionals in 2022
When you say “tech jobs” to a room full of people, most of them will envision positions in Silicon Valley or with flashy tech startups. While those certainly fit the bill, the fact is every sector of the economy requires highly skilled technical professionals to keep systems running smoothly and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
At Vernovis, a leading technical recruiting firm based in Cincinnati, our recruiters are seeing an uptick in hiring for some very specific industries, including:
- Financial Services
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Logistics
- Manufacturing
- Marketing
As you think about new tech job opportunities in 2022, remember that all sectors need to hire skilled IT professionals, and there are opportunities for full-time as well as contract and consulting roles. When it comes to growing your career, the choices could be endless.
Information technology (IT) spending forecast worldwide from 2012 to 2023, by segment (in billion U.S. dollars)
Should You Consider IT Contracting or Consulting in Your Career Search?
As you conduct an IT job search this year, you may see a lot of opportunities for temporary, contract, or short-term consulting roles. These jobs last anywhere from a few months to a few years but are not traditional full-time W-2 positions. These projects can be very appealing, but many tech professionals wonder if it’s worth it to leave a full-time position for a contract tech job.
What is IT Contract Work?
A contract position is often called a consulting position in the tech sector. These positions are used to fill short-term needs or close skill gaps on a team. Contract tech professionals are often hired for things like implementations or migrations, new product development, or to access specific skills sets. Contract tech professionals are hired for a predetermined period, and during that time are an employee of the recruiting firm that placed them.
How Can You Evaluate a Contract IT Job?
It’s clear that contract jobs provide a wealth of opportunity, but how do you know whether to take the leap? Working with a professional IT recruiter can help you make informed choices regarding contract work. It helps to ask your recruiter things like:
- What is the pay rate?
- How long is the contract?
- Will I be a W-2 employee of your recruiting company?
- What happens when the contract is over? Will you help me find new opportunities?
In addition, make your own list of questions to ask your recruiter about the contract role. Since making the switch is such a big decision, you don’t want to leave any questions unanswered.
Why Should You Consider Contract IT Jobs in 2022?
Leaving a traditional full-time job for a contract position can feel risky, but there are some advantages if the right opportunity catches your eye.
- Flexibility: People make entire careers out of contracting and consulting because they can take off in between jobs to travel or recharge their batteries – no vacation requests required.
- Variety: Consultants and IT contractors enjoy the variety of continually working on new projects and working for a new employer every few months or years without being labeled a job hopper.
- Skill focus: As a consultant or contractor, you get to choose projects that allow you to use your best skills and the skills you enjoy the most.
- A full calendar: It can be scary not knowing what will happen after a contract ends, but a great IT recruiting firm like Vernovis can help you work on new projects as often as you’d like.
- Pay rates: Contractors can earn more than their full-time counterparts in many cases. Employers are often willing to pay a little more for true subject matter experts, and when they hire contractors, they are not responsible for additional taxes or benefits, which allows them to boost their pay rates.
- Benefits: If you regularly book your contracts through a recruiting agency like Vernovis be sure to ask your recruiter what benefits or incentives may be available to you.
- Networking: Contracting is a great way to build a professional network. Every project is a chance to meet new people, build relationships and gain access to future opportunities. If you’re ever ready to go back to a full-time IT role, the network you build while contracting can open doors to new opportunities.
Before leaving a full-time job for a contract IT position, always consider the pros and cons when making your choice. Many contractors find that the advantages outweigh the risks – especially when they partner with an expert recruiting firm.
Are You Ready For New Tech Jobs and Career Opportunities in 2022?
If you are an experienced tech professional looking for a new IT job this year, we invite you to connect with the recruiters at Vernovis today. Based in Cincinnati, we serve tech job seekers across the U.S. Our team works with employers in a variety of sectors in need of both full-time and project-based professionals.
Whether you are relocating, want to earn more, move up or just make a change, our team will help you find what you’re looking for. Browse our current job openings or contact us to learn more about the ways we can help you achieve your IT career goals.
