DevSkiller Future

Skills Report 2025:

Essential
Insights for IT
and Tech
Professionals
Foreword
The world of work is evolving faster than ever, and 2024 has been a pivotal year in
redefining the skills landscape. With rapid advancements in technologies like
Generative AI, organizations are facing a transformative moment where the skills
that were once essential are now being reimagined to meet the needs of
tomorrow.

I am honored to introduce The DevSkiller Future Skills Report 2025, our 7th
edition, produced in collaboration with Statista, a global leader in data and market
research. Partnering with Statista has allowed us to elevate the depth and
accuracy of our insights, combining DevSkiller’s skills expertise with Statista’s
renowned data analytics. This partnership reflects our dedication to delivering the
most in-depth and meaningful analysis of the skills that will shape the future of
work.

By examining data from hundreds of companies and thousands of daily users, we

offer a comprehensive analysis of the digital and technical skills that will define
2025. Our aim is not only to highlight emerging trends but also to equip you with
actionable knowledge to future-proof your teams.

We aim to challenge your perspective and to consider how these insights can
guide your workforce strategy in the year ahead.

Sincerely,
Jakub Kubrynski
DevSkiller CEO & Cofounder

2
Table of contents
Foreword 2
Executive Summary 4
Chapter 1: The Tech Market Landscape 5
Digital transformation continues to drive the IT market 6
Global IT spending surge signals promising career outlook 8
Technical staffing in 2024 9
The top-paying IT roles in 2024 10
Tech layoffs, while still high, show signs of slowing down 11
The retail industry had the highest number of tech layoffs 12
Chapter 2: Most Popular Tech Skills 13
The most in-demand tech skills 14
The programming languages reigning supreme 15
Programming languages across industries 16
The leading programming languages 17
C/C++ takes the lead in the tech skills race 18
Problem solving tops the list of soft skills in IT 19
Chapter 3: Most Used Technologies 20
Choosing the right tech stack for success 21
Cybersecurity and Data Science 22
DevOps and PHP 23
Python and .NET C# 24
Java and JavaScript 25
Chapter 4: Skills Proficiency Across the Tech Market 26
Continuous learning is the key to thriving in the tech market 27
IT Professionals and Software Design Engineers 31
Cybersecurity Engineers and Cloud Engineers 32
Data Scientists and DevOps Engineers 33
Backend and Frontend Developers 34
Mobile App Developers and Project Managers in IT 35
QA Engineers and AI Engineers 36
Chapter 5: The Intersection of IT Skills and Artificial Intelligence 37
Navigating the AI era
38
AI Adoption is Prominent in Tech, Media, and Telecoms
39
AI Tools in 2024
40
Generative AI is Reshaping the IT Skills Landscape
41
A Trust Deficit Hampers AI Integration Among Developers
42
Chapter 6: Tech Market Outlook & Key Takeaways
43
Fastest Growing Jobs Are Driven by Technology and Digitalization
44
IT Outsourcing Dominates the IT Services Market
45
AI is Fueling the IT Services Boom
46
Key Takeaways
47
Glossary
48
The evolving tech market landscape: Challenges and opportunities
Executive summary

The tech and IT industry is undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by digitalization, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud
technologies, among other factors. While global IT spending is projected to reach record highs in 2024, global economic uncertainties have
led to high numbers of tech job layoffs and has created a complex landscape.

Companies are prioritizing skills-based hiring due to the increasing demand for technical knowledge in future-facing technologies and soft
skills that are vital in the workplace. Proficiency in programming languages remains crucial, with JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Python, C/C++, and
SQL being some of the most widely used and most popular among developers today. For IT professionals, selecting the appropriate tech
stack for their specific sector is crucial to stay competitive and make informed decisions. Research reveals high levels of proficiency across
IT roles, with specific skills varying based on job function, which highlights the importance of continuous learning.

Meanwhile, AI continues to transform industries, automate tasks, and increase efficiency, but it is also raising concerns about job
displacement, especially in tech professions. Despite this, AI also presents opportunities for streamlining processes and freeing up
professionals to focus on more complex tasks.

Indeed, the fastest-growing job roles in the coming years are expected to be in AI, machine learning (ML), and sustainability, while clerical
and secretarial positions are facing a decline due to automation. Moreover, the IT services market is experiencing significant growth,
particularly in IT outsourcing and business process outsourcing, which will lead to rising demand for skilled professionals in emerging
technologies in the years to come.

This DevSkiller report, in partnership with Statista, provides insights into the current tech landscape in order to inform and guide IT
professionals, job seekers, recruiters, HR professionals, business leaders, decision-makers, investors, and industry analysts. Covering six
chapters, the report aims to help industry stakeholders navigate the complexities of the rapidly changing tech world, enabling them to
make informed decisions about their careers, businesses, and investments.

4
The Tech Market
Landscape
Digital transformation continues to drive the IT market

In 2024, businesses globally are projected to spend a record-high 5.3 trillion U.S. dollars on
IT, with the largest growth seen in software and cloud technologies, indicating a strong
push toward digital transformation (see page 8). This rise in IT spending, mainly in IT
services and software, points to a bright employment outlook in these fields. Companies
undergoing digital transformations will require additional IT experts, software developers,
cloud engineers, and data analysts.

In 2024, cloud technologies took the lead in technical staffing allocations worldwide,
closely followed by DevOps (referring to development and operations), CI/CD (which
stands for continuous integration and continuous delivery/deployment), site reliability,
and lastly, cybersecurity roles, highlighting a global organizational focus on cloud-centric
and secure technologies (see page 9).

In terms of salaries, in 2024, senior executives in the IT sector commanded the highest
total annual compensation, with a median exceeding 127,000 U.S. dollars (see page 10).
Developer advocates, managers, and developer experience engineers also earned well
above 100,000 U.S. dollars annually. Site reliability engineers and cloud infrastructure
engineers reported median earnings of almost 100,000 U.S. dollars and 97,000 U.S. dollars,
respectively. At the lower end of the spectrum, academic researchers, front-end
developers, and students earned less than 50,000 U.S. dollars in total annual
compensation.

Sources: Gartner; Linux Foundation; Stack Overflow; Layoff.fyi

6
Digital transformation continues to drive the IT market

Meanwhile, in terms of programming language technologies, in 2024, the median

annual compensation for Erlang developers surpassed 100,000 U.S. dollars, placing them
among the highest-paid developers globally based on technology. Other high-paying
programming languages included Elixir, Clojure, Nim, RB, Perl, and Scala.

However, while the future looks promising for IT professionals, the tech sector has had
quite a tumultuous period in recent years and has witnessed layoffs of over 100,000
workers in the first half of 2024 alone (see page 11). This has been driven by factors like
inflation, sluggish global economic growth, AI advancements, over-hiring during the
pandemic, and outsourcing, impacting multiple industries (see page 12).

The tech industry's layoffs have had a profound human impact, and many companies are
facing criticism for their handling of the process. Indeed, the tech industry is at a
crossroads. While its future is generally bright, it depends on how the sector adapts to
economic and technological challenges and how it values its workforce.

7
 Global IT spending surge signals promising career outlook
Software and IT services lead the charge, indicating robust job growth in those tech segments

Global IT spending forecast 2012-2024, by segment

Data center systems Devices Software IT Services Communication Services Global IT spending is projected to
rise 7.5 percent to 5.3 trillion U.S.
6,000
dollars over 2024. IT services
dominate at 31, followed by
communication services and
5,000
software. Software spending, which
includes the cloud, will register the
highest year-on-year growth in
Spending in billion U.S. dollars

4,000
2024, at 12.6 percent, followed by IT
services, at almost five percent. This
3,000 suggests that businesses will spend
more than ever on newer
2,000
technologies that are driving
business and digital transformation.

1,000

Source:

0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

8
Technical staffing in 2024
Cloud technologies lead the way in terms of tech staffing

In 2024, cloud technologies

Distribution of technical staff in organizations worldwide 2024 emerged as the dominant
technology area staffed by technical
Cloud, containers, and virtualization Web and application development Open hardware personnel in organizations
0.55 0.24 0.12
worldwide, with 55 percent of
DevOps, CI/CD, and site reliability System engineering Supply chain surveyed companies allocating
0.51 0.23 0.11 resources to this domain. DevOps,
CI/CD, and site reliability followed
Cybersecurity Linux kernel Safety-critical systems
0.49 0.22 0.11
closely at 51 percent, while
cybersecurity ranked third at 49
Al, ML, data, and analytics Blockchain Open-source program offices (OSPO)
percent. AI, machine learning, and
0.43 0.21 0.11
data analytics also saw significant
Networking, and edge Privacy and security Visual effects adoption, with 43 percent of
0.3 0.18 0.06 organizations reporting technical
staff dedicated to these areas. This
System administration loT and embedded
0.27 0.17
underscores a clear emphasis on
cloud-based and security-focused
Cross-technology Open source and compliance best practices technologies among organizations
0.25 0.16
globally in 2024.

Source:

9
 Annual compensation in U.S. dollars

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The top-paying IT roles in 2024

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Annual salaries of IT professionals worldwide 2024

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10
 Tech layoffs, while still high, show signs of slowing down
There were fewer tech sector layoffs in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023
The first half of 2023 saw 214,007
tech layoffs, compared to 100,666 in
the same period of 2024. This
Tech layoffs worldwide 2020-2024, by quarter indicates a significant slowdown in
layoffs within the tech sector,
180,000
following a challenging 2022 and
167574 2023.
160,000

Major tech companies, including

140,000 Google, Microsoft, Meta, and IBM, as
well as companies like Tesla,
120,000
Amazon, TikTok, and Snap,
Number of employees

conducted significant layoffs in the

100,000
first few months of 2024. Moreover,
84929

80,000
smaller startups also experienced a
considerable number of cuts, and in
60,000
60141
57149 some instances, have ceased
46433 operations entirely due to factors
41685
40,000 34183 35174 such as inflation, economic
25535 23628 downturn, AI advancements,
20,000
9628 9690 9829
over-hiring during the pandemic,
6928
1509 2695 2108 3292 and outsourcing.
0
Q1’20 Q2’20 Q3’20 Q4’20 Q1’21 Q2’21 Q3’21 Q4’21 Q1’22 Q2’22 Q3’22 Q4’22 Q1’23 Q2’23 Q3’23 Q4’23 Q1’24 Q2’24 Q3’24 Q4’24

Source:

11
The retail industry had the highest number of tech layoffs
The retail sector was hardest hit due to inflationary pressures

The year 2023 marked the highest

number of layoffs in the global tech
industry since the onset of the
Tech layoffs worldwide 2020-2023, by industry COVID-19 pandemic. Tech-related
jobs experienced a significant wave
of layoffs, with the retail industry
Retail Consumer Hardware Food Healthcare
being the most severely impacted
Finance Transportation Sales Education Crypto for the second consecutive year,
Travel Infrastructure Real estate Fitness All others
recording over 32,000 job losses.
This is due to consumers cutting
back on non-essential spending in
0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 an era of higher inflation. Amazon
accounted for the bulk of these
2020
retail sector layoffs, with
2021
approximately 27,000 job cuts in
2022 and 2023 combined, followed
2022 by Groupon and Shopify. The
consumer and hardware sectors
2023 were also significantly affected,
experiencing over 30,000 and
24,000 layoffs, respectively.

Source:

12
Most Popular
Tech Skills
The most in-demand tech skills

Businesses are shifting to skills-based recruitment and workforce development, driven by the need to harness new technologies. The most
in-demand skills for 2024 fall into two categories: technical skills that enable organizations to leverage frontier technology, such as
proficient knowledge of programming languages, and soft skills that machines can't replicate, such as team building and teamwork skills
(see page 19).

Programming languages are the fundamental instructions that drive computer behavior and enable various tasks. The increasing reliance
on technology has amplified the importance of programming across industries, with professionals seeking to enhance their skills in
high-demand languages like Python, R, and SQL for career advancement.

In 2024, JavaScript and HTML/CSS were the most popular programming languages among software developers worldwide, with over 62
percent of respondents using JavaScript and approximately 53 percent using HTML/CSS (see page 15). Additionally, Python, SQL, and
TypeScript completed the top five most widely used programming languages globally.

Programming knowledge is becoming an important skill to possess within various industries

throughout the business world. For example, in 2023, the SQL programming language led the
financial services, healthcare, hospitality, non-profit, and marketing & advertising industries (see page
16). Meanwhile, JavaScript, Java, and SQL were the most popular technologies in the computer
software sector. Python, due to its automation capabilities, was the top technology for manufacturing.

On the DevSkiller platform, in the first half of 2024, Java, SQL, and JavaScript remain the top tested
programming languages, with a notable rise in SQL usage (see page 17). Moreover, the rising
importance of precise coding for sophisticated digital products has driven
a surge in demand for testing for C/C++, data science, and
SQL skills (see page 18).

14
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The programming languages reigning supreme

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15

Share of respondents
 Programming languages across industries
SQL, JavaScript, Java, and Python take center stage

Most popular technologies worldwide 2023, by industry

100% 3.33%
4.9% 5%
11%
95%
95% 48% 53%

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66%

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45% 44%
61%
56%
Share of respondents

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JavaScript Python React Native Java HTML/CSS .NET/C# Salesforce SQL PHP QA DevOps Data Science NoSQL

Source:

16
The leading programming languages
Java and JavaScript remain strong

Most popular programming languages worldwide 2024 In the first half of 2024, the most
popular programming languages
18%
tested on the DevSkiller platform
18% were Java (18 percent), SQL (15.5
16% percent), and JavaScript (14.2
15%
percent). This is a shift from the end
14%
of 2023, where Java and JavaScript
14%
12%
held larger shares at 27.2 percent
Share of respondents

and 19.2 percent, respectively, while

10% 10.81% SQL was significantly lower at 8.6
percent.
8%

6%
The evolving tech landscape
6.56%
emphasizes the continued
4% prominence of Java and JavaScript,
along with the increasing
2%
prominence of SQL in the first half
0%
of 2024.
Java SQL JavaScript Python C/C++

Source:

17
C/C++ takes the lead in the tech skills race
Versatility and efficiency drive demand for programming languages

Fastest-growing technology skills worldwide 2024 In the first half of 2024, the
technology that saw the most
0% 100% 200% 300% 400% 500% 600% significant increase in testing on the
DevSkiller platform compared to
C/C++ 594.45 2023 was C/C++, experiencing
growth of almost 600%. C++ is a
Data Science 356.18
versatile and efficient programming
SQL 69.98
language widely used in various
industries, leading to numerous
Kotlin 67.03 career opportunities and high salary
packages. Data science and SQL
iOS 63.14 followed as the second and third
fastest-growing technology skills,
PHP 54.79
with growth rates of 356.2% and
Flutter 46.77
70%, respectively. These surges are
due to the increasing complexity of
Salesforce 37.07 digital products, necessitating a
greater focus on meticulous coding
React Native 31.49
practices.
Python 24.28

Source:

18
Problem solving tops the list of soft skills in IT
Professionals are prioritizing critical thinking

Most common soft skills among IT professionals worldwide 2024 In 2024, problem-solving emerged
as the most sought-after soft skill
among IT professionals globally,
Problem solving 21.34%
with 21 percent actively developing
this ability. Effective communication
Effective communication 13.83%
followed closely at 14 percent, while
relationship building ranked third,
Relationship building 11.35%
with 11 percent of IT professionals
focusing on its development.
Analytical Thinking 5.26%
Interestingly, analytical thinking,
often associated with technical
Receiving Feedback 2.43%
roles, was only being pursued by five
percent of professionals. Skills such
Active listening 2.41%
as active listening, teamwork, and
public presentation each accounted
Teamwork 2.40%
for approximately five percent of
Public Presentation
learning focus, suggesting a diverse
2.23
range of interpersonal abilities
Knowledge transfer 2.09% being cultivated and required
within the IT sector.
Asking questions 2.05%

Source:
Devskiller proficiency score

19
 Most Used
Technologies
Choosing the right tech stack for success

A tech stack represents the combination of technologies a company uses in order to build and run an application or project. Tech stacks
include everything from programming languages to frameworks and databases. Choosing the right tech stack for an organization's
software product is crucial for its success, impacting factors like design, functionality, and scalability.

Understanding the composition and trends within tech stacks across various segments is essential for both individuals and organizations
to stay competitive and make informed decisions in today's technology-driven landscape. Data collected across the DevSkiller platform
indicates the most popular technologies in their regarding tech stacks were as follows:

• Cybersecurity tech stack: (see page 22) Authentication and authorization were each chosen by 18 percent of respondents. Linux ranked
third, preferred by over seven percent of respondents.
• Data science tech stack: (see page 22) Python 3.x was the top choice, selected by 15.7 percent of respondents. ETL (extract, transform,
load) came in second at 9.8 percent. This is unsurprising given Python's importance in developing AI and machine learning solutions.
• DevOps tech stack: (see page 23) Kubernetes led the way, followed closely by Docker, each chosen by over 13 percent of respondents.
Amazon Web Services ranked third at 6.5 percent.
• PHP tech stack: (see page 23) CodeIgniter was the most popular choice, selected by over
29 percent of respondents. WordPress came in second at over 26 percent.
• Python tech stack: (see page 24) Data engineering was the top choice at 18.4 percent,
followed by PySpark at nearly 11 percent.
• .NET C# tech stack: (see page 24) Database connectivity was chosen by over 15 percent
of respondents, followed by MVC (model-view-controller) at almost five percent.
• Java tech stack: (see page 25) Spring led the way at nearly 10 percent, followed by Spring
Boot and Exceptions.
• JavaScript tech stack: (see page 25) React was the top choice, selected by nearly 15
percent of respondents. React Hooks ranked second at over nine percent.

21
 Cybersecurity and Data Science

Most used technologies in the Cybersecurity tech stack Most used technologies in the Data Science tech stack
worldwide 2024 worldwide 2024

18%
18.05% 18.05% 15.66%

16% 14%

14% 12%

Share of respondtents
12%
Share of respondtents

10%
9.76% 9.76% 9.76% 9.74%
10%
8%

8%
6%
6% 6.94%

4%
4% 4.62% 4,62%

2%
2%

0% 0%

Authentication Authorization Linux REST Networking Python 3.x ETL Data engineering Spark PySpark

Source:

22
 DevOps and PHP

Most used technologies in the DevOps tech stack Most used technologies in the PHP tech stack
worldwide 2024 worldwide 2024

14% 35%

13.2% 13.04%
12% 30%

29.18%

26.65%
10% 25%

8% 20%

Share of respondtents
Share of respondtents

6.53% 15%
6%
5.83% 5.75%
12.94%

4% 5%

2% 0% 6.34%
4.96%

0%
Kubernetes Docker AWS CI/CD Terraform Codelgniter WordPress Laravel Symfony Controller

Source:

23
 Python and .NET C#

Most used technologies in the Python tech stack Most used technologies in the .NET C# tech stack
worldwide 2024 worldwide 2024

18% 18.4% 16%

15.44%
16%
14%

14%
12%

12%
10%
Share of respondtents

Share of respondtents
10% 10.66%

8%
9.31% 9.20% 9.20%
8%

6%
6%

4.75%
4%
4% 4.24% 4.14%
3.42%

2% 2%

0% 0%
Data engineering PySpark Data Science ETL Spark Database conncetivity MVC Basic Common topics REST QA

Source:

24
 Java and JavaScript

Most used technologies in the Java tech stack Most used technologies in the JavaScript tech stack
worldwide 2024 worldwide 2024

14.82%
10% 14%

9.66%

12%

8%

7.50% 10%

6.80%

Share of respondtents
9.41%
Share of respondtents

9.32% 9.14%
6% 6.46%
6.26% 8%

7.53%

6%
4%

4%

2%
2%

0%
0%
Spring Spring boot Exceptions Collections Stream API React React Hooks React testing library Enzyme JS

Source:

25
 Skills
Proficiency
Across the
Tech Market
Continuous learning is the key to thriving in the tech
market

In the digital age, proficiency in specific skills in IT roles is more crucial than ever.
Customer skills data collected on our platform over the course of 2024 highlights the
diverse skillsets required across IT positions, with scores reflecting a generally high level of
competency among IT professionals. This underpins the importance of continuous
learning and upskilling to stay competitive in the tech industry.

Our rating system uses five proficiency levels ranging from 0 percent (clean slate where
the skill has not been assessed) to 100 percent (expert) to evaluate skills based on job
positions, with each level indicating increasing levels of competence and decreasing need
for supervision. The average skill proficiencies for top skills based on job positions were as
follows:

• IT professionals: (see page 31) An assessment of IT job proficiency across various

positions revealed that all roles scored above 61, indicating a solid intermediate level of
competency. Quality assurance engineers led the pack, closely followed by support and
software design roles.

• Software design engineers: (see page 31) Wireframing stands out as the top skill
among software design engineers globally, achieving an impressive advanced-level
score of 75 in DevSkiller assessments. User-centric design, interactive prototypes, and
UX audits also demonstrate high proficiency, underscoring the critical role of user
experience in software design.

27
Continuous learning is the key to thriving in the tech
market

• Cybersecurity engineers: (see page 32) Identity and access management emerged as
the most proficient skill, with an intermediate-level score of 61. Networking
fundamentals, security by design, and network protocols all demonstrated
competency with scores slightly exceeding 50.

• Cloud engineers: (see page 32) Cloud Director has emerged as the top skill among
cloud engineers globally, boasting an advanced-level proficiency score of 80.
Command Line tools also demonstrated a high level of proficiency, achieving an
advanced-level score of 73.

• Data scientists: (see page 33) CSV handling emerged as the most proficient skill,
achieving an advanced-level score of 73. This high proficiency in CSV manipulation
underscores the ongoing importance of working with structured data in diverse
formats. Data analysis and data structures followed closely, with scores of 69 and 68,
respectively, demonstrating strong foundational skills.

• DevOps engineers: (see page 33) OMNI emerged as the most proficient skill, achieving
an advanced-level score of approximately 76, highlighting its significance within the
DevOps toolkit. HTTPS and CI/CD Fundamentals followed closely, with scores of 65 and
61 respectively, indicating a strong grasp of secure communication protocols and
continuous integration and delivery processes.

28
Continuous learning is the key to thriving in the tech
market

• Backend developers: (see page 34) API specification creation emerged as the most
proficient skill, achieving an advanced-level score of 70. Other notable skills, including
ATG Fundamentals and .NET Framework fundamentals, closely followed, each scoring
just below the advanced threshold.

• Frontend developers: (see page 34) ES6+ emerged as the most proficient skill,
achieving a high advanced-level score of 78. ES6+ encompasses versions of ECMAScript
that introduce modern JavaScript features, thereby enhancing the language's
functionality and readability. Loops and CSS Typography followed closely. Other tools
demonstrating advanced-level proficiency included Angular built-in directives,
Tableau, and HTML Semantic Tags.

• Mobile app developers: (see page 35) Android Activities emerged as the most
mastered skill, achieving a high advanced-level score of 80. Other fundamental
concepts in Android development, such as Android XML Layout, Android Context, and
Android Lifecycle, demonstrated high proficiency among mobile app developers
globally. The programming SOLID principles followed closely behind, indicating a
strong emphasis on clean code architecture.

29
Continuous learning is the key to thriving in the tech
market

• Project managers in IT: (see page 35) Open communication was identified as the most
proficient skill among IT project managers worldwide. Remote team management,
capacity planning, and backlog management were also highly developed skills,
highlighting the importance of resource management and Agile methodologies in the
field of IT project management.

• Quality Assurance engineers: (see page 36) Manual tests fundamentals emerged as
the most mastered skill, followed closely by test execution and regression testing. Web
testing, UI testing, and smoke testing all received advanced-level scores of around 77,
respectively, emphasizing the critical role of these techniques in ensuring software
quality.

• AI engineers: (see page 36) ChatGPT Assistants API has emerged as the most
proficient skill among AI engineers globally, securing an average score of 61. This
intermediate-level proficiency suggests that while AI development is rapidly
progressing, the overall skill level, even for top skills, might be influenced by the recent
surge in interest in AI. Azure Databricks and AI-code assistant Tabnine followed closely
with scores of 60. Significantly, ethical AI usage scored around 52, indicating a growing
awareness and focus on responsible AI practices within the AI development
community.

30
IT professionals and Software Design Engineers

Average skill proficiency of IT professionals by job position Average skill proficiency of Software Design Engineers
worldwide in 2024 worldwide 2024
DevSkiller proficiency score DevSkiller proficiency score
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Quality Assurance 62,34 Wireframing 75,22

Support 62,32 User Centric Design 70,3

Design 32,2
Interactive prototypes 68,1
Networking 61,94
UX audits 66,67
DevOps 61,91

FigJam 66
Mobile Development 61,91

Data Scientist 61,88 Figma 65,67

Project Management 61,69

Experience design process 65

Backend 61,61
Sketch 48,62
Frontend 61,52

Gestalt Rules 46,13

CyberSecurity 61,47

Cloud 61,15 WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 44

Source:

31
 Cybersecurity Engineers and Cloud Engineers

Average skill proficiency of Cybersecurity Engineers Average skill proficiency of Cloud Engineers
worldwide 2024 worldwide 2024
DevSkiller proficiency score DevSkiller proficiency score
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Identity & Access Management 60,79 vCloud Director 80

Networking Fundamentals 51,03 Command Line tools 73,33

Security by design 50,53 Azure Databricks 60

Network protocols 50,53 HTTP Server Provisioning 58

Computer networks 50,26 Amazon Glue 54

Network security architecture 49,23 AWS VPC 53,33

Authentication mechanisms overview 48,72 Azure Portal 48,37

Risk management in cybersecurity 48,16 Recovery Solutions 48

PKI 46,49 WAF 46,67

Operating systems 46,05 Google Cloud Debugger 45

Source:

32
Data Scientists and DevOps Engineers

Average skill proficiency of Data Scientists Average skill proficiency of DevOps Engineers
worldwide 2024 worldwide 2024
DevSkiller proficiency score DevSkiller proficiency score
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

CSV 73,6 OMNI 75,56

Data analysis 68,64 HTTPS 64,71

Data Structures 67,83 CI/CD Fundamentals 61,15

Microsoft Excel 66,76 Remedy 61,08

SQL 66,76 Infrastructure as a code 59,64

Data selection 66,67 Log analysis 59,62

ETL Fundamentals 64,75 GNU/Linux 58,79

Classification Algorithms 62,11 Containerization concepts 58,26

Data monitoring 61,25 sh (Unix shell) 57,78

Software refactoring 61,15 bash 56,33

Source:

33
 Backend and Frontend Developers

Average skill proficiency of Backend Developers Average skill proficiency of Frontend Developers
worldwide 2024 worldwide 2024
DevSkiller proficiency score DevSkiller proficiency score
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Create API specification 70,45 ES6+ (ES2015+) 78,0

ATG Fundamentals 69,39 Loops 75,26

.NET Framework fundamentals 68,89 CSS Typography 74,44

Polymorphism, inheritance, composition 68,81 Angular build-in directives 73,33

Encapsulation 68,71 Tableau 72,89

Page management 68,7 HTML Semantic Tags 72,3

Distributed Systems Fundamentals 68,42 Arrow Functions 71,92

Droplets 67,65 HTML Tables 71,72

DynAdmin 67,27 CSS Selectors 71,23

ETL Fundamentals 66,84 Angular decorators 71,22

Source:

34
Mobile App Developers and Project Managers in IT

Average skill proficiency of Mobile App Developers Average skill proficiency of Project Managers in IT
worldwide 2024 worldwide 2024
DevSkiller proficiency score DevSkiller proficiency score
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Android Activities 80 Open communication - Leader 79

SOLID 79,17 Meeting notes 79

Android XML Layout 78,75 Project meetings 78,8

Android Context 78,64 Remote team management 77,8

Android Lifecycle 76,96 Capacity planning 77,3

MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) 76,11 Stand-up meetings 77

Error handling concepts 75 Backlog management 76,06

Debugging 74,71 1 on 1 75,9

Dependency Injection Fundamentals 72,69 Basic documentation skills 75,33

Unit testing 72,58 Project scheduling 75,3

Source:

35
QA Engineers and AI Engineers

Average skill proficiency of QA Engineers worldwide 2024 Average skill proficiency of AI Engineers worldwide 2024

DevSkiller proficiency score DevSkiller proficiency score

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Manual Tests fundamentals 81,81 Chat GPT Assistants API 61,54

Test execution 80 Azure Databricks 60

Regression testing 79,95 Tabnine 60

Quality assurance general concepts 79 Ethical Al Usage 51,54

Web testing manual 77,83 Amazon Alexa 50

Smoke testing 77,55 Dinootoo 50

UI Testing 76,98 Chat GPT 49,47

Reporting 76,29 DALL-E 48,33

Test design 75,64 Google Gemini (Bard) 43,13

Basic testing process 75,63 Data Literacy 41,54

Source:

36
The Intersection
of IT Skills and
Artificial
Intelligence
Navigating the AI era

In recent years, AI has caused significant disruption across industries, transforming how people work, navigate their careers, and even
perceive reality. While AI's potential to automate repetitive tasks and increase efficiency is clear, its impact on the workforce, particularly in
white-collar professions like IT, is a growing concern. As AI-assisted tools become more prevalent, companies may increasingly rely on them
to automate tasks that were typically handled by junior developers, leading to a reduction in entry-level roles and potential skill
degradation.

For instance, tools like GitHub Copilot can generate code snippets or entire functions based on natural language descriptions − enabling
developers to write code faster – in addition to fixing bugs and suggesting code optimizations. OpenAI's ChatGPT stood out as the most
popular AI-powered tool among developers over the past year, with 82 percent reporting regular usage (see page 40). GitHub Copilot
secured the second position at 44 percent, followed by Google Gemini at 22 percent. Other notable tools included Microsoft-owned Bing
AI and Visual Studio Intellicode.

Despite the concerns around AI job disruption, there are also significant benefits and opportunities associated with AI. When leveraged
effectively, AI can streamline processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and drive profits, and businesses are actively seeking to automate low-risk,
high-value tasks, freeing their workforce to focus on more complex, human-centric work.

While generative AI can automate certain tasks, human expertise remains essential for optimizing its use. The ability to apply critical
thinking, creativity, and empathy is what distinguishes humans from machines. The emergence of new technology-driven professions like
prompt engineering, which focuses on crafting instructions for AI tools, further highlights the ongoing transformation.

As the world of work navigates this AI-driven era, it is vital to recognize the potential for both job displacement and the creation of new
opportunities. Adaptability, continuous learning, and a focus on developing uniquely human skills will be the key to thriving in this evolving
landscape.

38
AI adoption is prominent in tech, media, and telecoms
AI is being applied across multiple sectors of the economy

AI adoption in organizations worldwide in 2023, by industry and application AI is rapidly providing organizations
worldwide with enhanced benefits
Share of responders and increased productivity due to its
expanded automation capabilities,
All industries 9% 6% 25% 26% 12% 24% 8% 9%
improved accessibility, and a
Business, legal, broader range of proven use cases.
and professional 9% 5% 28% 24% 10% 19% 13% 6%
services A research survey by McKinsey &
Company published in Stanford
Consumer
goods/retail
7% 9% 31% 15% 6% 22% 2% 14% University’s AI Index Report 2024
Industry

looked at AI adoption by industry

Financial 9% 1% 22% 20% 28% 31% 14% 4%
services and AI function. In 2023, the highest
Healthcare
AI adoption rates were in the tech,
systems/pharma 5% 7% 8% 26% 7% 15% 6% 11% media, and telecommunications
and medical
products industry, particularly the functions
Tech/media/
of product and/or service
14% 6% 36% 44% 7% 36% 6% 9%
telecoms development (44 percent),
marketing and sales (36 percent),
Produkt Strategy
Human Manufac- Marketing and/or Risk Service and Supply chain and service operations (36 percent).
resources turing and sales service assessment operations corporate management
development finance

Application Source:

39
AI tools in 2024
OpenAI's ChatGPT leads the pack in AI tool adoption

Most used AI search and developer tools among developers worldwide 2024 Source:

81.7% 44.2% 22.4% 14.0% 13.7% 7.6% 5.8% 4.9% 4.9%

ChatGPT GitHub Copilot Google Gemini Bing Al Visual Studio Intellicode Claude Codeium Perplexity Al Tabnine

4.3% 3.6% 2.8% 2.8% 1.3% 1.1% 1.1% 0.9% 0.9%

WolframAlpha Phind Amazon Q Meta Al Cody You.com OpenAl Codex Whispr Al Snyk Code

0.7% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%

Quora Poe Lightning Al Replit Ghostwriter AskCodi Andi Neeva Al Metaphor

40
 Generative AI is reshaping the IT skills landscape
Specialist with AI skills are being sought after to drive innovation

IT skills with expected increase in demand due to generative AI worldwide 2023 A 2023 survey shows a shift in the IT
skills landscape driven by the rise of
Share of responders generative AI. Globally, 80 percent
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% foresee a surge in demand for AI
and machine learning expertise,
Al and Machine Learning 80
while 74 percent of IT leaders
Data Analytics and Big Data 74
anticipate increased demand for
data analytics and big data skills.
Cybersecurity and Al Ethics 70 Additionally, 70 percent of
respondents predict a heightened
Al Software Development 59 need for cybersecurity and AI ethics
professionals. The focus on data
Data Privacy and Compliance 58
analytics, big data, and AI/ML skills
highlights the need to manage and
Al-Integrated IT Infrastructure 58
leverage AI-generated data.
Cloud Computing
Moreover, the emphasis on
46
cybersecurity and AI ethics reflects
Collaborative problem solving 33 the importance of responsible AI
development and deployment in an
None 1 increasingly AI-driven world.

Other 1
Source:

41
A trust deficit hampers AI integration among developers
Transparency and context-awareness are essential for building confidence

Challenges to working with AI tools among developers worldwide 2024 In 2024, distrust in the output of AI
code assistants and generative AI tools
lacking context presented the most
Share of responders
significant challenge to integrating AI
into the development workflow,
Don't trust the output or answers 66.1%
affecting around two-thirds of
developers globally. Additionally,
Al tools lack context of codebase, internal
architecture, and/or company knowledge
64.6% nearly 30 percent of developers
identified inadequate policies, and a
We don't have the right policies in
lack of training and education on new
31.9%
place to reduce security risks AI tools as key challenges. Notably, a
lack of executive buy-in posed a
Lack of proper training and education on 29.6% barrier for approximately 12 percent of
new tools
developers seeking to implement AI
Not everyone uses them
solutions. This underscores a clear
25.9%
need for increased trust-building
measures, comprehensive training
They create more work 12% programs, and stronger advocacy for
AI within organizations.
Lack of executive buy-in 11.9%

Source:

42
Tech Market Outlook
& Key Takeaways
The fastest-growing jobs are driven by technology and digitalization
Demand is growing for skilled workers who can develop, implement, and maintain new tech

Ongoing digital transformation

Fastest-growing vs fastest-declining jobs between 2023 and 2027 necessitates skilled professionals who
can navigate and leverage emerging
tech. This trend is creating new industries
Top 10 fastest and transforming existing ones. As a
result, there is a growing demand for
declining jobs skilled workers who can develop,
implement, and maintain new
1. Bank tellers and related clerks
2. Postal service clerks technologies, such as AI/ML, cloud
Top 10 fastest 3. Cashiers and ticket clerks computing, and renewable energy.
growing jobs 4. Data entry clerks
5. Administrative executive secretaries
According to the World Economic Forum,
surveyed businesses expect AI and ML
1. Al and ML specialists 6. Material recording and
stock-keeping clerks specialists to be the fastest-growing job
2. Sustainability specialists between 2023 and 2027.
7. Accounting, book-keeping,
3. Business intelligence analysts and payroll clerks
4. Information security analysts 8. Home appliance installers
5. Fintech engineers Meanwhile, the fastest-declining
and repairers
6. Data analysts and scientists 9. Legislators and officials positions, due to the repetitive nature of
7. Robotics engineers 10. Statistical, finance, the tasks involved, are primarily clerical or
8. Big data specialists and insurance clerks secretarial roles. Bank tellers and related
9. Agricultural equipment operators clerks, postal service clerks, cashiers and
10. Digital transformation specialists
ticket clerks, and data entry clerks are
expected to experience the most rapid
decline due to the influence of
Source: technology and digitalization.

44
 IT outsourcing dominates the IT services market
There will be rising demand for skilled IT profressionals

Revenue in the IT Services market Worldwide 2017-2029 (in billion U.S. dollars) The IT services market is poised for
significant growth, with revenue
IT outsourcing Business Process Aoutsourcing Other IT Services IT Consulting & Implementation
projected to reach 1.4 trillion U.S.
2,000
dollars in 2024. IT outsourcing leads
the market at 541.1 billion U.S. dollars,
1,800
followed by business process
1,600 outsourcing at nearly 40 billion U.S.
dollars, IT consulting and
1,400
implementation at approximately 75
1,200 billion U.S. dollars, and other IT
services at over 411 billion U.S. dollars.

In billion U.S. dollars

1,000
This growth trajectory is expected to
800 continue, with a projected compound
annual growth rate of 5.8 percent
600
between 2024 and 2029, reaching 1.9
400 U.S. dollars trillion by 2029. The
increasing demand for IT services
200
translates to a need for skilled
0
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
professionals in these areas.

Source:

45
AI is fueling the IT services boom
While tech layoffs and war in Europe dampened growth

Global market drivers for value change in IT services in 2023, by growth rate In 2023, the IT services market experienced a
substantial overall growth of nearly 16 percent.
Total market
0.156
The emergence of AI development proved to be
growth
one of the strongest drivers of value change
within the sector, boasting an impressive
Development
of AI 0.124 estimated growth rate of 12.4 percent. This
highlights AI's crucial role in shaping future
Digital
market dynamics, along with digital
0.046
transformation transformation, which also holds considerable
growth potential. Conversely, tech layoffs acted
GDP
0.03
as a significant obstacle, causing a seven
Growth
percent decline in the IT services market, and
the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict further
Cloud IT
infrastructure 0.027 hampered sector growth by 1.5 percent.

Impact of
inflation 0.013

Impact of
Russia-Ukraine -0.015
war
Source:

Tech layoffs -0.069

46
Key takeaways
The evolving tech sector job landscape

1 Digital transformation is driving IT spending and job growth:

Record-high global IT spending, especially in software and cloud
5 Soft skills complement technical expertise: The growing demand
for soft skills like problem-solving, effective communication, and
technologies, highlights the increasing need for IT experts, software relationship-building shows that technical proficiency alone is not
developers, cloud engineers, and data analysts. Upskilling in these enough. IT and tech professionals should strive to develop a
areas can lead to promising career opportunities. well-rounded skillset that combines technical and interpersonal
abilities.

2 Continuous learning and upskilling is key: The tech industry's

fast-paced nature necessitates constant learning and development.
6 Emerging technologies are creating new opportunities: The rise of
new technologies such as AI/ML, cloud computing, and robotics is
Professionals should stay updated on the latest trends, tools, and creating new industries and career paths. Professionals need to
technologies in order to remain competitive. consider exploring these emerging fields to stay ahead of the curve.

3 Cloud computing and cybersecurity are top priorities: The global

emphasis on cloud-centric and secure technologies underlines the
7 Tech stack mastery is vital for success: Familiarity with the most
popular technology stacks in a particular tech segment, such as
importance of acquiring skills in these domains. Professionals who cybersecurity, data science, DevOps, and various programming
are proficient in cloud technologies and cybersecurity will be highly languages, is essential for navigating complex technological
sought after in the IT job market. landscapes.

4 AI is transforming the IT landscape: The widespread adoption of

AI-powered tools underscores the importance of acquiring AI and
8 IT services market is booming: Significant growth is projected for
the IT services market, especially in areas like IT outsourcing and
ML expertise. Moreover, the ethical implications of the AI revolution consulting. This growth presents numerous career opportunities.
call for professionals to develop skills in responsible AI development Individuals with the right skills can leverage this growth to their
and deployment. advantage.

47
Glossary

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is the ability of a computer or robot to perform tasks that are commonly associated with intelligent beings, such as
reasoning, learning, and problem-solving.

CI/CD
Standing for continuous integration/continuous delivery or deployment, CI/CD is a practice in software development that automates the
process of integrating, testing, and deploying code changes, which allows for faster and frequent releases.

DevOps
DevOps is a collaborative approach that brings together software development (dev) and operations (ops) to streamline the entire software
delivery process, from coding to deployment, enabling faster and more reliable releases.

Generative AI
Generative AI is a type of AI that can create new and original content, including text, images, audio, and videos, based on prompts from a
user. It has the potential to revolutionize many industries, from art and entertainment to healthcare and finance.

Machine learning (ML)

ML is a branch of AI that enables computers to learn and improve without explicit programming. It accomplishes this by analyzing data
and identifying patterns that can be used to make predictions or decisions.

Tech stack
A tech stack is the combination of technologies, tools, and frameworks that are used to build and run software applications in a particular
sector.

48
Authors

Justin Lestal Ahmed Sherif Timothy Owens Lionel Sujay Vailshery

Marketing Director Research Expert – Senior Research Senior Research Expert –

at DevSkiller Technology Lead – Technology Technology
& Telecommunications & Telecommunications & Telecommunications
at Statista at Statista at Statista
[email protected]

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Justin Lestal is the Marketing Director Ahmed Sherif, a researcher in the Timothy Owens is a leading expert on Lionel Sujay Vailshery is a senior
at DevSkiller and a key contributor to technology and telecoms team, the AI at Statista and a thought leader research expert in the cloud
the DevSkiller Future Skills Report 2025. specializes in global IT market trends in the field of emerging technologies. computing and emerging tech
With a deep understanding of such as IT services and gaming As Statista’s senior research lead for industries, with a strong background in
data-driven insights, Justin played a hardware. He also contributes to technology and telecommunications, informatics and extensive knowledge
crucial role in collecting and analyzing Statista’s coverage of mobile Tim is passionate about demystifying of the tech sector.
data from the DevSkiller platform, operating systems, telecoms complex topics and helping businesses
highlighting the emerging skills operators, and the tech industry in understand the trends driving growth
shaping the future of work. His Africa. and innovation within the tech sector.
expertise lies in leveraging platform His diverse background –
data to uncover trends and inform encompassing digital strategy,
strategic decision-making in the tech emerging markets analysis, editorial
talent landscape. project management, and data
storytelling – allows him to bring a
well-rounded perspective to his work.

49
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