Technology is continuing to change the landscape for the job market.
PayScale recently released a report of its “hottest jobs” of 2018, and technology dominated the list of fastest-growing occupations. Design and communication positions also cracked the top 10.
“The abundance of data has necessitated [hiring people] to analyze, model, store, and protect this important commodity,” PayScale Chief Economist Katie Bardaro told Yahoo Finance. “Therefore, the jobs we see as the most in demand are those that fall into these categories: data scientist, data warehouse engineers, and cybersecurity specialists.”
‘Employees who can address problems as they arise’
The fastest-growing job in 2018 was a full stack software developer, which grew 572%. According to CodeUp, a full-stack developer is proficient in tasks including “server, network, and hosting environment; relational and nonrelational databases; how to interact with APIs and the external world; user interface and user experience.”
“As companies invest in their usage of the internet, the need for this job has increased,” Bardaro said. “Additionally, as companies try to remain agile in their software development approach, having employees who can address problems as they arise, regardless of which part of the product they impact, is necessary for quick iterations and improvements.”
Another reason why technology jobs have become so prevalent in the job market, according to Bardaro, is because of its job satisfaction levels and the fact that it is “a high-growth industry with strong wages.”
She added: “Businesses who employ people in these areas will need to remain competitive in their compensation strategy even if a recession occurs, as many believe is likely, if they don’t want to lose ground in this talent market.”
Hottest jobs include a variety of roles
Behind the full stack software developer role was community engagement director. This job involves facilitating communication between an organization and a general public, as many open job positions indicate. Last year, the position grew by nearly 300% and offered a median pay of $61,500.
The third-hottest job going into the new year is that of a lead graphic designer. Graphic designers can work in practically any profession through combining art and technology to make a finished product. In 2018, lead graphic designers received a median pay of $47,900 and saw job growth of 234%.
Customer success team managers and senior mobile developers were also very popular.
Customer success managers “represent an online company or brand, and [are] the primary point of contact for any customer concerns regarding product, support, or billing,” according to career matching platform Sokanu. The number of those in the occupation increased by 212% over the last year, with a respectable median salary of $93,000.
The median pay among senior mobile developers was $110,000. The job, which involves developing software for cell phones and technology, grew nearly 200% last year.
Computer vision engineers, business intelligence engineers, machine learning engineers, commercial truck drivers, and population health managers rounded out the top 10.
Adriana is an associate editor for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @adrianambells.
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