The emergence of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain is fueling innovation as companies look for skilled talent.

Network security and data science roles¹ according to Glassdoor will increase in 2020 as companies transform operations to remain competitive. From full-stack developers, machine learning engineers and data scientists, companies are filling these roles as part of strategic management.

A recent Bloomberg report cited roles including back end developers, data engineers, mobile developers, and site reliability engineers in demand among US enterprises in 2020. The same applies to DevOps engineers² and data analysts whose demand is increasing as organizations rely on data decisions.

Tech capitals including San Francisco, New York, Paris, and Toronto are hiring developers. Organizations need smooth workflows and this means hiring developers who align with their objectives such as NLP engineers and search engineers.

Gaming engineers are also in demand as seen in New York according to Glassdoor.

Developers assist companies to evolve in this digital age by using their skills to boost customer experiences and support decision-making. Product development and automation processes are influencing demand for developer jobs. Tech companies are hiring developers with Facebook among the most notable in this respect.

Which developer jobs are the most in-demand? In this article, I will explore the top ten developer jobs based on the latest data and market trends:

1. Full Stack Developers

This is the number one in-demand developer job on our list.

A full-stack developer deals with back- end programming languages and has skills in CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. Full Stack developers operate in front, back ends of applications, and implement projects based on customer requirements.

Organizations are looking for developers with skills on both ends to add operational value and according to Indeed.com; employers are leaning towards full-stack developers.

Contrary to popular belief, full-stack developers do not focus on code alone but alternate their roles in the back and front ends respectively. Technical skills of full-stack developers³ are critical as employers look for candidates with flexibility in their database systems.

Full-stack developer’s need reskilling in web design in line with the changing tech ecosystem. Visual design is another area full-stack developers need to learn in this competitive industry.

2. Machine Learning Engineer

The demand for machine learning engineers is rising as companies opt for this skill in their automation processes. Hiring machine learning engineers enables companies to build intelligent systems that use data for decision-making.

ML engineers have programming skills, which assist them to handle complex projects such as building smart systems. Unlike programmers, machine-learning engineers⁴ have a wide scope in skill application and work on advanced projects.

Machine learning engineers develop algorithms that interpret market trends and understand consumer needs. For instance, a machine learning engineer can anticipate which products customers will demand in the next 6 months based on consumption trends.

Machine learning engineers work in the autonomous vehicles space where they coordinate self-driving car projects. By using their computational skills and training algorithms, ML engineers develop complex systems that support self-driving vehicles. Tesla, Google and Uber are hiring machine learning engineers to support their growing autonomous systems.

3. DevOps Engineer

Enterprises require specialists in software management and feedback, which creates the role of DevOps engineers. Implementing automation processes⁵and creating data systems makes DevOps engineers in demand among companies. By working with DevOps engineers, companies find value in mapping software management, which reduces losses based on testing and systems deployment.

DevOps engineers use their coding skills to develop sustainable network systems for organizations while working with teams. Feature releases pose challenges to enterprises and DevOps engineers oversee implementation of code through accurate testing.

4. Data Scientist

Data science is the sexiest job you can find in the developer world and organizations are hiring data scientists in response to the current digital transformation. Data scientists crunch data⁶ and develop solutions for problems.

A data scientist role includes data collection, refinement, expansion, and learning followed by maintenance. Corporate organizations derive value from data scientists because of their skills in decoding problems.

Data scientists come from different backgrounds such as statistics, mathematics, and computer science fields. By analyzing patterns, data scientists assist organizations by using data to drive decisions.

The demand for data scientists at Silicon Valley and tech hubs including New York and Boston is increasing and according to the Wall Street Journal, the trend will continue in 2020.

5. Back-End Developer

When it comes to user experiences and applications, back-end developers suit this role because of developing computational capabilities on software systems. By developing components of an information system, a back-end developer assists in maintaining the system. Programming languages from Java, C#, and C++ assist back-end developers in the creation of front-end systems for organizations.

Back-end developers use advanced programming tools⁷ to ensure the delivery of data to the front-end in real-time. Information systems come with bugs that require technical experience in addressing problems through testing and offering solutions.

6. Security Engineer/ Cybersecurity Analyst

The demand for security engineers will rise in 2020 as organizations seek security engineers to safeguard their data systems. With hacking incidents increasing and data manipulation shooting up, security engineers offer timely solutions that enterprises need to compete in the modern world. A security engineer handles security threats by developing tools/solutions that suit the needs of the enterprise.

Security engineers assess the software capabilities of organizations by recommending solutions through development, testing, and execution.

Malware attacks on company data come to the attention of the security engineer who develops strong security systems to safeguard against losses. The predictive tools used by security engineers enable them to forecast risks and adopt solutions.

7. Data Engineer

The data engineer role looks similar to that of a data scientist but there is a difference. With the emergence of big data, new roles have emerged with the data engineer⁸ among them.

The data engineer role requires the application of tools such as MongoDB, DashDB, Cassandra, and MySQL, which facilitates efficiency in workflow management. Data engineers are skilled in NoSQL, Hive, Pig, and Hadoop. Other skill areas of data engineers include Data streaming and programming.

Data engineers focus on data preparation for further analysis by data scientists with the aid of software applications. The collection of data and using resources to assemble information falls under the role of data engineers.

Data engineers communicate systems components to facilitate understanding and accessibility for further analysis by other teams such as data scientists. Architecture is critical in the life of a data engineer because of developing a model used by the organization for decision-making.

8. Mobile Developer

The demand for mobile developers is rising according to Mashable⁹ with companies hiring in response to customer experiences. Mobile developers have software development skills for creating applications including IOS and Android.

A mobile developer needs understanding of programming languages and the same applies to software specifications. A software developer should learn skills including Java and C# required for application development.

A mobile developer engages with customers and recommends solutions based on their software development knowledge. API development falls under the role of a mobile developer, which supports the operations of mobile operating systems.

Applications need updates and mobile developers work on new features and releases by using their skills to create solutions. The design matters for mobile developers who develop applications depending on market demand.

9. Site Reliability Engineer

A site reliability engineer deals with infrastructure issues by using their background in software development in operations. Enterprises require reliable systems to compete and make accurate decisions. Site reliability engineers assist in scaling operations of software. Site reliability engineers focus on manual processes within a software system by ensuring smooth automation capabilities.

By using their coding skills, site reliability engineers create software features that assist in operational automation. Execution of system developments and tools for system functioning are roles performed by site reliability engineers. Site reliability engineers measure metrics to determine the functionality of the developed system.

10. Data Analyst

Every industry from retail, manufacturing, technology, and transport relies on data for decision-making and data analysts assist in extracting and analyzing information. Corporate organizations understand that survival in the market depends on data analysis and means hiring data analysts.

A data analyst makes a connection between information and derives value from the data for decision-making. Extracting insights¹⁰ from data requires skilled data analysts who map trends and understand recurring connections.

Developer Jobs are here to Stay

Becoming a developer requires reskilling such as learning new programming languages to stay ahead of the curve. A ZDNet report found that mid-level and senior developers benefit from learning new skills as digital transformation continues.

Companies will continue hiring developers with a broad understanding of the industry such as multiple programming languages. For instance, a developer whose work focuses on Python programming language will need to additional languages to remain relevant.

Digital innovation and competitive reasons make developer jobs important for 2020 and the coming decade. Enterprises are accelerating hiring of developers to close the competitive gap and enable them to serve customers through support from skilled developers.

Works Cited

¹Data Science Roles, ²DevOps Engineers, ³Full-Stack Developers, ⁴Machine-Learning Engineers, ⁵Automation Processes, ⁶Data Crunching, ⁷Advanced Programming Tools, ⁸Data Engineer, ⁹Mashable, ¹⁰Extracting Insights from Data