14 TOP TECH SKILLS IN DEMAND

IN 2019

Looking to change fields and get into tech, but don’t know what skills you need to
launch your career? Maximize your marketability by pursuing tech skills in demand
for the future!

Tech is a broad field, and there are a lot of interesting directions you can go in. In this
article, we’ll look at the various areas of tech, how much demand exists for each skill,
and where to go to start your learning journey.

Without further ado, here are 14 tech skills in demand in 2019–plus where to get the
online technical training you need to become a pro.

Disclosure: I’m a proud affiliate for some of the platforms mentioned in this post. If
you buy a course through my links on this page, I may get a small commission for
referring you. Thanks!
 1. MACHINE LEARNING

Machine learning is one of the most innovative and exciting fields moving into the
future, making it one of the most profitable skills you can learn. From Siri and Alexa
to chatbots to predictive analysis to self-driving cars, there are a ton of uses for this
futuristic tech.

Those who begin taking online courses in machine learning now will still be getting in
relatively early, as demand is only increasing from here. “61% of organizations insist
that Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence will be among their top data
initiatives in 2018 and 2019,” reports Shilpa Kulkarni.

Machine learning can be applied to every industry, including healthcare, education,

finance, etc. Translation? The possibilities are endless, and you can apply your
machine learning skills to a role that suits your personality and interests.

Learn more about the difference between AI and machine learning and what to do if
you want a career in machine learning in this interview with CTO Allan Leinwand.

Quick facts about machine learning as a career:

 Average salary: $143K+ (Machine Learning Engineer)

 550 AI/machine learning startups received $5 billion in funding in 2016
 Netflix uses machine learning to make recommendations to its users
 There are 4,000 open positions listed on LinkedIn alone
 What the course covers: broad intro to entire machine learning workflow, including
neural networks, statistical pattern recognition, deep learning, unsupervised learning,
anomaly detection, recommender systems, and more.

Course facts:

 Course Name: Machine Learning

 Platform: Coursera
 Course URL: https://www.coursera.org/learn/machine-learning
 Instructed by: Andrew Ng (cofounder of Coursera)
 Price: Free! (for the audit option, no graded items) or $79 (with certificate & graded
assignments)
 Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate (requires basic understanding of linear algebra)
Why this course? It has a 4.9-star rating (out of over 62,000 ratings), was created by
Stanford University, touches on the theories behind machine learning as well as its
practical applications, and is taught by the cofounder of Coursera!

2. MOBILE DEVELOPMENT

In 2018, it’s estimated that there will be over 2.5 billion smartphone usersin the world.
This means that companies who want to stay relevant don’t just need websites; they
need apps. Having mobile development skills also comes with the perk that if you can
build apps for others, you can build and sell your own as well–so it’s an ideal career
path for aspiring entrepreneurs.
 One interesting direction that mobile apps are headed in is augmented reality. Apps
like Pokémon Go and the upcoming Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game engage with
the real world, blending technology and reality.

If you want to start learning mobile development without committing to the Team
Treehouse tech degree spotlighted below, check out these 21 mobile app development
courses.

Quick facts about mobile development as a career:

 Average salary: $101K (with starting salaries as high as $75K)

 At the time of writing there are 51,181 mobile developer jobs posted on Glassdoor.
 The global app economy is predicted to be worth $6.3 trillion by 2021, up from $1.3
trillion in 2016.
 The future of mobile development goes beyond phones: wearable technologies, the
Internet of Things, beacon technology, increase in use of VR/AR, and more.
What the course covers: build 12 real-world projects to showcase to potential
employers (including full Objective-C app, diary app, movie night app), learn Swift &
Objective-C to build apps for iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Apple TV

Course facts:

 Course Name: Treehouse Techdegree – Become an iOS Developer.

 Platform: Treehouse
 Course URL: https://teamtreehouse.com/techdegree/ios-development
 Instructed by: Pasan Premaratne + guest teachers
 Price: $199/month
 Skill level: Beginner
Why this course? Collaborate with others in an exclusive Slack channel, build real-
world apps, and receive expert project reviews and feedback.

3. SEO/SEM MARKETING
Employers are looking for people with digital marketing skills to improve their
company’s web presence and visibility. This is one of the tech skills in demand for
obvious reasons: more site visits mean more conversions, customers, and revenue.
 If you’re data-minded, SEO/SEM may be a great fit, since the role involves constant
testing, measuring, and experimenting to see what works and make changes based on
observations/metrics/KPIs.

Digital marketing is another skill that can benefit you if you decide to start your own
business in the future. You can leverage SEO skills to market yourself, find
freelancing clients, start a tech/personal blog, and build a brand.

Quick facts about SEO/SEM as a career:

 The top five organic search results get over 75% of the clicks.
 Only 22% of businesses report being satisfied with their conversion rates.
 Web developers who learn SEO/SEM can offer bundled services: not only building
the websites, but optimizing and marketing them.

What the course covers: SEO strategy development, keyword research basics, on-page
SEO fundamentals, link building.

Course facts:

 Course Name: SEO Training Course by Moz

 Platform: Udemy
 Course URL: https://www.udemy.com/whiteboard-seo/
 Instructed by: Moz.com
 Price: Free
 Skill level: Beginner
Why this course? Moz.com specializes in SEO/SEM training, and it’s a
comprehensive introduction to SEO giving everything you need to know to get
started.

For even more information about SEO, check out SEO: The Movie.

4. DATA VISUALIZATION
Data visualization is a way to help people understand the significance of data by
placing it in a visual context (turn spreadsheets or reports into charts and graphs that
can be easily understood).

Think of this career as a bridge between technical and non-technical roles. You’re
taking the data collected by analysts and transforming it into a form anyone can
understand.

Quick facts about data visualization as a career:

 Average salary: $98,264 per year for Data Visualization Engineers

 It’s in demand because employers can make sense of large amounts of data to drive
real business results. For example, predict sales volume, understand what factors
influence human behavior, identify areas in the business that can be improved,
identify trends, relationships, patterns, etc.
 It’s a blend of science and art: raw information meeting visually appealing mediums.
 Data visualization is the key to “bringing the power of Big Data to the mainstream.“
 What the course covers: learn how to design interactive charts and customized maps
for your website using Google Sheets, Tableau, Highcharts, Carto, Leaflet, GitHub

Course facts:

 Course Name: Data Visualization for All

 Platform: edX
 Course URL: https://www.edx.org/course/data-visualization-all-trinityx-t005x
 Instructed by: Jack Dougherty, Stacy Lam, David Tatem
 Price: Free
 Skill level: Beginner
Why this course? The course is taught by Trinity College faculty, and real-world
examples are drawn from their students working with community organizations in
Hartford, Connecticut.

5. DATA ENGINEERING
Data engineering is separate from data science, but the former is what enables the
latter to exist. Data engineers build the infrastructure and tools that data scientists rely
on to conduct their own work.

There’s no better time for U.S. citizens to enter the field, due to changes in
immigration laws. “Following recent government policy changes in the H1-B Visa
 application process, demand for US citizen data engineers has increased drastically
and shows no signs of easing,” writes Sam Brown.

Quick facts about data engineering as a career:

 Average salary: $90,839 per year

 In some ways, data engineering is more closely related to software engineering than to
other data roles.
 Growth of data engineering roles has historically outpaced growthfor data scientist
jobs.

What the course covers: All the core services you’ll need to know for the Google
Cloud Data Engineer test, the basics of how to use Google Cloud PlatformCourse
facts:
o Course Name: An Introduction to Google Cloud Platform for Data Engineers
o Platform: Udemy
o Course URL: https://www.udemy.com/an-introduction-to-google-cloud-platform-
for-data-engineers
o Instructed by: Mike West
o Price: $49.99 (but Udemy often has sales, especially around holidays)
o Skill level: Intermediate (you’ll need a basic understanding of cloud technologies
and SQL)
 6. UI/UX DESIGN
While they’re in the same family, UI and UX are different. UI (user interface)
specialists design interfaces for websites and apps to be visually appealing, flow well,
and be easy for users to navigate. UX (user experience) specialists do a lot of research
and testing to consider every element of how the user will interact with the company
and website, coordinating with developers and UI designers.

This type of career is perfect for those who want a creative-meets-analytical type of
role (graphic design meets A/B testing and so on).

Ultimately, UI is better for those who want to focus on the visuals, layout, and general
look and feel of a page or product. UX is better for those who want to use analysis and
testing to help a business seamlessly meet their users’ needs.

Quick facts about UI/UX as a career:

 87% of managers surveyed by Adobe said hiring more UX designers is the #1 priority
for their organization.
 There are 14,000 UX designer jobs in the United States alone (and 24,000 in Europe).
 UX and UI designers have many specific tools of the trade–like these design
programs.
 Demand for UX/UI skills is mostly in mobile platforms, but demand for innovative
design in VR, AR, AI, and wearables is growing
 What the course covers: The critical elements of user experience–strategy, scope,
structure, skeleton, and surface. Learn the basics (e.g. what UX design is and why it’s
important), strategy/theory (e.g. use of color and typography), and implementation
(e.g. how to create wireframes).

Course facts:

 Course Name: User Experience Design Fundamentals

 Course URL: https://www.udemy.com/user-experience-design-fundamentals/
 Instructed by: Joe Natoli
 Price: $49.99 (but Udemy often has sales, especially around holidays)
 Skill level: Beginner
Why this course? It has a 4.3-star rating from 5,074 ratings, with 58,289 students
enrolled. The instructor has been helping Fortune 100, Fortune 500, and various
government organizations with UX design for nearly three decades.

BONUS – UI bootcamp option: Career Foundry, The UI Design Course That Gets
You Hired.

If you’re sure UI is what you want to do as a career, this Career Foundry bootcamp
will get you there. The interactive program is taught by leading UI designers, takes
you through every element of UI design, and comes with mentorship plus career
services to help you refine your portfolio and personal brand. It boasts a 95% job
placement rate, with some graduates ending up at companies like Google, Apple, and
eBay. The program costs $4,000, so you should be really certain this is your goal!

7. NETWORK AND INFORMATION SECURITY

(CYBERSECURITY)
For any company that collects customer information or deals with sensitive data of
their own, keeping networks secure is paramount.

When data breaches do happen, they can be big, newsworthy, and costly for the
company to recover from. 2017 had its fair share of cybersecurity disasters, and
companies famously hacked in the past include Sony, LinkedIn, Chipotle, and others.

These situations underscore just how critical it is for companies to keep their network
security up to par, and make cybersecurity one of the most-needed jobs and one of the
 tech skills in demand in 2019. Unfortunately for those companies, right now there is a
shortage of people trained in network security. Fortunately for you, that means there’s
a gap in the market you can fill.

If you’re curious about filling that gap, read my ultimate guide to starting a career in
cybersecurity.

Quick facts about cybersecurity as a career:

 Average salary: 94,981/yr

 6 of the 15 top-paying IT certifications are focused on security.
 Demand for security professionals is far outpacing supply: the talent gap in this field
expected to reach 3.5 million unfilled jobs by 2022–tripling from 2017.
 In part due to such a massive shortage, damage from cyber crimes are anticipated
to cost the world $6 trillion annually by 2021. This is a career where you can truly
make an impact.

What the course covers: the fundamentals of networks, systems administration, how
to mitigate vulnerabilities, how to perform digital forensic analysis, risk assessment,
etc.

Course facts:

 Course Name: Essentials of Cybersecurity

 Platform: edX
 Course URL: https://www.edx.org/professional-certificate/uwashingtonx-essentials-
cybersecurity
 Instructed by: University of Washington
 Price: $396
 Skill level: Intermediate (must have a STEM Bachelor’s degree or 5 years of work
experience in a technical environment)
Why this program? It’s a professional certificate program made up of four courses.
You’ll better understand the field of cybersecurity, what roles are available, and what
cybersecurity career path is right for you.

8. CLOUD COMPUTING/AWS
Cloud computing jobs are on the rise because more and more companies are switching
from the classical server infrastructure to cloud solutions. According to Gartner, the
market for public cloud services is projected to grow by 17.3 3% in 2019.

Amazon Web Services is one of these cloud platforms, featuring content delivery,
database storage, networking, and more–over 50 services in total. Since it is currently
the biggest platform, we’ll highlight some specific facts about AWS in this section
(and give an extra course recommendation for it!).

AWS specialists are usually engineers, cloud architects, or system administrators. IT

professionals who are AWS-certified earn more than their non-certified counterparts.
It’s one of the most profitable skills an IT employee can learn to level up their tech
career, as AWS specialists earn an average of $113,000 (the highest of all
certifications in the United States and Canada)

Quick facts about cloud computing as a career:

 Median salary: $146,350 for cloud computing professionals

 The most in-demand cloud computing skills are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Java,
Linux, software development, DevOps, Docker and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
are the most in-demand skills.
 Big companies using AWS include Intuit, Netflix, GE Oil & Gas, and Time, Inc.
 AWS has the dominant market share of the cloud computing industry worldwide, with
an active customer base in 190+ countries.
 What the course covers: Clouds, Distributed Systems, Networking. Learn about and
build distributed and networked systems for clouds and big data.

Course facts:

 Course Name: Cloud Computing Specialization

 Platform: Coursera
 Course URL: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/cloud-computing
 Instructed by: Reza Farivar, Ankit Singla, Indranil Gupta, P. Brighten Godfrey and
Roy H. Campbell
 Price: $49 per month with Coursera subscription
 Skill level: Intermediate
Why this course? Hands-on activities, taught by computer science professors
 What the course covers: core AWS skills and concepts needed to begin working with
AWS and to achieve AWS certification.

Course facts:

 Course Name: Amazon Web Services (AWS) Fundamentals for System

Administrators
 Platform: Pluralsight
 Course URL: https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/aws-system-admin-fundamentals
 Instructed by: Elias Khnaser
 Price: Free
 Skill level: Intermediate (requires working knowledge of virtualization, networking
essentials, and general systems administration)

9. BLOCKCHAIN
Originally devised for the digital currency Bitcoin, blockchain has evolved. The tech
community is now finding other potential uses for the technology, such as peer-to-
peer payments, crowdfunding, file storage, identity management, digital voting,
etc. Learn more about blockchain/cryptocurrency jobs in this article.

“With platforms like Ethereum taking the lead, more and more companies need
developers who understand the blockchain, smart contracts, and can build
decentralized applications,” writes Anna Belaya.
 Some of the blockchain skills you should know include networking, cryptography
computing, database design, and programming languages ranging from Java,
JavaScript, and C++ to Go, Solidity, and Python.

Quick facts about blockchain as a career:

 Average salary: between $150,000 and $175,000

 According to Gartner, the business value of blockchain will be $3.1 trillion in by
2030.
 Between late 2017-late 2018, demand for blockchain engineers increased by 400
percent
 Tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft are working on blockchain

What the course covers: broad intro into what blockchain is, including how to design
and program smart contracts and decentralized applications

Course facts:

 Course Name: Blockchain Specialization

 Platform: Coursera
 Course URL: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/blockchain
 Instructed by: Bina Ramamurthy
 Price: $49 per month with Coursera subscription
 Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate (requires knowledge of at least one modern, high-
level programming language)
Why this course? Includes hands-on activities and is taught by a computer science
professor at University at Buffalo.

10. IOT
In the broadest sense, the term IoT encompasses everything connected to the internet,
but it is increasingly being used to define objects that “talk” to each other.

“Simply, the Internet of Things is made up of devices—from simple sensors to

smartphones and wearables—connected together,” says Matthew Evans, the IoT
program head at techUK.
Everything that’s connected to the internet can be hacked, which is why security is
one top concern with these devices. A report from Samsungsays the need to secure
every connected device by 2020 is “critical” and that more than 7.3 billion devices
will need to be made secure by their manufacturers before 2020. Cybersecurity
professionals who specialize in IoT will likely be highly sought after for this reason.

Quick facts about IoT as a career:

 Average salary: $59,849 – $123,163 for IoT developers

 IoT is poised to be the next tech jobs boom
 The McKinsey Global Institute predicts that IoT will have a total economic impact of
up to $11 trillion by 2025.
 According to a 2016 poll, 94 percent of businesses were investing in initiatives to
prepare for the IoT.
 What the course covers: Design IoT solutions and networks, identify components
required, understand how data management fits in, analyze security risks, and
ultimately produce an fleshed-out idea that’s ready to prototype

Course facts:

 Course Name: Internet of Things (IoT) MicroMasters program

 Platform: edX
 Course URL: https://www.edx.org/micromasters/curtinx-internet-of-things-iot
 Instructed by: Curtin University
 Price: $1164.60 USD for the entire program
Why this course? The MicroMasters program—taught by a range of professors,
specialists and lecturers from Curtin University—includes 6 self-paced IoT courses,
live discussions, remote access to real laboratory equipment for practical sessions.
The program is credit-eligible for Curtin University Master’s degrees.

11. DATA SCIENCE & ANALYTICS

Rounding off our collection of data careers are two more mainstays of Big Data:
science and analytics. Revenue from Big Data applications and analytics is projected
to grow from $5.3B in 2018 to $19.4B in 2026.

84% of enterprises have launched advanced analytics and Big Data initiatives to
accelerate their decision-making and bring greater accuracy.

Data analysis is the more entry-level skill, whereas data science gets more advanced,
but the careers are still cousins.

Quick facts about data analysis as a career:

 Average salary: $59,000 for data analysts and $92,000 for data scientists
 By 2020, it’s estimated that there will be 2.7 million job postings for data analytics
and science.
 Data science skills shortages are present in almost every large U.S. city.

What the course covers: Drive better business decisions with an overview of how big
data is organized, analyzed, and interpreted. Apply your insights to real-world
problems and questions.

Course facts:

 Course Name: Big Data Specialization

 Platform: Coursera
 Course URL: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/big-data
 Instructed by: Ilkay Altintas, Amarnath Gupta and Mai Nguyen
 Price: $49 per month with Coursera subscription
 Skill level: Beginner
Why this course? Taught by San Diego Supercomputer Center experts, involves
hands-on activities, and you’ll get a comprehensive knowledge of the entire Big Data
industry so you can go on to choose a specialization in data analytics, science,
engineering, etc.
 12. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AI is rapidly changing the landscape of work, making it an exciting time for
programmers looking for something new.

There is crossover with machine learning here, but the key difference is that AI is a
broader concept pertaining to machines designed to act intelligently like humans,
whereas machine learning relies on devices making sense of a specific set of data.

In 2018, 31% of businesses said implementing AI was on their agenda for the next 12
months. Their top use cases are incorporating AI in data analysis and user experience.

Quick facts about artificial intelligence as a career:

 Average salary: Around $100,000 to $150,000 for an AI programmer

and $171,715 for an AI engineer
 The amount of jobs requiring AI skills has multiplied by 4.5 since 2013
 In one 2017 survey, 83% of executives said AI was a strategic priority for their
businesses.

What the course covers: A basic introduction of AI to mastery of the skills needed to
build deep learning models for AI solutions that exhibit human-like behavior and
intelligence.
 Course facts:

 Course Name: Microsoft Professional Program for Artificial Intelligence

 Platform: Microsoft Academy
 Course URL: https://academy.microsoft.com/en-us/professional-
program/tracks/artificial-intelligence/
 Instructed by: Microsoft
 Price: Free, but if you want proof of course completion, you must purchase Verified
Certificates from edX (typically $99)
 Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate
Why this course? 10 online courses on demand from introduction to mastery of skills,
hands-on labs, Assessments that require more than just memorization ensure you have
a deep understanding of these new skills. Microsoft Professional Program Certificate
in Artificial Intelligence

13. EXTENDED REALITY (VR AND AR)

Virtual reality and augmented reality—the collective term is extended reality, or
XR—are trending to be useful for more than just entertainment in the future.
Marketing, advertising, health care, and manufacturing are some industries that have
already begun adopting XR technology.

For the near future, AR is looking to outpace VR for growth and profitability. By
2022, reports predict that the VR industry will be worth more than $25 billion, while
AR will be worth a stunning $133 billion.

Quick facts about XR as a career:

 Average salary: $75,000 to $80,000

 According to Statista, the market size was around $6.1 billion in 2016 but is expected
to reach $215 billion by 2021.
 If you have programming skills, consider learning Unity to help develop skills. They
provide free tutorials and live training.
 Companies like Google, Facebook, Snap (Snapchat), NVIDIA and HTC are some top
companies using XR.
 What the course covers:Learn how to make VR and AR apps with 3D game
development and C# programming.

Course facts:

 Course Name: Complete Virtual & Augmented Reality Course: Unity 2018.2
 Platform: Udemy
 Course URL: https://www.udemy.com/the-complete-virtual-augmented-reality-
course/
 Instructed by: Circuit Stream
 Price: $199.99 (although Udemy often has sales on)
 Skill level: Beginner (No prior experience of Unity or coding required)
Why this course? No prior experience of Unity or coding required. Learn how to
strategically move into a career in the VR/AR field.

START CODING NOW

Stop waiting and start learning! Get my 10 tips on teaching yourself how to code.

14. QUANTUM COMPUTING

If you’re okay with a little uncertainty in your career (and you enjoy science fiction),
quantum computing is a field to consider. “The industry has a ways to go,” writes
 Sophia Chen. “They have a timeline, sort of, give or take a few decades. And at the
moment, their roadmap has at least one glaring pothole: a lack of trained people.”

However, this provides an opportunity for you to help move the needle forward.
Jeremy O’Brien, physicist and professorial research fellow at the University of
Bristol, says that quantum computers could outperform everyday computers in less
than 10 years.

Quick facts about quantum computing as a career:

 Average salary: $73,980

 Current quantum computing roles include software engineers, researchers,
experimental scientists, and programmers.
 You can contribute to Qiskit Terra and Qiskit Aqua code and algorithms to start
getting involved with quantum computing and get noticed by hiring managers.

What the course covers: Mathematical models of quantum computing, quantum

algorithms, and more.

Course facts:

 Course Name: The Introduction to Quantum Computing

 Platform: Coursera
 Course URL: https://www.coursera.org/learn/quantum-computing-algorithms
 Instructed by: Сысоев Сергей Сергеевич
 Price: $49 per month with Coursera subscription
 Skill level: Intermediate (requires knowledge of complex numbers and linear algebra)
Why this course? “We will build a simple working quantum computer with our bare
hands, and we will consider some algorithms designed for bigger quantum computers
which are not yet developed.”

14 top tech skills in demand for 2019 (and where to learn them)

CLICK TO TWEET

Any of these profitable technical skills will set you well on your way to a successful
new tech career in 2019 and beyond. Now it just comes down to which is best suited
for your personality and interests–and that one’s up to you

What technical skills are you most excited to learn in 201? Leave a comment below
and let me know!

Note: there are affiliate links in this post.