Main image of article These 23 Tech Skills are the Most Difficult to Hire For

Companies everywhere need tech professionals for all sorts of reasons, from thwarting cyberattacks to building the next generation of “smart” apps. But where are managers experiencing the biggest difficulties in hiring tech talent?

The latest edition of Skillsoft’s C-Suite Perspective Report offers some key insights into that question, based on responses from 219 C-level executives who completed Skillsoft’s 2024 IT Skills and Salary Survey. As you can see from the following chart pulled from the report, cybersecurity topped the list of hard-to-hire tech specializations, followed (perhaps predictably) by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, analytics, and cloud computing:

For context, it’s important to remember that the overall tech unemployment rate dipped to 2.5 percent last month, according to the latest CompTIA analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data; that’s notably below the general unemployment rate of 4 percent. Tech professions that enjoyed double-digit increases in job postings in May—a good indicator of overall demand—included:

Given this demand for talent (and issues with hiring), Skillsoft’s report advocates upskilling. “An investment in skills development builds on proven strengths employees already possess and better prepares them—and your organization—for emerging technologies,” it wrote. “A consistent strategy for skilling, reskilling, and upskilling helps your business stay ahead of the curve and better positions you as a future-focused organization.”

If you’re a tech pro who’s specialized in any of the above skills, you have significant leverage to land the jobs, compensation, and other perks that you want. And if you’re still a newbie to arenas such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, never fear: you can always upskill, either on a company’s dime or on your own.