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Keep your personal informtaion safe, learn about Cybersecurity

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Keep your personal informtaion safe, learn about Cybersecurity

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Cybersecurity Expert: Online Threats Against Individuals, Cities Likely To Increase in 2022

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If you want to learn new technologies or improve your tech skills, it's worth taking the time to find out which technical skills are likely to be the most high-demand skills for the next 10+ years.

Technology evolves extremely quickly, so in order to get the most bang for your buck when learning new technologies, you'll need to identify and learn the most in-demand skills for the future.

➡️ Want to work in a tech-specific role in the tech industry? In this article, we'll look at the most in-demand software skills of the future, including how much demand exists for each tech skill, plus where to go to learn new technology and top skills in IT.

➡️ Want to keep your computer skills up to date for a non-technical career? We'll also look at the tech skills that are good to have for any kind of office job.

Read on to learn about 26 of the best tech skills to learn-plus where to find the online technical skill development and training you need to become a pro at these future-ready skills. 💪

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!

Please note that pricing listed below may change in the future!

🧠 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Top Tech Skill #1: Artificial Intelligence

When we're talking about the best skills to learn for the future, it makes sense to start with a tech skill that's all but synonymous with "the future."

AI is rapidly changing the landscape of work, making it an exciting time for programmers looking for something new. A 2022 McKinsey report showed that AI adoption more than doubled over the past five years.

While there are job titles like Artificial Intelligence Engineer and AI Specialist, most of the jobs using AI have more broad/generic titles like software engineer, data engineer, data scientist, etc.

There is crossover with machine learning here (which you'll learn about next on the technical skills list!), 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.

Top skills to know within artificial intelligence include C++, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Python.

Now that AI has become more mainstream thanks to the rise in popularity of tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E (AI-generated art tool) companies will be looking for people with specific areas of expertise in AI in 2024, such as generative AI (GenAI), natural language processing (NLP), automated speech recognition (ASR) and automation.

Not only that, but according to a 2020 UiPath survey, 70% of C-level executives want even non-technical employees to have some automation and AI skills.

Another emerging AI skill to consider learning in 2024 and beyond? AIOps (short for artificial intelligence for IT operations). This future-ready tech skill is similar to DevOps, but is specifically for AI-related projects, combining big data and machine learning to automate the path from development to production.

🌟 Quick facts about AI as a tech career:

💻 What the course covers:

If you know basic algebra and you have some coding skills, you can take this Nanodegree from Udacity and learn the foundations of artificial intelligence. You'll learn Python, NumPy, pandas, Matplotlib, PyTorch, Calculus, and Linear Algebra-everything you need to build your own neural network.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

This course focuses on Python, which is one of the main languages used in AI, and neural networks, which are the main building blocks of AI. It therefore equips you with the foundational in-demand tech skills that you'll need to start a career in artificial intelligence.

☝️ Back to top

Top Tech Skill #2: Machine Learning

Machine learning is one of the most innovative and exciting fields moving into the future, making it one of the best skills to learn in 2024 and beyond (and one of the most lucrative to boot!).

From Siri and Alexa to chatbots to predictive analysis to self-driving cars, there are a ton of uses for these futuristic hot technologies. Machine learning now allows computers to generate all kinds of new and exciting content, including art, music and voices.

Those who begin taking online courses in machine learning now will still be getting in relatively early, as demand is only increasing from here. The global market for AI and ML is expected to reach $135 billion by 2024.

Common use cases for machine learning include recommender systems, generating customer insights and intelligence, and detecting fraud.

Machine learning technical skills can be applied to every industry, including healthcare, education, finance, etc. Translation? The possibilities are endless, and you can apply these in-demand tech skills for the future to a role that suits your personality and interests.

Learn more about the difference between AI and machine learning technology skills 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 tech career:

Below are two of the best machine learning courses available. Alternatively, see my article for even more machine learning courses.

💻 What the course covers:

Broad intro to the entire machine learning workflow, including neural networks, statistical pattern recognition, deep learning, unsupervised learning, anomaly detection, recommender systems, and more.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

It has a 4.9-star rating (out of over 14,912 ratings), was created by DeepLearning.AI, touches on the theories behind machine learning as well as its practical applications, and is taught by the cofounder of Coursera!

💻 What the course covers:

This course covers the foundational machine learning algorithms that will help you advance in your career. Whether you're trying to analyze a dataset using machine learning, or you're a data analyst trying to upgrade your high income skills, this course is the best place to start.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

In just 20 hours of learning, this course takes you from knowing the basics to a deeper understanding of machine learning, including how it's used, the important algorithms, and the tech skills you need to build your own game-playing AI. At the end of the course, you'll get a certificate of completion.

Top Tech Skill #3: AI Prompt Engineering

One of the hottest new jobs for 2024 is AI Prompt Engineer, which involves drafting, refining, and testing text prompts for AI tools like ChatGPT to make sure they're yielding the desired results.

According to Time, this role involves typing instructions to an AI model to help refine responses - and does not usually involve writing any actual code.

That said, being an AI prompt engineer often requires knowledge of a variety of AI frameworks, natural language processing techniques, and deep learning architectures and frameworks. So you do need to have a lot of hot software skills and information technology skills/knowledge to qualify for this career path.

It's still a very new role that could change as the world of AI progresses and evolves, but definitely something to be aware of. Some of these jobs can even pay up to $335,000 a year!

🌟 Quick facts about prompt engineering as a tech skill:

💻 What the course covers:

How to apply prompt engineering to effectively work with large language models, like ChatGPT. This course is also part of a bigger Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT specialization if you'd like to dive deeper into the technological skills necessary for this job.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

Anyone can take the course and the only required knowledge is basic computer usage skills, such as using a browser and accessing ChatGPT.

📊 Data and Analytics

Top Tech Skill #4: Data Science & Analytics

Two consistently in-demand tech skills within Big Data include data science and data analytics. Revenue from Big Data applications and analytics is projected to grow from $5.3B in 2018 to $19.4B in 2026.

59% of companies are adopting big data analytics to accelerate their decision-making and bring greater accuracy. This is part of why data science has earned a top spot on LinkedIn's emerging jobs report all three years the report has been conducted.

Data analysis is the more entry-level one between these two in demand tech skills, whereas data science gets more advanced, but the careers are still cousins. Industries needing data professionals span education, finance, health, software, and more.

Learn more about data analysis and data science from my blog posts and podcast episodes:

🌟 Quick facts about data science and analytics careers:

💻 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:

❓Why this course?

Taught by San Diego Supercomputer Center experts, involves hands-on activities to help you build technical skills, 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.

💻 What the course covers:

Master the core theory behind neural networks, machine learning algorithms, classifiers, and more of the crucial topics you need before using your tech skills to build projects.

🔎 Course facts:

❓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.

Top Tech Skill #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.

Since 2015, the hiring growth rate of this technology job has increased by nearly 35% across a wide variety of industries. And according to Udemy's November 2021 Workplace Learning Skills Index, data engineering is one of the top skills surging in the US (up 655%).

Hear about a day in the life of a data engineer director at Etsy in this podcast interview with Jenn Clevenger or read our guide to working as a data engineer.

🌟 Quick facts about data engineering as a tech career:

Average salary: $125,582 per year

In some ways, data engineering is more closely related to software engineering than to other data roles.

Data engineering could be a good career pivot for someone who is already a software engineer or data scientist, since there's overlap in the list of technical skills.

💻 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 Platform

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

It's the first course in a series geared at helping you get the Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Certificate.

💻 What the course covers:

This career path teaches you top technical skills like how to build an effective data architecture, streamline data processing, and maintain large-scale data systems. You'll learn to work with technologies like Python, Shell, SQL, and Scala.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

It includes hands-on exercises, is taught by several real data scientists/software engineers, and helps you learn new technologies in a comprehensive way!

Top Tech Skill #6: Data Visualization

Data visualization is a way to help people understand the significance of data by placing it in a visual context. For instance, by turning spreadsheets or reports into charts and graphs that can be easily understood. These tech skills are commonly used by data scientists and data analysts, but can also be helpful in digital marketing roles.

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. It's one of the top IT skills to learn in 2024 because with all the data careers out there, companies need skilled data interpreters and communicators.

🌟 Quick facts about data visualization as a tech career:

Average salary: $98,264 per year for data visualization engineers

These are IT skills in demand because employers need to make sense of large amounts of data to drive real business results. For example, it can help them predict sales volume, understand what factors influence human behavior, identify areas in the business that can be improved, identify trends, relationships, patterns, etc.

Visualization technical skills are 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:

❓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.

💻 What the course covers:

Learn visual tech skills like how to create powerful data visualizations with Python: create custom charts and graphs, learn theories and techniques to make compelling, data-driven arguments, and hone your technical skill in quickly and efficiently processing huge data sets.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

This Skill Path will fast-track your learning journey with hand-picked modules that will show you exactly what you need to know. You'll get step-by-step guidance, and you'll finish with a completion certificate to show off your new tech skills.

🛡️ Security

Top Tech Skill #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. There were 953 publicly disclosed security incidents in 2023, accounting for approximately 5 billion compromised records.

Research also shows that remote work caused data breaches for 62% of organizations in 2023.

These situations and the rise in work from home 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 most high demand skills for the next 10 years and beyond. Within just one year, company demand for security engineers has increased by 132%.

Unfortunately for those companies, right now there is a shortage of people trained in network security IT skills. Fortunately for you, that means there's a gap in the market you can fill by learning these information technology skills in demand.

If you're curious about the top technical skills you can learn to help fill the gap, read my ultimate guide to starting a career in cybersecurity or buy some of these cybersecurity books.

🌟 Quick facts about cybersecurity as a tech career:

💻 What the program covers:

The fundamentals of networks, systems administration, how to mitigate vulnerabilities, how to perform digital forensic analysis, risk assessment, etc.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

It's a professional certificate program made up of four courses. You'll gain a better understanding of the field of cybersecurity, what roles are available, and what cybersecurity career path is right for you.

☁️ Cloud Computing / Infrastructure

Top Tech Skill #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.

Data and IT teams are expecting their organizations to house more than two-thirds (68%) of their data in the cloud by 2024, and nearly half (46%) are expecting to move to a "modern data architecture" for greater flexibility and scalability.

Not only are companies transitioning to the cloud, but many companies are building their products and services directly in the cloud instead of switching later. That means cloud-native architecture skills will be some of the best skills to learn in 2024 and beyond.

Amazon Web Services is one of these cloud platforms, featuring content delivery, database storage, networking, and more-over 200 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 tech skills an IT employee can learn to level up their career.

🌟 Quick facts about cloud computing as a tech career:

Average salary: $123,844 for cloud engineers

The most in-demand cloud computing technological skills are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Java, Linux, software development, DevOps, Docker, and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

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 gain the technical skill to build distributed and networked systems for clouds and big data.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

Hands-on activities, taught by computer science professors

💻 What the course covers:

Core AWS technical skills and concepts needed to begin working with AWS and to achieve AWS certification.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

You'll have a solid understanding of how various AWS services are architected and how you can use them with your new top IT skills.

Want more choice? Here are some more recommended AWS courses.

Top Tech Skill #9: Virtualization

Virtualization is a crucial skill in the evolving IT/cloud landscape and it has paved the way for the widespread adoption of cloud computing.

In simple terms, virtualization involves creating virtual versions of physical hardware, such as servers, storage devices, or networks. This allows multiple virtual machines or instances to run on a single physical machine, maximizing resource utilization and efficiency.

As businesses move to the cloud and want to be more flexible, knowing your way around virtualization tools like VMware, Hyper-V, or KVM could be very beneficial.

Jobs that use this skill include system administrators (sysadmin), cloud engineers, network engineers, and virtualization engineers.

🌟 Quick facts about virtualization as a tech skill:

Average salary: $110,574 per year (virtualization engineer)

Job postings that often list virtualization skills as a requirement are system administration, cloud computing, and IT infrastructure management.

66% of companies have reported increased agility due to virtualization adoption.

💻 What the course covers:

In this path, you'll learn everything you need to know about server, desktop, storage, and network virtualization to get you started in today's virtualization-dependent world. Courses in this path go from beginner to advanced.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

You'll get to see server virtualization in action as you convert a VM from one hypervisor to another and finally, to the public cloud.

Top Tech Skill #10: Network Maintenance

Network maintenance is a highly valuable tech skill, especially in the context of cloud computing. Efficient and reliable networks are the backbone of any IT infrastructure, serving as the crucial link between users, devices, and cloud services.

Proficiency in network maintenance ensures the uninterrupted flow of data, minimizes downtime, and enhances overall system performance.

In the realm of cloud computing, where resources are often distributed and accessed remotely, a well-maintained network is essential for seamless connectivity, data transfer, and access to cloud-based applications.

🌟 Quick facts about network maintenance as a tech skill:

Average salary: $23.33/per hour (network technician); $104,282 (network engineer)

The number of positions for network and computer systems administrators is expected to grow by at least 2% from 2022 to 2032 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This is a great skill to learn if you want to get your foot in the door in the tech world, as you can start as an entry-level network technician and work your way up

💻 What the course covers:

You'll master network theory, internet infrastructure, basic network security, management and troubleshooting.

🔎 Course facts:

Course Name: Networking Fundamentals

Platform: Coursera

Instructed by: Shadow Farrell

Price: $49/month

Skill level: Beginner

Enroll in the course here

❓ Why this course?

There are 9 modules in this course, which makes it an approachable, beginner-friendly course that you can take in chunks.

🌱 Emerging Technologies

Top Tech Skill #11: Extended Reality (Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality)

Virtual reality and augmented reality-the collective term is extended reality (XR) or sometimes called immersive reality - 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 hot technologies.

Investments in immersive reality technologies spiked in 2021, with $14 billion investment in 2018, $32 billion in 2021, and $16 billion in 2022. This suggest that demand/investment has tapered off a bit from 2021, but it's still a technology that's getting a lot of buzz and investment.

Other up-and-coming technologies in this area to be aware of include mixed reality, spatial computing, on-body and off-body sensors, haptics, and location-mapping software.

For the near future, AR is looking to outpace VR for growth and profitability. Reports predict that the global VR gaming market size will be worth $45.09 billion by 2025.

🌟 Quick facts about Extended Reality (XR) as a tech career:

Average salary: $74k for VR and $86k for AR

According to Statista, the market size was around $6.1 billion in 2016 but is expected to reach $72.8 billion by 2024.

If you have programming skills, consider learning Unity to help develop skills. They provide free tutorials.

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. You'll gain a better understanding of the complex landscape of extended reality, build your own 3D world, and deploy your own applications.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

It's a relatively short course (5 hours of content) that will level up your game development computer skills.

Top Tech Skill #12: Internet of Things (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. California and the UK introduced legislation in 2019 to make IoT devices safer and more secure. Plus, the Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020 requires agencies to increase cybersecurity for IoT devices owned or controlled by the federal government. As of December 5, 2022, all government agencies can no longer renew procurement contracts with companies whose IoT devices do not comply with certain standards and guidelines.

Cybersecurity professionals who specialize in IoT will likely be highly sought after for this reason.

During the pandemic, 79% of US businesses launched new IoT projects as a direct result of COVID-19. Not only that, but 84% of businesses who had already adopted IoT started increasing the pace at which they launched projects due to the pandemic.

There's also now the industrial internet of things (IIoT), which is the use of IoT in industrial sectors and applications. Smart cities also use various physical devices connected to the IoT network to optimize the efficiency of city operations and services.

🌟 Quick facts about IoT as a tech career:

💻 What the course covers:

Design IoT solutions and networks, identify components required, understand how data management fits in, analyze security risks, and ultimately produce a fleshed-out idea that's ready to prototype.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ 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.

Top Tech Skill #13: Quantum Computing

Quantum computing is a mix of physics, engineering, math and computer science.

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. The Research Centre of Finland even believes that quantum computing could help minimize the impact of epidemics or pandemics in the future.

🌟 Quick facts about quantum computing as a tech career:

💻 What the course covers:

Intro to quantum physics phenomenon and covers topics from single operations to a complete algorithm.

🔎 Course facts:

Course Name: Introduction to Quantum Computing for Everyone

Platform: edX

Instructed by: Diana Franklin & Kate Smith

Price: Free (optional upgrade available)

Skill level: Intermediate (requires knowledge of basic algebra)

Enroll in the course here

❓ Why this course?

Taught by two women in tech. Provides an intuitive introduction to the impacts, underlying phenomenon, and programming principles that underlie quantum computing.

Top Tech Skill #14: Robotics

As a robotics engineer, you can specialize in software or hardware roles, working on virtual or physical bots. Physical robotics can encompass medical equipment, exploration bots, animatronics for films or amusement parks, automated manufacturing equipment, and more.

Virtual bots can exist in software and online to help automate tasks like customer service, virtual assistance, etc. You'll notice an overlap with AI in this space.

Robots became "essential workers" during the pandemic, monitoring COVID-19 patients, making deliveries, checking people's temperatures, and more.

Recently, engineers and paleontologists teamed up to build a robot model of a long-extinct starfish ancestor, showing how different industries and disciplines can use robotics for more applications than you might think.

Learn more about how to become a robotics engineer in this podcast episode with Camille Eddy, who is a robotics and product engineer who speaks internationally about inclusion in the tech community).

🌟 Quick facts about robotics as a tech career:

Average salary: $93,259 for robotics engineers

In February 2023, the stock of operational robots around the globe hit a new record of about 3.5 million. That means there will likely be roles created and job opportunities to maintain and improve, but also create more.

The robotics engineer job market is expected to grow by 6.4% between 2016 and 2026

It's estimated that over the next 10 years, the US will need 12,500 robotics engineers

💻 What the course covers:

Learn how robots operate, adjust their movements across a variety of terrains, serve useful real-world functions in scenarios like disaster recovery and healthcare, and so on. For a course project, you'll learn how to program a robot to move and fly.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

This specialization is comprised of 6 courses taught by a collection of professors from the School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

💻 What the course covers:

Build hands-on projects to acquire core robotics software engineering skills: ROS, Gazebo, Localization, Mapping, SLAM, Navigation, and Path Planning.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

Begin your exploration into the world of robotics software engineering with a practical, system-focused approach to programming robots using the ROS framework and C++. In addition, you'll learn and apply robotics software engineering algorithms such as localization, mapping, and navigation.

📱 Design and Development

Top Tech Skill #15: 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 tech career:

Average salary: $104,458 per year

According to the BLS, web developers and digital designers-which includes UX designers-is expected to grow 26% from 2022-2032, much faster than average.

UX and UI designers have many specific tools of the trade-like these design tools.

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:

Why this course?

It has a 4.5-star rating from over 15,000 ratings, with over 103,000 students enrolled. The instructor has been helping Fortune 100, Fortune 500, and various government organizations with UX design for nearly three decades.

Top Tech Skill #16: Mobile Development

There are 7.33 billion smartphone users in the world today, and that number is continuing to grow every year. This means that companies who want to stay relevant don't just need websites; they need apps.

Having tech skills in demand like mobile development 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 Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game engage with the real world, blending technology and reality.

If you want to start learning mobile development, first figure out which is the best mobile app development language or platform for your needs. Then check out these 20 mobile app development courses.

🌟 Quick facts about mobile development as a tech career:

What the course covers:

Swift is the language of iOS, created by Apple. You can use the language to build applications for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. Build your own apps or land a full-time job at a company that uses Swift.

Course facts:

Why this course?

Learn how to program from absolute scratch using Swift and learn many fundamental concepts that will get you started writing code immediately. (No prior programming experience is needed.)

Top Tech Skill #17: 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.

According to Coinclub's Blockchain Jobs Report 2023, blockchain-related industries are growing around the globe, but the number of jobs did dip in 2023. However, there is still demand for people with knowledge of blockchain technology and Web3 (a term used to describe the next iteration of the internet and an extension of cryptocurrency).

Some of the blockchain technological 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 tech career:

💻 What the course covers:

Broad intro into what blockchain is, including how to design and program smart contracts and decentralized applications.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

Includes hands-on activities and is taught by a computer science professor at University at Buffalo.

💻 What the course covers:

In this program, you'll work with the Bitcoin and Ethereum protocols, build projects for real-world application, and gain the essential IT skills in demand for a career in this dynamic space.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

This course will teach you all the top technical skills you need for a career in blockchain development within an average of 4 months.

Top Tech Skill #18: Low-Code Platforms

Gartner predicts that by 2026, developers outside formal IT departments will account for at least 80% of the user base for low-code development tools, up from 60% in 2021. During the pandemic, for example, companies had to rely on low-code solutions (instead of waiting for month-long code sprints) to come up with solutions to problems related to COVID-19 (e.g., increased demand). There will be a continued need for this in 2024 and beyond.

What exactly is low-code? Low-code involves "coding" using a drag-and-drop interface, pre-built templates and other visual elements that take much less time than traditional coding.

Popular low-code platforms include Salesforce (#20 on our list), Shopify, Microsoft Power Apps, Zoho Mendix, and IBM Automation Platform.

The idea is that low-code platforms help developers take mundane tasks off their plate and focus on more challenging problems. It also means people with more limited tech skills can build programs and make modifications to existing applications without knowing how to code in the traditional sense.

Because companies are finding it harder to find software developers (and hiring budgets may be lower due to the pandemic), having low-code computer skills can make you stand out and be more efficient at your job.

🌟 Quick facts about low-code:

What the course covers:

How to develop low-code mobile and web apps using Mendix, a popular low-code platform used by businesses to develop apps quickly.

🔎 Course facts:

Why this course?

Teaches practical applications of Mendix from the get-go.

Top Tech Skill #19: Programming Languages in General

Having a foundation of programming language skills can open doors for you in a lot of different ways.

Glassdoor's list of top jobs for 2022 includes a lot of the best tech jobs for the future. Java developer is their #9 best job, data scientist is #3, software engineer is #8, etc. Full-stack engineering has seen 35% hiring growth every year since 2015.

When it comes to specific skills, there are some notable trends:

Of course, the language that's best for you to learn depends on your specific goals and the most in-demand tech skills for your desired career.

Courses to Learn 17 Programming Languages

1. HTML and CSS: HTML5 and CSS Fundamentals on edX (Free - add verified certificate for $199)

2. JavaScript: JavaScript Path on Pluralsight ($29/month with a Pluralsight membership)

3. Python: Introduction to Python Programming on Udacity (free)

4. Java: Introduction to Programming in Java on edX ($402.30)

5. C#: The Ultimate C# Mastery Series on Code with Mosh ($89 or $29/month with a Code With Mosh membership)

6. PHP: PHP Development Fundamentals on Pluralsight ($29/month with a Pluralsight membership)

7. Go: Programming with Google Go Specialization on Coursera ($49/month with a Coursera membership)

8. Scala: Introduction to Scala on Datacamp (Free)

9. Ruby: Ruby Core Curriculum at Launch School ($199/month)

10. Typescript: TypeScript Fundamentals ($29/month with a Pluralsight membership)

11. Kotlin: Programming Fundamentals in Kotlin on Coursera ($49/month with a Coursera membership)

12. SQL: The Complete SQL Bootcamp on Udemy ($139.99 but often on sale)

13. Swift: Swift Fundamentals on Pluralsight ($29/month with a Pluralsight membership)

14. R: R Programming: Advanced Analytics In R For Data Science on Udemy ($99.99 but often on sale)

15. C: Introduction to Programming in C Specialization on Coursera ($49/month with a Coursera membership)

16. C++: The Ultimate C++ Series on Code With Mosh ($99 or $29/month with a Code With Mosh membership)

17. Objective-C: Foundations of Objective-C App Development on Coursera ($49/month with a Coursera membership)

💼 Management and Business

Top Tech Skill #20: Product Management

There's no single job description of product management. Roles will likely look different across different companies and product types (software, apps, physical products, etc). Since almost every company sells some kind of product, these are consistently some of the most high demand skills across the board.

At its core, product management is about making a product the best it can be. That may entail considering market demand, conducting surveys and potential user tests, acting as a liaison between developers and designers assigned to the product, etc.

Especially if you're working on a technical product, having the ability to understand and speak tech terminology will make you more successful.

Learn more about what product management involves here, including what exactly a product manager does and how to get into this role.

Learn more about how to become a product manager here (a podcast episode with Sam Gimbel, who started out by studying neuroscience and became a product manager and later the co-founder of his own businesses).

🌟 Quick facts about product management as a tech career:

💻 What the course covers:

Learn all the good skills to have for product management, from idea through execution. You'll become familiar with the processes and tools involved in market research, prototyping, metric measuring, understanding core tech concepts, leading a team, and more.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

In addition to teaching the tried-and-true best skills to learn for the future of product management, the course dedicates time to the job-search process as well, giving tips on the resume, portfolio, interview, and what to look for in product management jobs. Over a thousand students who have taken this course now work as product managers.

Top Tech Skill #21: Salesforce/CRMs

Salesforce is one of the world's top 10 software companies by annual revenue, so there are a lot of opportunities for work in this space. CRMs, or customer relationship management solutions, provide companies with efficient ways to manage their sales, marketing, and customer support.

Developers are able to build on existing Salesforce infrastructure to create applications and projects specific to the needs of their company.

Furthermore, demand for Salesforce developers has been seeing an increasing demand during the pandemic. "It's not a coincidence that more organizations are looking to optimize and automate their business flows, especially during the COVID-crisis," says Dmitriy Ogol via Salesforce Ben, "And Salesforce is known for being the best solution for doing so."

On the podcast, listen to Zac Otero talk about transitioning into tech as a self-taught Salesforce admin.

🌟 Quick facts about Salesforce as a tech career:

💻 What the course covers:

Programming in Apex (the language of Salesforce), creating a Salesforce developer's account, and all the features you can implement.

🔎 Course facts:

❓Why this course?

Assumes no prior Salesforce experience and provides real-world examples to illustrate the concepts you're learning.

Top Tech Skill #22: Digital Marketing

From SEO to email marketing to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to A/B testing, digital marketing is a good skill to have, whether you work in a technical or non-technical role.

Digital marketing is also a useful tech skill if you want to freelance or market yourself online. You can use it to build an online presence.

🌟 Quick facts about digital marketing as a tech skill:

💻 What the course covers:

Covers 12 major online marketing topics, such as market research, WordPress, SEO, copywriting, Google Adwords, Google Analytics, email marketing, and more!

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

20+ hours of clear-cut lectures and practice activities - it's like 12 courses in 1! You'll do projects like build a mailing list of 1,000 people in 30 days from scratch and writing a sales page.

Top Tech Skill #23: Technical Writing

Technical writing is pretty much what it sounds like! It involves writing about technical topics to communicate complex information easily-whether it's for a software manual, how-to guide, online knowledge base, or other supporting documentation.

You can either use this tech skill for a career in technical writing or to make you a better communicator in any field.

🌟 Quick facts about technical writing as a tech skill:

💻 What the course covers:

Starts with the fundamentals of technical writing and then covers the parts of a technical document, selecting the proper tone for writing a technical document, how to build your portfolio as a technical writer, and more!

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

Instructors are experienced technical writers who will guide you through every step of your learning journey.

🗄️ Tech Skills for Non-Tech Jobs

Top Tech Skill #24: Excel/Basic Data Analysis

If you don't want to work in tech specifically, what are some technical skills you should learn? A great place to start your technical skill development is basic data analysis using spreadsheet software like Excel or Google Sheets.

A lot of professionals, from marketers to administrative assistants to salespeople, use spreadsheets to speed up their work, be more efficient, or even just impress their boss.

Start here to find out some of the best computer skills to learn in Excel: 19 Most Useful Excel Skills That Will Make You Look Like a Spreadsheet Pro.

🌟 Quick facts about Excel/basic data analytics as a tech skill:

According to this study, learning Excel could get you a higher salary!

You can do pretty much anything with a spreadsheet. Even if you never end up using it at your job, you can use it in your personal life - build a budget, plan a family trip, etc.

💻 What the course covers:

You will learn a list of technical skills using Microsoft Excel (also applicable to Google Sheets). That includes spreadsheet and workbook anatomy, data entry, summary, and manipulation, plotting and visualization, and powerful tools such as functions, conditional formatting, vlookup, mathematical formulas, etc.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

This course will provide you with a foundation upon which you can build more advanced skills in the future.

Top Tech Skill #25: Basic Familiarity with HTML

HTML is a valuable skill for non-tech roles because it provides foundational insights into digital content structure, aiding in tasks such as content creation, email formatting, and using web-based tools.

Having these types of technical skills enhances collaboration with tech teams, facilitates problem-solving, and contributes to digital literacy in the modern workplace, making you a more versatile and appealing candidate for career advancement.

🌟 Quick facts about HTML as a tech skill:

The BLS reports that Web Developers and Digital Designer jobs (who use HTML a lot) is expected to grow 16% f rom 2022-2032 (much faster than average)

Knowing HTML could potentially set you up for promotions/career growth in your current role

You could start a technical side gig creating or editing websites, or you could take on new responsibilities at your current job to get a raise/promotion

💻 What the course covers:

The basics of HTML, including how to structure pages with HTML, present data with tables, and write cleaner HTML.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

You'll learn hands-on by writing your own code live in Codecademy's online, interactive platform.

Top Tech Skill #26: Basic Graphic Design (e.g., Canva)

Learning basic graphic design skills and being able to use tools like Canva will enable you to create everything from social media graphics and slide decks to leaflets and posters.

🌟 Quick facts about graphic design as a tech skill:

Graphic design is a versatile technical skill that can help in various industries, from marketing and advertising to user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.

Combining graphic design skills with coding (e.g., HTML, CSS) is advantageous for creating aesthetically pleasing and functional user interfaces.

💻 What the course covers:

This course will help you get started with Canva as a complete beginner, and then provide you with a roadmap that will push you to grow into a confident content creator.

🔎 Course facts:

❓ Why this course?

Through this course, you'll use Canva to create 18 different visuals you need to promote a business. You'll also learn technological skills like creating visuals & animated GIFs for social media, editing videos for TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, making your own website, designing pitch deck presentations, etc.

🤝 Bonus: Soft Skills That Can Help Your Technical Career

These days, many tech professionals aren't hidden away doing solitary work in cubicles-they work on teams. Thus, some of the best skills to learn for this industry include communication, negotiation, listening skills, open-mindedness, and patience. These can help further your career just as much as a new certification.

These soft skills can also help get your foot in the door of an entry-level role like customer success specialist, where you can provide support to customers using a technical product. You can potentially use this knowledge of the product to your advantage while you study related information technology skills with the goal of making a departmental transfer.

As AI and robotics become capable of automating more tasks, it can benefit you to specialize in uniquely human areas requiring creativity, empathy, critical thinking, storytelling, and so on.

Even if you aren't gunning for one of these roles, taking courses to learn the skills involved could benefit you in ways you don't even anticipate!

FAQs About the Top Technologies to Learn in 2024

Got questions about the most in-demand skills for the future? Let's answer some!

Why should I learn in-demand tech skills in 2024?

There are tons of reasons to learn an in-demand tech skill. First, well-it's in demand! Employers are actively looking for people with these skills, so having them can open up more opportunities for you. Second, if you know an in-demand tech skill that can bolster your current career, it can give you an advantage over others in the job market. Third, in-demand skills typically come with high salaries, so you can set yourself up with high income skills for the future and be financially comfortable!

What skill should I learn?

It can be tough to decide which tech skill to learn, especially with so many options. A few ways to narrow it down include:

Thinking about what you actually enjoy - for example, if you'd love to work with robots, learning robotics or AI would be a great option!

What are you naturally good at? Are you good at math? Do you enjoy managing people? These can all help you decide.

Consider the skills you already have and how they'd transfer to a new career / complement a new skill.

How fast you'd like to jump into a new career - some skills take longer than others to learn, so how much are you willing to commit?

What salary are you hoping to get? Again, some skills are higher-paid than others, but this may not matter as much to you.

What is your "dream job"? What career do you see as your end goal? Think of your ideal job and jot down all the skills you'll need to achieve that dream.

Which in-demand tech skills are the most future-proof?

Since the tech world is constantly changing, it's impossible to tell for sure which high demand skills for the next 10 years will continue to be lucrative long into the future. However, any of the skills on this list are as "future proof" as you can get. Even if any of these tech skills become obsolete, you can still take what you know about each skill to other areas of tech and apply them in other industries/jobs.

Aren't robots/computers going to take over all our jobs anyway?

It may seem like robots and AI are taking over human jobs-self-driving cars, retail chatbots, etc.-but this is not entirely the case! There are still humans behind driverless cars, chatbots, and other types of automation. It has actually created more tech jobs!

According to a report from the World Economic Forum, 85M jobs will have been replaced by machines with AI between 2020-2025. That may sound scary, but the same report states that 97M new jobs will have been created due to AI by that same year.

What are the best tech skills to learn for a career change?

When you want to make a career change into tech from an unrelated role, try finding a tech role that overlaps with things you're already doing/already good at. Try some free tech/coding tutorials to check out a few skills you may be interested in and figure out if you like it.

If you're still unsure, learn why Python is a good tech skill to learn for career changers. Python is often a great entry point to a ton of tech careers. Also, check out these 13 tips for making a career change later in life.

Which Technology Skills Will You Learn This Year?

No matter what, learning new technologies and abilities from this list of technical skills will set you well on your way to a successful new tech career in 2024 and beyond. Now it just comes down to which is best suited for your personality and interests-and that one's up to you :)

Whether you're brand-new to coding and tech, or you have some experience already and are ready to narrow down and specialize in a specific area, there are a lot of opportunities to level up your top skills in IT without spending a fortune.

To get started, check out these 100+ amazing platforms where you can learn to code for free, or 70 coding books to add to your educational library!

Note: there are affiliate links in this post.

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The Most In-demand Tech Skills to Learn in 2024 - Learn to Code With Me

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Which are the top technical skills to learn in 2024? We've identified the 26 most in-demand tech skills for the future, plus where to learn them.