The 15 Best IT Jobs of The Future

Software engineering, data, cybersecurity, and cloud infrastructure offer several career paths worth investigating. Choosing between them means looking beyond the title: what work would you do, which skills would you need, and what evidence suggests opportunities will exist?

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy among the skills employers expect to grow in importance through 2030. These are surveyed employer expectations, which provide a different perspective from national employment projections.

The fifteen roles below are an editorial shortlist of IT and digital-product careers to compare. The order is not a statistical ranking. Some are established occupations; others are specializations that overlap in job advertisements. None comes with a guarantee of employment, a particular salary, or protection from changes in automation.

What the employment data actually shows

The following figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2025–2035 occupational projections table. Wages are U.S. annual medians for May 2025, in USD, across experience levels and work arrangements. They are not starting salaries, worldwide remote rates, or forecasts of future pay.

These categories do not provide separate forecasts for every title below. In particular, a data-scientist projection should not be presented as an independent growth estimate for AI engineers or BI developers. Projected employment growth also differs from current vacancies and the number of openings accessible to beginners.

1. Software engineer

Software engineers build and maintain applications, services, and the systems connecting them. Work can involve customer-facing products, internal tools, APIs, or infrastructure software. The BLS software-developer profile describes a broader responsibility than writing code: understanding needs, designing components, testing, and maintaining the result.

Skills to develop: One programming language in depth, databases, version control, testing, APIs, and debugging. Learn to explain design decisions and review changes made by people or AI tools.

Route to explore: Build a small application with authentication, a database, tests, and deployment instructions. Document a difficult bug and how you resolved it. Check the education and experience requirements in actual junior vacancies.

Remote considerations: Ask about code review, onboarding support, collaboration hours, and ownership of production incidents. Browse remote software-engineering roles on Jobicy to compare responsibilities.

2. AI and machine learning engineer

These engineers turn models into usable systems. Depending on the role, the work may involve training models, building inference services, integrating existing models, or evaluating an AI feature against a business requirement. An applied AI position can differ substantially from a research position.

Skills to develop: Programming, statistics, data preparation, model evaluation, deployment, and monitoring. For generative AI, investigate retrieval, evaluation datasets, failure handling, and appropriate data access. NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework provides context for considering risks throughout AI design, use, and evaluation.

Route to explore: Build a narrowly scoped system and compare it with a simpler baseline. Explain where it fails, how you evaluate it, and what it costs to operate. Review whether target roles expect software experience, advanced study, or both.

Remote considerations: Clarify access to training data, computing resources, and production systems. A demonstration using public data does not establish permission to use employer data in external tools.

3. Data engineer

Data engineers build the pipelines and structures that make information usable by applications, analysts, and models. The work includes moving data, handling changes, checking quality, and making failures diagnosable. O*NET’s data-warehousing profile describes related responsibilities such as source mapping, transformation, quality checks, and documentation.

Skills to develop: SQL, programming, data modeling, batch and streaming concepts, orchestration, testing, and access controls.

Route to explore: Create a pipeline from a public dataset into a documented model. Show how it handles missing values, duplicate input, failed runs, and repeat processing. Investigate junior data roles or build from existing software, database, or analytics experience.

Remote considerations: Check restrictions on data location and access, plus expectations for responding when a pipeline fails.

4. Data scientist

Data scientists investigate questions using statistics, programming, and domain knowledge. Their work may include experiments, forecasting, classification, or analysis that supports a decision. The BLS data-scientist profile provides a useful starting point for duties and education requirements.

Skills to develop: Statistics, SQL, programming, experimental design, model validation, and clear explanations of uncertainty.

Route to explore: Take a question from definition to analysis using suitable public data. Explain your assumptions, baseline, validation approach, limitations, and recommendation. A project should show your reasoning as well as its charts or model score.

Remote considerations: Ask how analysts obtain business context and collaborate with decision-makers. Review Jobicy’s data-science and analytics vacancies to distinguish research-heavy roles from product or business analysis.

5. Business intelligence developer

BI developers make business information usable through reports, dashboards, and reliable definitions of metrics. O*NET’s business-intelligence profile covers related work in reporting, maintaining tools, and turning information into recommendations. Some employers combine these responsibilities with analytics engineering; compare the actual scope.

Skills to develop: SQL, data modeling, a relevant BI tool, data validation, and communication with the people using the reports.

Route to explore: Build a dashboard with a written definition for every important metric. Include validation queries and explain which decision each view supports. Experience in finance, operations, sales, or another domain can help you frame useful questions.

Remote considerations: Check how requirements are gathered and who owns metric definitions. You need opportunities to clarify the business question, even when the work happens asynchronously.

6. Cybersecurity analyst

Cybersecurity analysts help protect systems through activities such as monitoring, investigation, vulnerability management, and improving controls. The precise balance varies between a security-operations role and one focused on risk or governance. The BLS information-security profile notes that related experience is typically relevant and that some analysts work on call.

Skills to develop: Networking, operating systems, identity and access, logs, incident analysis, and concise reporting.

Route to explore: In an authorized lab, investigate a simulated incident and write an evidence-based report with a timeline, findings, and recommended actions. Check whether target vacancies require prior IT experience or a particular credential.

Remote considerations: Confirm shift coverage, on-call arrangements, location restrictions, and any requirement to work in a controlled environment.

7. Application security engineer

Application security engineers help teams identify and address security risks in software design and delivery. This can include threat modeling, code review, dependency risks, and helping developers verify fixes. NIST’s Secure Software Development Framework describes practices for integrating security into software development.

Skills to develop: Software development, authentication and authorization, secure design, testing, and explaining risk in terms a product team can act on.

Route to explore: Review an application you own or are authorized to assess. Document a design risk, implement a fix, and add a test that checks the relevant behavior. Building from development or another security role is one path to investigate.

Remote considerations: Ask how security engineers participate in planning and reviews. Confirm authorization and scope before performing any assessment.

8. Cloud engineer

Cloud engineers configure and operate computing environments, including identity, networking, deployment, observability, and recovery. The AWS Well-Architected Framework illustrates the kinds of tradeoffs involved: security, reliability, performance, operational practices, cost, and sustainability.

Skills to develop: Linux, networking, a relevant cloud environment, infrastructure as code, scripting, access management, and cost analysis.

Route to explore: Deploy a small service with restricted access, monitoring, backup arrangements, and a documented teardown. Explain the operating costs and recovery process. Match any certification study to requirements in the roles you want.

Remote considerations: Check production-access rules and incident coverage. Cloud systems can be managed remotely, but a particular employer may still impose geographic or attendance requirements.

9. Platform engineer

Platform engineers build internal capabilities that help other engineers deliver software. That might include standard deployment paths, development environments, observability, or approved ways to obtain infrastructure. The CNCF Platforms White Paper describes internal platforms as a way to provide capabilities to their users within an organization.

Skills to develop: Software and infrastructure engineering, automation, documentation, developer experience, and gathering feedback from internal users.

Route to explore: Create a reusable service template that includes testing, deployment, and clear instructions. Explain the choices it standardizes and where users still need flexibility. Investigate the software or operations experience requested by platform teams.

Remote considerations: Clarify whether the team builds shared capabilities, handles delivery operations, or does both. Search Jobicy’s DevOps and infrastructure category across related titles.

10. Site reliability engineer

Site reliability engineers apply software engineering to operating services. Google’s introduction to SRE explains its approach to automation, service objectives, monitoring, and incident response. Employers use the title differently, so examine the operating responsibilities.

Skills to develop: Programming, systems troubleshooting, observability, reliability targets, incident handling, and reducing repetitive operational work through automation.

Route to explore: Instrument a small service, define a reliability objective, simulate a failure safely, and write a recovery guide. Prior production or operations experience may be important for the vacancies you target.

Remote considerations: Ask about the on-call rotation, escalation support, coverage hours, and expectations after an incident. Remote work does not automatically mean a predictable daytime schedule.

11. Test automation engineer

Test automation engineers build checks and testing systems that help teams evaluate software changes. Depending on the organization, titles include quality engineer, automation engineer, or software development engineer in test. Scope can extend from application behavior to performance and delivery infrastructure.

Skills to develop: Programming, test design, APIs, continuous integration, debugging, and identifying which risks need human investigation.

Route to explore: Add a testing pipeline to an application, including meaningful failure reports and an explanation of what remains untested. A clear defect report and a reproducible test can demonstrate complementary skills.

Remote considerations: Confirm access to test environments and devices. Hardware-dependent testing may require equipment delivery or time at a physical site. Read vacancies to distinguish automation work from roles primarily focused on manual testing.

12. Database engineer or architect

Database work concerns how systems store, retrieve, protect, and change information. Engineering positions may focus on operation and performance; architecture adds broader design responsibility. The BLS database profile distinguishes administrators from architects and describes experienced administrators progressing into architecture.

Skills to develop: SQL, schema design, indexes, transactions, access controls, performance analysis, backup, and recovery.

Route to explore: Design a database for a small application, document a schema migration, and demonstrate a restore from backup. Investigate database or backend roles appropriate to your experience before treating an architect title as an entry point.

Remote considerations: Ask about maintenance windows, sensitive-data access, and incident duties. Clarify whether the role operates databases, designs them, or spans both.

13. Network engineer or architect

Networking connects applications, people, offices, and cloud environments. Work can include routing, connectivity, segmentation, resilience, and troubleshooting. The BLS network-architect profile describes designing and implementing networks and identifies related experience as part of the typical route.

Skills to develop: Network protocols, routing, DNS, network security, cloud connectivity, troubleshooting, and documenting designs.

Route to explore: Build an authorized virtual lab with separate network segments and explain how you diagnose a connectivity problem. Network support or operations may provide experience relevant to later design responsibilities.

Remote considerations: Distinguish cloud-network work from roles involving physical equipment, installations, or customer sites. Ask who handles on-site tasks and whether travel is required.

14. Computer systems analyst

Systems analysts connect business requirements with technical changes. The BLS systems-analyst profile describes evaluating existing systems, comparing improvements, and helping implement and test them. This can be worth exploring when you combine domain knowledge with an interest in technology.

Skills to develop: Requirements analysis, process mapping, data interpretation, integration concepts, cost-benefit analysis, testing, and stakeholder communication.

Route to explore: Map a familiar workflow, identify a concrete problem, compare possible solutions, and write requirements and acceptance criteria. Use nonconfidential material or an illustrative scenario.

Remote considerations: Check how the analyst meets users and observes their work. Requirements workshops, implementation periods, or access to physical processes may involve travel or scheduled attendance.

15. UX or digital product designer

Digital product designers investigate user needs, develop interfaces, test ideas, and work with engineering teams on implementation. The responsibilities can differ across UX research, interaction design, and visual design. Accessibility adds concrete design constraints; W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines include requirements related to keyboard operation and other aspects of accessible interfaces.

Skills to develop: Research methods, interaction design, prototyping, usability testing, accessibility, and explaining design decisions.

Route to explore: Create a case study showing the problem, evidence, options considered, testing, and revisions. Label self-directed work accurately and explain its limitations. A polished screen alone gives limited information about your process.

Remote considerations: Ask how research participants are recruited and whether interviews, workshops, or testing require travel. Check which design responsibilities the employer expects one person to cover.

How to choose a path that fits your starting point

Compare the work and requirements before committing to a training program. The following are possible directions to investigate, not guaranteed entry routes.

If you are moving from another field, Jobicy’s transferable-skills guide can help you identify relevant experience. Then compare it with the requirements employers actually publish.

Choose a manageable project that demonstrates the work, and seek feedback before adding more tools or courses. The projects suggested above are learning examples, not evidence that a single project qualifies someone for employment. Education, experience, credentials, and assessment requirements differ by employer and role.

What to check before pursuing a remote IT role

For each vacancy, confirm location eligibility, working hours, on-call duties, required experience, and whether the arrangement is fully remote or includes attendance. Ask how new employees receive access, feedback, and support while learning the systems.

When comparing pay, use the relevant country, level, employment arrangement, and compensation components. Jobicy’s salary guides can provide additional context; cross-check estimates with the employer’s actual range and other suitable sources.

Use current remote vacancies to test a career idea against real requirements. Save relevant descriptions, identify recurring responsibilities, and choose the next skill or work sample that addresses a specific gap.

A career forecast can point you toward an area to investigate. Your next useful decision is more concrete: choose a role whose work interests you, establish what employers require, and build evidence that you can perform that work.