Blockchain, JavaScript most in-demand programming skills

Demand for blockchain programming skills increased 552% in 2022, despite cryptocurrency market downturns, according to DevSkiller’s Digital & IT Skills Report 2023.

JavaScript, Java, SQL and Python led the list of the most in-demand programming skills, according to the report, which is based on 209,249 skills assessments sent through the DevSkiller platform to candidates and employees globally.

The report indicated that there is a growing demand for roles that require deep technical expertise and sophisticated IT skills such as cloud-based Java.

“If you follow industry trends closely, the report is not that surprising,” said Tomasz Nurkiewicz, DevSkiller’s CTO. “It closely reflects job trends and behaviors.”

However, Nurkiewicz admitted that he is surprised by the rise of blockchain-related technologies and said that it is difficult to predict how the collapse of FTX and other cryptocrashes could affect the IT job market in 2023.

“Either the market was still not ready for a crypto crash, or companies started using blockchains for non-financial use cases,” he noted. “We don’t see a drop in 2022 data yet – quite the opposite – but recruitment processes may lag behind the market.”

Related: 10 Business Applications of Blockchain Technology

From his perspective, many startups built around NFTs or Ethereum will go bankrupt, reducing the popularity of blockchain.

“In the event that happens, blockchain developers should think about retraining or gaining additional skills to change careers,” he advised.

Python and C remain popular among the most in-demand programming skills

Other predictions show that Python and C will continue to be popular among programmers, while Java and PHP may fall in popularity.

Nurkiewicz added that it can be a little surprising to see the same technologies repeatedly: For example, React is the No. 1 web technology for the fourth time.

“Our report represents a large part of the market, rather than what is popular recently,” he explained. “So in a way it is more similar to today’s industry, but at the same time it lacks the latest technologies. It is understandable, since such technologies are not adopted immediately.”

Skills in Java and JavaScript platforms remain very attractive to organizations looking for IT talent because web applications became an important part of the Internet, he said.

Related: Should developers learn Java programming language in 2022?

“Additionally, many organizations prefer to have a responsive web application rather than a native app,” Nurkiewicz said. “Native apps, on the other hand, are also often written in JavaScript.”

Retraining and upgrading may be the best option

The study also found that more than half of skills assessment invitations in 2022 were for junior developers, while 18% were for mid-level developers, and 31% were for senior developers and engineers.

“From our report and our internal studies, we see that reskilling is more important than ever,” Nurkiewicz said. “Take the big layoff, followed by massive layoffs and the crypto crash. All of these circumstances mean we have a lot of skilled workers who could easily take another position if they plan their careers carefully.”

Related: Fight the IT talent shortage with upskilling and reskilling

However, some of the workers who are out of work do not have the skills that are sufficient or are in line with the market, he said, adding that companies also expect a certain level of “softer” digital skills even from traditionally non-technical employees.

With recession worries growing and major tech companies laying off thousands, Nurkiewicz warned that the coming months could be difficult for some engineers, but added that many companies are still hiring.

“The pandemic has shown us that the external and hybrid model works, so it can be easier to find an external job,” he said. “Also, engineers have a culture of constant learning. Re-skilling or upgrading may be their best option. Also, an understanding of a specific business domain will help tremendously.”

Overall demand for technology workers remains high, resulting in an increase in salaries for IT professionals, a recent Janco report found, with median salaries for the positions surveyed now exceeding $101,000.

All salaries for IT workers in large companies rose by an average of 3.61%, with most of the large increases found at staff level, while salaries in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increased by 7.74% across the board, with slightly larger percentages for IT managers.

About the author

Nathan Eddy is a freelance writer for ITPro Today. He has written for Popular Mechanics, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine, FierceMarkets and CRN, among others. In 2012, he made his first documentary film, The Absent Column. He currently lives in Berlin.