As we continue into 2026, businesses are dialed in on hiring roles centered around AI, cybersecurity, data management, and network and system management, according to Robert Half Technology’s 2026 IT salary report. Data from the report shows these 10 tech positions have experienced above-average sequential growth and consistent demand throughout the past 12 months, based off an analysis of thousands of job postings and placements.
Top priorities for business leaders during the year include AI and ML (45%), IT operations and infrastructure (36%), IT governance and compliance (25%), cloud architecture and operations (24%), and data engineering and analytics (22%). The report also shows that only 7% of leaders say they have the necessary capabilities to complete prioritized projects, and 65% said they expect to upskill their current team members to meet skills gaps in these key areas.
Here are 10 jobs expected to be in high demand throughout 2026, the skills and experience you should look for when hiring, and expected salary ranges to stay competitive in the marketplace, as well as average pay based off experience.
The 10 most in-demand tech jobs for 2026
Job25th percentile50th percentile75th percentileAI/ML engineer$134,000$170,750$179,500Cybersecurity engineer$118,500$144,000$190,750Data analyst$96,250$117,250$138,500Data scientist$121,750$153,750$182,500DevOps engineer$118,000$145,750$173,750ERP business analyst$101,000$123,250$142,250IT project manager$103,500$122,750$147,000Network/cloud engineer$110,000$132,000$155,000Software engineer$109,250$142,000$175,500Systems administrator$80,250$98,000$118,000
