How to Succeed in Today’s Competitive Job Market

The tech job market is splitting in two—between those who work directly with technology, and those who help it run.

On the first side are software engineers, cloud architects, and data scientists—roles that still command six-figure salaries but whose job postings have plummeted by as much as 70%. On the second are HVAC technicians, field engineers, and electricians, jobs with postings and wages climbing.

Workers with AI skills are earning a 28% salary premium—almost $18,000 more per year—according to a 2025 Lightcast report analyzing more than 1.3 billion job postings. AI is also fueling tech jobs in the trades, with rising demand for people who build and maintain the infrastructure that powers AI: data centers, cooling systems, and electrical grids.

So where should you look for work in 2026? It depends on whether you want to write the code or wire the building.

The AI Skills Premium

The demand for AI skills spans industries beyond Silicon Valley. AI skills are showing up in more postings in marketing, media, and finance, and are commanding higher pay.

In many industries—like business management, sales, and healthcare—about half of job postings mention artificial intelligence in general. In contrast, jobs in sectors like finance, computer science, and science and research mention machine learning and other, more specialized, AI skills.

“Career areas from performing arts to finance show triple-digit growth in AI job requirements,” states the Lightcast report. “The labor market has made its decision about AI—not as a future possibility, but as a present necessity.”

Many AI-related jobs are concentrated in tech, an industry that’s doing better than recent layoff headlines suggest.

Employment in computer and mathematical occupations remains nearly 20% higher than it was before the pandemic even though job listings since early 2020 have declined, according to Laura Ullrich, North America research director for the Indeed Hiring Lab.

Many top occupations were in health care. But so were tech roles like data scientist, software engineer, cloud engineer, product manager, and full-stack developer. All pay median annual salaries of $100,000 or more.

“Ultimately, the tech roles on our list represent these high-impact positions that remain essential for long-term digital transformation and productivity growth,” said Ullrich.

Landing these jobs requires specialized skills. For example, to be a software engineer or data scientist, you need to know programming languages like R, Python, JavaScript, C, and C++. But not every tech job demands technical skills: Product managers, for instance, may prioritize communication over coding.

Trades Are the New Tech Jobs

Not every in-demand tech job requires a computer science degree—or even a desk.

Job postings for HVAC technicians surged 93% over three years, the highest growth rate of any tech-related role on Indeed’s list. Electrical supervisor postings grew by more than 20%, while journeymen electricians held relatively steady at -4%—far better than software engineers (-61%) or full-stack developers (-70%).

The pay is rising fast, too. Field technicians had 40% wage growth, controls engineers had 33%, and HVAC techs had 17%. Compare that to software engineers and cloud engineers, whose wages fell.

What’s driving the shift? Data centers powering AI need cooling systems. Electric vehicles need charging infrastructure. Smart homes need people who can install and troubleshoot them. These are tech jobs—just with tool belts instead of keyboards.

For workers priced out of a four-year degree or burned out on coding bootcamps, skilled trades offer higher-than-median salaries, job security, and something software engineers increasingly can’t count on: growing demand.