[January 2026] Job Market Trends: Tech Career Monthly

Welcome to the 1st issue of Job Market Monthly!

So here's how this works:

Each month we check out the job market for each major field in tech (US based), so that you can get a mile-high view for how your industry is looking.

Why the US?

Simply because a lot of markets trail US by a few months so it's indicative or upcoming trends.

We do this by combining data across 3 sources:

• Indeed

• LinkedIn

• Google trends

Alright, let's not waste any valuable time and jump right into this month's data.

Current Job Trends in the Tech Industry for January 2026

1. 💻 Software Developer / Engineer

Software Developers remain the bedrock of the tech industry, but the demand has become more discerning, prioritizing specialization and experience.

Job Market Trend: Stabilizing after a period of consolidation (2022-2023). Companies are prioritizing experienced, senior-level talent who can drive immediate impact and mentor junior staff. There is a strong focus on roles tied to AI/ML integration and cloud infrastructure.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 129,000 Software Engineer (+30.6%/monthly)

• 92,000 Software Developer (+50%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 72.487 Software Engineer (-2.1%/monthly)

• 55,181 Software Developer (-8.6%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

According to projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for software developers is expected to grow 16% by 2032, adding approximately 267,700 new jobs.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

2. 🧠 AI & Machine Learning Engineer

ML Engineers are at the forefront of the current tech boom, with demand skyrocketing due to the mass adoption of generative AI.

Job Market Trend: Unprecedented expansion. The hottest segment of the tech industry, with companies moving AI from experimental projects to core business functions. A trend towards deep Domain Experts over generalists is emerging.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 54,000 AI Engineer (+27.9%/monthly)

• 21,000 ML Engineer (+29.4%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 5,738 AI Engineer (-8.8%/monthly)

• 3,402 ML Engineer (-12%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

As of 2026, Statista reports that the global AI and machine learning market is projected to reach approximately $347 billion this year, with an estimated 97 million new jobs created across the broader AI economy.

This massive surge is driven by 88% of organizations now utilizing AI in at least one business function to achieve high-impact automation and deeper data insights.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

🥼3. Data Scientist

Data Scientists continue to play a critical role in turning raw data into business insight, but the role is becoming more applied and less academic than it once was.

Job Market Trend: Strong growth with a shift toward business-facing impact. Employers are favoring Data Scientists who can translate models into decisions, work closely with product and analytics teams, and deploy insights into production environments. Pure research-focused roles are becoming less common outside of large tech and research-driven organizations.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 9,000 Data Scientist (+28.5%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 4,740 Data Scientist (-15%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

As of 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment for Data Scientists will grow 33% through 2034, making it the fourth fastest-growing occupation in the United States.

This expansion is expected to create approximately 23,400 job openings annually as organizations across all sectors seek to leverage massive volumes of data for informed, data-driven decision-making and the development of new products.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

🔒4. Cybersecurity Specialist

Cybersecurity remains a mission-critical function as digital infrastructure expands and attack surfaces grow across every industry.

Job Market Trend: Consistently rising demand driven by risk, regulation, and skills shortages. Companies are hiring across defensive, cloud security, and governance roles, with increased emphasis on hands-on experience over certifications alone. Security is also becoming increasingly embedded into engineering and infrastructure teams rather than treated as a standalone function.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 3,000 Cybersecurity Specialist (+0%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 2,687 Cybersecurity Specialist (+1.6%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

Statista projects that the global cybersecurity market will reach approximately $211.69 billion by the end of 2026, with the United States alone generating $93 billion in revenue.

This growth is fueled by a critical global workforce gap of 4.8 million unfilled roles, as organizations prioritize top-level strategic planning and specialized services to manage increasingly complex digital infrastructures

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

🤖5. AI Developer/Prompt Engineer

AI Developers and Prompt Engineers are emerging as practical builders of AI-powered products, focusing on applying large models to real business workflows.

Job Market Trend: Rapid expansion with early signs of role convergence. Job postings for Prompt Engineers have surged as companies rush to operationalize generative AI. However, many of these roles are evolving into broader AI Developer or product-focused positions, with prompting becoming a core skill that everyone needs, rather than a standalone career track.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 29,000 AI Developer (+26%/monthly)

• 126,000 Prompt Engineer (+14.6%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 3,869 AI Developer (-5.7%/monthly)

• 110 Prompt Engineer (-86%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

Statista projects that the global prompt engineering market is projected to reach approximately $1.52 billion in 2026, with commercial demand for these specialized roles increasing by over 135%.

This growth is fueled by 75% of organizations planning to adopt AI over the next five years, creating a critical need for "AI-native" workers who can bridge the gap between complex large language models and practical business applications.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

🖼️6. UX/UI Designer

UX/UI Designers remain essential to product success, especially as software becomes more complex and user expectations continue to rise.

Job Market Trend: Moderate growth with heightened competition. Companies are prioritizing designers who can work cross-functionally with product and engineering teams and demonstrate measurable impact on user behavior. Generalist roles are more common than highly specialized design positions, particularly outside of large tech firms.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 6,000 UX/UI Designer (+40%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 583 UX/UI Designer (-41.3%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment for UX/UI Designers will grow 7% through 2034, adding approximately 15,500 new jobs.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

🧩7. DevOps Engineer

DevOps Engineers sit at the center of modern software delivery, bridging development, infrastructure, and reliability.

Job Market Trend: Steady expansion driven by cloud complexity and automation needs. Employers are seeking engineers with strong infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD, and cloud-native experience. A growing subset of roles now incorporates AIOps and platform engineering responsibilities as systems scale.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 6,000 DevOps Engineer (+20%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 2,651 DevOps Engineer (-16.7%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the DevOps industry to grow 15% through 2034, creating approximately 287,900 new jobs.

This demand is specifically driven by the need for advanced automation in software delivery, the management of complex cloud infrastructures (IaC), and the integration of AI-driven "AIOps" into standard development lifecycles.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

8. Data Engineer

Data Engineers have become foundational to modern data-driven organizations, responsible for building and maintaining the systems that power analytics and AI.

Job Market Trend: Accelerating demand with strong hiring signals. Companies are investing heavily in data pipelines, real-time processing, and scalable cloud data platforms. Experience with distributed systems, streaming data, and modern data stacks is increasingly prioritized over traditional ETL-only roles.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 115,000 Data Engineer (+17.3%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 7,208 Data Engineer (-0.8%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

The global big data market is projected to reach approximately $90 billion to $103 billion in 2026. This growth is fueled by the fact that data engineering remains one of the fastest-growing tech occupations, with industry reports citing a 50% year-over-year increase in job postings.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

🗂️ 9. Data Analyst

Data Analysts continue to be the bridge between raw data and day-to-day business decision-making.

Job Market Trend: Strong growth with increasing expectations. Employers are looking for analysts who can move beyond dashboards to influence strategy, communicate insights clearly, and work with stakeholders across teams. SQL, visualization, and business context remain more important than advanced modeling for most roles.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 9,000 Data Analyst (-10%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 18,500 Data Analyst (-0.7%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

Projected to grow 34% through 2034, making it one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country with roughly 23,400 annual openings. This gr

owth is driven by the urgent need for organizations to interpret increasingly complex datasets and implement data-driven strategies for business efficiency and competitive advantage.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

🔗10. Blockchain Developer

Blockchain Developers operate in a highly specialized niche focused on decentralized systems, smart contracts, and Web3 infrastructure.

Job Market Trend: Volatile but opportunistic. Hiring fluctuates with market cycles, but demand persists in enterprise blockchain, finance, and infrastructure-focused projects. Companies are prioritizing developers with strong core engineering skills alongside blockchain-specific expertise rather than Web3-only backgrounds.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 200 Blockchain Developer (-60%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 244 Blockchain Developer (-78.9%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

The global blockchain-as-a-service market size was valued at USD $3.25 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach from $5.13 billion in 2025 to $199.15 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 58% during the forecast period (2025-2033).

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

📊11. Business Intelligence Analyst

Business Intelligence Analysts focus on transforming organizational data into structured reporting and executive insight.

Job Market Trend: Stable growth fueled by enterprise analytics adoption. Companies are investing in modern BI tools, cloud data warehouses, and self-service analytics. Demand is strongest for analysts who can combine technical reporting skills with strong business communication and stakeholder alignment.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 2,000 Business Intelligence Analyst (+0%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 1,041 Business Intelligence Analyst (-30.8%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

Statista estimates that the global Business Intelligence and analytics software market will reach approximately $35.2 billion to $55.48 billion by the end of 2026.

This market surge is fueled by the rapid adoption of AI-powered BI tools and cloud-based platforms, as companies across the United States prioritize digital transformation to remain competitive in a data-driven economy

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

🎮12. Game Developer

Game Developers remain central to one of the largest entertainment industries in the world, spanning console, mobile, and online platforms.

Job Market Trend: Selective growth with high competition. Studios are hiring cautiously, favoring experienced developers with strong portfolios and engine-specific expertise. Growth is strongest in mobile, live-service, and cross-platform development rather than traditional single-title production.

Indeed Job Listings (US) - January 2026:

• 400 Game Developer (-50%/monthly)

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - January 2026:

• 334 Game Developer (-65.8%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Growth Outlook:

Statista reports that global revenue in the video game market is projected to reach approximately $564.27 billion in 2026. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 16% growth in new dev jobs by 2034.

Want to get started in this role? Check out the career path below:

What's next?

So that's all the data for January.

Make sure to subscribe so you can get updates each month!