[August 2026] Tech Job Market Trends Monthly

Welcome to the 8th issue of Tech Job Market Monthly! If you missed the previous months, you can check out the previous issues of Tech Job Market Monthly here.

So, a quick recap of how this works:

Each month, we sit down and check out the US job market for each major field in tech, so that you can get a mile-high view of how each industry is looking.

Why the US?

Mainly because it's the biggest market and because a lot of the other markets trail the US by a few months. This means it's fairly indicative of upcoming trends in other regions as well, although there may be specific geographic factors where you're based.

How do we come up with this information?

For now, we do this by evaluating data from 2 sources:

• LinkedIn, and

• Google trends

This way, we can see the number of open jobs available and compare that against previous months, as well as current search trends, to see if there are any spikes or dips in public interest.

One more thing to note is that LinkedIn by no means has all of the job postings that are available for any of these roles. There are many other job sites (broad and niche) with many more postings.

However, since LinkedIn has openings for all the major roles, it's very helpful for us to see directional changes month-over-month and see how many jobs are roughly available relative to others.

With all that out of the way, let's get into the data for August 2026.

Current Job Trends in the Tech Industry for August 2026

I know some of you just want the hard data, so I've made a handy dandy table here to show you the total # of job openings for each role and month-over-month ("MoM") change.

Good news everyone, because as you can see we have another month with lots of green!

So what's going on this month?

Most roles are continuing to recover nicely after June's seasonal dip, with AI Engineer and ML Engineer both up 10.7% and leading the charge. Blockchain Developer and Business Intelligence Analyst also had strong months.

The ones to keep an eye on are Data Analyst which has had three months of a steady decline. Data Engineer also dipped slightly, while UI/UX Designer had its biggest single-month drop of the year. We dig into what's going on with each of those in the sections below.

With that out of the way, let's break down each role for this month in more detail.

1. Software Developer and Software Engineer

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 38,886 Software Engineer (+5.2%/monthly)

• 47,925 Software Developer (+0%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graphs:

Software Engineer is up 5.2% this month and Software Developer is basically flat. Nothing wild, but both are ticking along nicely.

One thing I've been seeing a lot lately is that companies pretty much expect you to already be using AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot or Cursor day to day. So not just "I've tried it a couple of times" but actually weaving it into how you work, so definitely worth getting comfortable with AI assistance if you aren't already.

Speaking of which, we just launched our Claude Code course this week, which is a great way to get up to speed with exactly this kind of tool:

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Want to get started in these roles? Check out the career path below. It will help you get set up in both Software Development and Software Engineering roles:

2. AI and Machine Learning Engineer

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 10,075 AI Engineer (+10.7%/monthly)

• 4,158 ML Engineer (+10.7%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graphs:

Both of these roles are up exactly 10.7% this month, with AI Engineer now at 10,075. This brings it comfortably back above where it was before the June hiring dip, and ML Engineer is continuing its steady climb back up too.

Fun fact but there's an estimated 3 people needed for every 1 qualified candidate in AI and ML engineering roles in the US right now, so it's a great area to work in if you're just starting out. You just can't beat that kind of demand!

Want to get started in these roles? Check out the career paths below:

3. Data Scientist

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 5,376 Data Scientist (+3.6%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Data science roles are up 3.6% this month, which keeps things moving in the right direction.

What's interesting about this career is that while most of tech has been going through a rough patch, data science has basically been immune to it, and you can see that it in our data, since we started this newsletter. Even when most roles dropped back to their January numbers in June, Data Scientist barely moved. It dipped, sure, but it held up way better than most.

And that lines up with what's happening in the broader market too, because data science postings have actually grown over the past three years while overall tech listings are down significantly from their peak. In fact, only about 3% of tech layoffs since 2022 have even touched data scientists!

Why?

Well it's not just tech companies hiring them. Its industries like finance, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and more because they all need people who can make sense of their data. Your options with this one are a lot broader than most people realize, so definitely worth looking into.

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

4. Cybersecurity Analyst and Cybersecurity Specialist

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 3,238 Cybersecurity Specialist (+12.7%/monthly)

• 2,582 Cybersecurity Analyst (-2.5%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Interesting split this month because Cybersecurity Specialist jumped 12.7%, while open analyst roles dropped another 2.5%.

Why the dip?

It could be that companies are cutting back on junior analyst headcount while doubling down on more experienced specialist roles. This goes back to what we said last month about AI letting smaller teams cover more ground, but again, companies need to be aware that hackers are using those same tools, so leaner teams facing smarter threats is a gamble most companies will eventually regret.

Either way, the message is the same. If you're getting into this space, the more specialized and experienced you can make yourself look, the better your chances right now.

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Not only is this important for both defense and red teaming, but it's definitely a skill that employers are going to look for more and more. (I say it every month but I recommend this course to people outside of cybersecurity, simply so you know what's happening and can protect yourself better).

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

5. AI Developer and Prompt Engineer

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 399 AI Developer (+24.7%/monthly)

• 44 Prompt Engineer (-4.3%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graphs:

AI Developer had a big month and is up 24.7%, which is the strongest single-month jump we've seen for this role since we started tracking. Prompt Engineer dipped slightly at -4.3%, but with numbers this small a handful of postings either way moves the percentage quite a bit, so we wouldn't read too much into it.

The bigger story is still the same as it's been all year. These skills are very much in demand, they're just showing up under different job titles or as required additional skills. If you look at the AI Engineer numbers, a lot of what used to be called Prompt Engineering is now baked into those roles.

Learning to prompt is 100% worth adding to your toolkit to supplement whatever role you're in.

Want to get started in these roles or pick up these skills? Check out the career path and courses below:

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6. UX and UI Designer

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 660 UX/UI Designer (-17.3%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

UX and UI Designer roles are down 17.3% this month, which is the biggest single-month drop we've seen for this role.

Why?

Well I think it could be the impact of AI on the market place, and the fact that the vast majority of open roles will be in smaller companies.

For example

Canva just had its valuation cut by over $11 billion in August after slashing its revenue growth forecast by a third, largely due to AI competition eating into their market. When the biggest design platform around is feeling that pressure, it's not surprising to see it ripple into hiring numbers too.

Like I said though, it's almost certainly the entry-level, production-heavy design jobs taking the hit, not the experienced UX roles. Companies aren't ditching design altogether, they're using AI to handle the low-end stuff and leaning harder on senior designers who can make the bigger calls.

If you're building real UX skills and learning to work alongside these tools, you're actually in a stronger position than ever because there's less competition at the top end.

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

7. DevOps Engineer

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 3,184 DevOps Engineer (+3.1%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Open DevOps roles are up another 3.1% this month, keeping the steady climb going after July's stronger bounce.

Like I keep saying, every AI product being built needs infrastructure behind it, and as more companies pile into AI development, the demand for people keeping it all running just keeps growing alongside it.

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

8. Data Engineer

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 7,559 Data Engineer (-2.5%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Data Engineer roles are down 2.5% this month, but still well above where it started the year, so I'm not sounding any alarms yet.

Just like with DevOps and a few others on this list, this role ties tightly in AI. so as the demand for that grows, so will this (as well as its demand outside of that area). Clean, reliable pipelines are what make AI actually work, and that's what Data Engineers build. I expect this to turn around soon.

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

9. Data Analyst

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 14,725 Data Analyst (-3.4%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Data analyst roles are down 3.4% this month, and this is now the third month in a row of declines.

As I've said before, AI tools are getting better at handling the routine parts of this role, and that's putting steady downward pressure on hiring numbers. That said, 14,000+ open roles is still a huge pool, so don't let the direction put you off entirely.

Someone still needs to make sense of the numbers and turn them into actual decisions, and that's the part that isn't going anywhere. Use this is as the jumping in point to more secure, higher paying data roles.

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

10. Blockchain Developer

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 661 Blockchain Developer (+30.9%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Blockchain developer roles are up another 30.9% this month, which is another strong jump. Again though, the numbers are still relatively small so percentages can look dramatic, but the trajectory since January really has been pretty remarkable.

This still feels like a role that's building toward something rather than having fully arrived yet. Add in the fact that it has high salaries, not many people who can do it well, and more industries finding real uses for it every month, and it definitely feels like a good role to get into.

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

11. Business Intelligence Analyst

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 1,403 Business Intelligence Analyst (+19%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

BI analyst roles are back up 19% this month after July's slight dip, which is a nice turnaround.

Same thing as I say every month, but when companies are watching every penny, the people who can tell leadership exactly where the money's going and what's working become pretty hard to let go of and keep it pretty secure. While those who offloaded this to AI without human interaction found that out the hard way.

So another secure role to get into.

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

12. Game Developer

LinkedIn/Job Data (US) - August 2026:

• 460 Game Developer (+1.3%/monthly)

Google Keywords Trend graph:

Open Game developer roles are just barely up at +1.3% this month, so essentially flat. Given everything going on in the industry this year, holding steady is honestly a decent result.

We covered the layoff situation in detail last month, Epic, Microsoft, Bethesda and others. That backdrop hasn't changed, but mobile, indie, and live-service studios are still hiring, and if this is the path you want, it's still absolutely worth going for. It just takes more persistence right now than it did a couple of years ago, and it's still one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world.

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

What's next?

So that's August 2026 wrapped up:

Another solid month overall. AI Engineer and ML Engineer both hit +10.7% and are looking strong, Blockchain Developer and BI Analyst had big bounces, and most roles are continuing to recover from June's seasonal dip.

The ones worth keeping an eye on are Data Analyst, Data Engineer, and UI/UX Designer. Data Analyst is now three months into a steady decline, and UI/UX had its biggest single-month drop of the year. Nothing catastrophic, but worth watching to see if the trend continues.

If you're figuring out where to focus, AI and ML Engineering remain the standout story this year. The demand gap is real, the salaries reflect it, and the numbers keep backing it up month after month. As always though, this is one data point not gospel, so do your own digging too.

We'll be back next month with the September numbers, so subscribe below so you don't miss it!