Mark Scott's 100% Unofficial ServiceNow Job Report - July 2024

• Positive Sentiment Across All Categories: All salary categories have positive average sentiment scores, indicating that job listings generally have favorable reviews regardless of the salary range.
• Higher Sentiment for Lower Salaries: Interestingly, the "Low" salary category has the highest average sentiment score. This could be due to various factors such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, or other non-monetary benefits.
• Consistent Sentiment for Medium and High Salaries: The "Medium" and "High" salary categories have similar average sentiment scores, suggesting that there might not be a significant difference in sentiment between these salary ranges.

Job Diversity:

Annapolis Junction, MD has the most diverse job offerings.

Salary Variability:

Herndon, VA shows the highest standard deviation in salaries ($38,546), indicating a wide range of pay scales.

Charlotte, NC has the lowest standard deviation ($13,809), suggesting more consistent salaries across job listings.

Location Insights:

Washington, DC has a significant number of job listings (59) with an average salary of $99,424.

Austin, TX has the lowest average salary ($86,724) among the top 10 locations, but still has a decent number of job listings (29).

The correlation matrix and heatmap provide insights into the relationships between job listings and State-level factors. This indicates that States with a higher number of developer jobs also tend to have a higher number of jobs overall. This is expected as States with larger job markets will naturally have more job listings across various sectors.

Cluster Analysis of Job Market Characteristics by State

Cluster 0:

• Number of States: 9
• Top States: Arkansas (AR), District of Columbia (DC), Kentucky (KY), Maryland (MD), Minnesota (MN)
• Characteristics: Developer Jobs: 5.56 (average) All Jobs: 24.22 (average)Population: 32,793,482 (average)GDP: 2.61 (average)Cost of Living: 147.79 (average)

Interpretation:

• This cluster represents States with a moderate number of job listings, both for developers and overall.
• These States have a relatively high population and GDP, indicating they are economically significant regions.
• The cost of living is also high, suggesting these are more expensive places to live, possibly due to their economic activity.

Cluster 1:

• Number of States: 24
• Top States: Alabama (AL), Arizona (AZ), Delaware (DE), Georgia (GA), Guam (GU)
• Characteristics: Developer Jobs: 1.96 (average)All Jobs: 9.71 (average)Population: 13,349,465 (average)GDP: 1.33 (average)Cost of Living: 118.81 (average)

Interpretation:

• This cluster includes States with a lower number of job listings.
• These States have a smaller population and GDP compared to Cluster 0.
• The cost of living is moderate, indicating these States might be more affordable but with fewer job opportunities.

Cluster 2:

• Number of States: 2
• Top States: Virginia (VA)
• Characteristics: Developer Jobs: 68.0 (average) All Jobs: 209.0 (average)Population: 18,134,532 (average)GDP: 1.68 (average)Cost of Living: 138.96 (average)

Interpretation:

• This cluster is unique with only two States, including Virginia.
• These states have a very high number of job listings, both for developers and overall.
• The population and GDP are moderate, but the high number of job listings suggests these states are major job hubs.
• The cost of living is relatively high, reflecting the economic activity and job opportunities.

Cluster 3:

• Number of States: 13
• Top States: Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), Indiana (IN)
• Characteristics: Developer Jobs: 5.54 (average)All Jobs: 25.69 (average)Population: 26,778,955 (average)GDP: 2.86 (average)Cost of Living: 98.20 (average)

Interpretation:

• This cluster includes States with a moderate number of job listings, similar to Cluster 0.
• These states have a high population and GDP, indicating they are economically significant.
• The cost of living is lower compared to Cluster 0, suggesting these states might offer a balance between job opportunities and affordability.

Summary

• Cluster 0: Economically significant States with moderate job listings and high cost of living.
• Cluster 1: States with fewer job listings, smaller populations, and moderate cost of living.
• Cluster 2: Major job hubs with very high job listings and high cost of living.
• Cluster 3: Economically significant States with moderate job listings and lower cost of living compared to Cluster 0.

Predicting Salary

Choosing a model

I ran three trials with a Random Forest, Decision Tree and Linear Regression models to see which approach would be the best at predicting salaries for the next 5-10 years:

Summary:

• The Random Forest model performed the best with an R-squared value of 0.53.
• The Decision Tree model also performed reasonably well with an R-squared value of 0.47.
• The Linear Regression model had the lowest performance with an R-squared value of 0.12.

Random Forest it is!

Skills Matrix

1-3 years of experience:

Skills: Python, SQL

Predicted salary: $96,673.33

Skills: Java, JavaScript

Predicted salary: $101,991.08

Skills: Python, AWS, Docker

Predicted salary: $88,928.78

Skills: Java, Azure, Kubernetes

Predicted salary: $119,285.00

Skills: Python, Java, SQL, AWS, Docker

Predicted salary: $121,922.44

3-5 years of experience:

Skills: Python, SQL

Predicted salary: $94,528.64

Skills: Java, JavaScript

Predicted salary: $148,717.10

Skills: Python, AWS, Docker

Predicted salary: $99,121.58

Skills: Java, Azure, Kubernetes

Predicted salary: $142,714.70

Skills: Python, Java, SQL, AWS, Docker

Predicted salary: $142,447.77

5-10 years of experience:

Skills: Python, SQL

Predicted salary: $125,215.42

Skills: Java, JavaScript

Predicted salary: $179,111.25

Skills: Python, AWS, Docker

Predicted salary: $119,441.67

Skills: Java, Azure, Kubernetes

Predicted salary: $145,535.83

Skills: Python, Java, SQL, AWS, Docker

Predicted salary: $141,203.75

10-15 years of experience:

Skills: Python, SQL

Predicted salary: $73,918.33

Skills: Java, JavaScript

Predicted salary: $130,070.18

Skills: Python, AWS, Docker

Predicted salary: $81,365.00

Skills: Java, Azure, Kubernetes

Predicted salary: $100,448.33

Skills: Python, Java, SQL, AWS, Docker

Predicted salary: $120,791.67

Salary Predictions

1. Overall trend: Most skill combinations show an initial increase in salary with experience, followed by a plateau or slight decline after 5-7 years.
2. Highest paying skill combination: "Python, Java, SQL, AWS, Docker" consistently offers the highest predicted salaries across all experience levels.
3. Mid-range combinations: "Java, JavaScript" and "Java, Azure, Kubernetes" show similar patterns, with salaries increasing up to about 5-6 years of experience before leveling off.
4. Lower-range combinations: "Python, SQL" and "Python, AWS, Docker" have lower predicted salaries but show more stable progression over time.
5. Peak salaries: Most skill combinations reach their peak predicted salaries around 5-7 years of experience.

This analysis suggests that diversifying skills across multiple technologies (e.g., combining Python, Java, SQL, AWS, and Docker) could lead to higher salary potential. However, it's important to note that the model's predictions may not account for future market changes or emerging technologies.

Resume Advice Based on This Data

1. Highlight In-demand Skills

Make sure to highlight these skills prominently on your resume if you possess them. For example, if you have experience with ServiceNow, JavaScript, or Agile methodologies, ensure these are listed in your skills section and mentioned in your job descriptions.

2. Emphasize Relevant Experience

Clearly state your years of experience in your resume. If you have over 10 years of experience, emphasize this as it tends to correlate with higher salaries. For those with less experience, focus on showcasing your skills and any relevant projects or achievements.

(Why is there data waaaaaay out to the right? We'll never know...)

3. Tailor Your Resume for Job Types

The salary distribution by job type indicates that certain job types may offer higher salaries. Ensure your resume is tailored to the specific job type you are applying for, emphasizing relevant experience and skills.

4. Avoid Common Resume Mistakes

• Quantify Achievements: Use numbers to quantify your achievements (e.g., "Increased sales by 20%").
• Use Keywords: Incorporate keywords from the job description to pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
• Keep it Concise: Ensure your resume is concise and to the point, ideally one to two pages.

This is already too long, props if you made it this far!

-- Mark