Three Trends Software Workers Need to Know in 2024

Strong demand for software workers continues in the United States, even as some of the biggest tech companies have announced layoffs in 2023 and 2024.?This demand goes beyond big tech companies to span across industries like finance, healthcare, insurance, retail, manufacturing and government.

In fact, according to?Gartner, software will be the tech segment that sees the highest spending growth percentage year-over-year in 2024, seeing a 12.7% jump worldwide.

According to research gathered for Motion Recruitment ’s 2024 Tech Salary Guide, along with trends seen on software jobs that are open and available to apply for right now, below are some of the biggest points of emphasis in software this year.

1. Python and Java Continue to be Highly Used, but Others Like Rust are Gaining Ground.

According to a recent report by O'Reilly, Python continues to be the most highly used programming language on their platform, although year-over-year usage was flat, suggesting a cap to its marketplace share. Java still has the 2nd biggest share of content usage, but it did drop 14% YoY.

The two languages that saw the biggest jumps in usage are an interesting contrast, with Rust and C++ seeing 7.8% and 10.0% YoY jumps respectively. With Rust being a newer language and C++ being around since the mid-1980s, it shows the variety of skills companies seek when hiring for a software role.

2. Companies Focus on Soft Skills When Hiring Software Workers.

Companies are looking for?those who have soft skills?as well as technical know-how when deciding on who will get a promotion or new hire.

The biggest reasons behind the trend of focusing on soft skills in the tech world are that things like communication and leadership are evergreen skills that stand the test of time, which sometimes cannot be said for hard skills in IT, with technology now changing and evolving faster than ever.

3. Spending on Artificial Intelligence and Next-Gen Tech.

Across almost every field in tech,?Artificial Intelligence has been a place where companies are investing both time and money.?For software engineers, those who are currently AI-focused are seeing a 10% higher salary versus their counterparts who are not.

It's not just a healthy compensation bump for those working on AI functionality, but developers incorporating already available AI tools into their workflow are seeing an increase in productivity and workplace satisfaction. 87% of developers who use generative AI tools said they can focus on satisfying and meaningful work, versus the 50% who weren't using AI tools.

Take a deeper look at the latest software trends and salaries on our blog.

Click below to download the 2024 Tech Salary Guide for 120+ IT salary ranges, tech market trends, and expert advice for navigating today's tech job market for hiring managers and job seekers.