Tech hiring in the US in 2024 including IT hiring trends, skills in demand in IT, and best places for IT talent hiring in the US.
The United States has always been a hotspot for technological advancement and innovation. Last year's economic recession had a global impact, leading to layoffs in large technology companies and smaller startups. This report examines the tech industry's current status, focusing on talent needs and hiring approaches — it advises on finding, attracting, and keeping the best IT employees.
Overview of Tech Hiring in the US in 2024
The demand for IT professionals in the United States remains high with 55% of U.S. hiring managers planning to add to IT staff in Q1 2024. Additionally, 66% of hiring managers need help finding talent with the right skills. The demand for IT staff is on an upward trajectory, rising from 52% in Q1 2023 to an expected 61% by Q4 2024.
How do companies meet the increasing hiring demands?
Many companies are looking abroad for tech talent. In 2022, 40% of recruiters said that they hire internationally. That number has risen to 51% in 2024. Recruitment sites are rapidly gaining importance — 58% of hiring decision-makers use recruitment sites as their top source for finding qualified talent, and 48% of job seekers use them for in-depth research.
Best States for Tech Jobs in 2023
California leads in both net tech employment (1,529,698) and added jobs (41,834), followed by Texas, New York, and Florida. States like Utah, Tennessee, and Oregon demonstrate notable job additions. Wyoming leads growth rate at 5.1%, followed by Utah (4.9%) and Tennessee/Nevada (4.8%).
Best Cities for Tech Jobs in 2023
New York City leads with the highest net tech employment at 571,520. San Francisco records the highest number of added jobs (14,587). Austin leads the pack with the highest growth rate at 5.6%, followed by Salt Lake City, Nashville, and Las Vegas at 4.5%.
Tech Skills in Demand in the US
Software roles lead with the highest number of positions at 2,189,319. Other high-demand skills include IT support specialists, cybersecurity and systems engineers, network engineers, emerging tech specialists, database and data scientists, and CIOs and IT managers. Full-stack developers are in increasing demand, followed by back-end developers, then AI/Machine Learning specialists.
State Of Hiring In 2024
48% of decision-makers were optimistic about the state of hiring in 2024 and 39% plan to increase their hiring budget. 70% of job seekers were very or somewhat confident about their job prospects.
Challenges in Recruiting Tech Talent
75% of organizations indicate that tech recruiting is extremely challenging. 55% of employers have difficulty finding talent with the required skills, particularly for building future technologies. The market is competitive and candidate-driven, requiring more skilled candidates due to rapid technology development.
Conclusion
Despite economic headwinds, the demand for IT talent in the US continues to grow. Companies must adopt flexible, dynamic recruitment strategies and focus on nurturing talent to bridge the gap between available workforce and required skills. The landscape of tech hiring is evolving, with a marked shift towards remote hiring and international talent pools. Tunga is skilled at finding top IT talent with talent pools based exclusively in Africa.
