As IT recruiters, we’re often asked about the fastest growing jobs in tech in Australia and which skills make IT professionals irresistible to employers. Â
The answers to these questions will shift over time, as hiring trends are shaped by emerging tech, changes in organisational habits, and economic conditions. However, we do see distinct patterns.
Certain roles are foundational to how organisations operate, solve problems, and future-proof their tech capabilities, even if their titles change. With that in mind, it’s time to dig beyond the headlines (and clickbait) and highlight the key skill sets that both public and private organisations need to deliver and grow sustainably.
While we won’t go into salaries and contractor rates – as these vary by experience level, location and many other factors – we’ll highlight the tech jobs for which hiring is still strong, thanks to ongoing skills shortages and growing technical demands.
Let’s go!
Solutions Architect
As digital systems grow more complex, businesses and government departments alike need technical leaders who can see the big picture. Solutions Architects are the go-to people for designing the overall structure of systems to ensure everything works together smoothly, securely, and at scale.
In this role, you’ll need to combine advanced technical knowledge with strong communication skills. You’ll be translating business needs into technical blueprints, and weighing up trade-offs between cost, performance, and scalability. A solid understanding of cloud platforms (like AWS, Azure or Google Cloud Platform), integration patterns, APIs, and enterprise software is key. You’ll also be working closely with engineers, developers and management stakeholders to ensure the solutions you architect actually deliver on business goals.
Data Engineer/Architect
More organisations are relying on data to make strategic decisions. That requires an architecture for gathering, storing and distributing data. Data scientists may ask the questions, but organisations need data engineers to build the roads that show where they need to go.
As a Data Engineer or Data Architect, you’ll need a strong grasp of data modelling principles, database technologies (like SQL, NoSQL, and cloud-based storage solutions), and the core processes of ETL (Extract, Transform, Load).
But it’s not just about moving data around. You’ll be designing scalable systems that can handle real-time and batch processing and integrating data from multiple sources, keeping data quality and integrity intact. Familiarity with tools like Apache Spark, Kafka, or AWS Glue is often a plus, as is the ability to collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and software engineers to support their work.
Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Engineer
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are taking enterprise and consumer tech to bold new places, from medical diagnoses to Studio Ghibli memes. Behind those smart systems are AI/ML Engineers who design, build and deploy the models that make machines ‘think’.
In this role, you’ll need strong programming skills, a solid understanding of machine learning algorithms, and experience with frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch or Scikit-learn. It’s not just about theory, though. You’ll also be focused on data pipelines, model optimisation, and getting models into production. Knowing how to work with large datasets, cloud ML platforms, and tools like MLflow or SageMaker is a big plus. This role sits at the crossroads of software engineering and data science –and it’s one of the fastest-growing tech jobs in Australia right now.
DevOps Engineer
Software development moves pretty fast today, and DevOps Engineers are the ones who keep that engine running smoothly. From fast-growing enterprises to Commonwealth government agencies, DevOps gives technology teams the tools and workflows for reliable software delivery.
To succeed in this role, you’ll need skills in automation, CI/CD pipelines (using tools like Jenkins, GitLab or GitHub Actions), and infrastructure as code (think Terraform or Ansible). You’ll also need to know your way around monitoring tools, containerisation (like Docker and Kubernetes), and cloud infrastructure. Ultimately, it’s about removing bottlenecks and making life easier for development teams, while keeping systems resilient and secure.
Cybersecurity Architect
New technologies can grab all the attention, but nothing happens in tech today without Cyber Security Architects providing key input. They’re absolutely essential for threat analysis, cloud/app security and managing compliance from the basic to the governance level. Organisations need tech professionals who can protect their systems, respond to breaches, and help them stay within the bounds of a growing ecosystem of data regulations.
A sound understanding of network security, identity and access management (IAM), and secure system design is essential for Cybersecurity Architect roles, especially in cloud and hybrid environments. Skills in threat modelling, risk assessment frameworks (like NIST or ISO 27001), and penetration testing tools are highly valued. You’ll also need to be comfortable working with firewalls, VPNs, SIEM platforms and encryption protocols. Just as important is the ability to translate security risks into business language.
Cloud Engineer/Architect
As more organisations shift their operations to the cloud, demand is booming for Cloud Engineers who can architect, deploy and manage scalable infrastructure in platforms like AWS, Azure or Google Cloud. Think of cloud engineering as traditional systems engineering combined with modern cloud-native practices.
You’ll need to understand networking, virtual machines, storage, and cloud security. Also, knowing how to automate deployments and manage infrastructure using code is key. Familiarity with tools like Terraform, Kubernetes, and serverless services (e.g. AWS Lambda) is often expected. Whether you’re helping a government department migrate off legacy systems or optimising cloud costs for an SME, your job is to make sure the cloud runs like clockwork.
Summary
We’re seeing clear trends in the core skills and capabilities organisations are looking for. These roles are increasingly critical for building, transforming or simply maintaining product and service offerings. Cloud, DevOps, data engineering, AI/ML engineering and cyber security are all disciplines with high career growth and earning potential – and evolving fast enough to keep everyone on their toes!
Talk to IT Recruiters for Your Next Career Move
For more insights into the top tech skills sought after by employers, or to find your next IT role, get in touch with the friendly team at Exclaim IT today.
As leading IT recruiters in Australia, our mission is to connect talented tech professionals with exciting job opportunities. Don’t hesitate to reach out!
