Why do tech candidates ghost potential employers during the hiring process?

Top tier IT professionals with highly specific skills have multiple options in the job market. If a company has a slow, bureaucratic interview process, candidates will simply accept a faster offer.

How can traditional companies attract young professionals in Bangkok?

Traditional firms must update their company culture. This means offering a flexible work environment, highly competitive salaries, and clear avenues to achieve career goals through continuous professional development.

Why is outsourcing a good strategy for IT departments?

Outsourcing specific IT roles allows companies to remain agile. It provides the flexibility to rapidly scale a team up or down based on short term project demands without massive financial commitments.

What soft skills are most important for IT candidates in a traditional corporate environment?

Candidates must possess high emotional intelligence to understand and navigate rigid hierarchies respectfully, alongside excellent problem solving skills to push for innovative tools like artificial intelligence.

Hiring Trends: Which positions still in high demand in IT for the rest of 2026

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4 ส.ค.
ยาว 4 นาที

อัปเดตเมื่อ 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

กราฟิกโทนม่วงมีไอคอนคนกับแว่นขยายกลางภาพ และข้อความ HYPERWORK กับ Hiring Trends 2026 — Hiring Trends: Which positions still in high demand in IT for the rest of 2026

Introduction

Despite ongoing layoff headlines in tech, many companies are still hiring aggressively for the rest of 2026, especially for roles tied to AI, cybersecurity, and data. According to Robert Half, 78 percent of tech leaders plan to increase permanent headcount in the second half of the year, up from 61 percent earlier on, and 66 percent plan to bring on more contract professionals too.

Security is growing the fastest. Security job postings are up 124 percent year over year, totaling 66,800 postings, with cybersecurity engineer alone adding 20,000 new listings. Yet only 7 percent of IT leaders say their team has the skills needed to complete planned projects, and 65 percent plan to upskill existing staff to close the gap. This isn't a shortage of people, it's a shortage of the right skills.

Roles Still in High Demand

AI/ML Engineer: Designs and implements AI/ML solutions, identifies automation opportunities, and works closely with data science teams. Related roles are also growing, including AI product manager, who bridges business strategy with AI product roadmaps, and AI governance or ethics specialist, who oversees responsible AI deployment as regulations tighten. Salary range in Thailand: ฿80,000–180,000 per month at major employers like KBTG, SCB X, or Lazada.

Cybersecurity Engineer: Designs, implements, and monitors security measures like firewalls, IDS/IPS, and SIEM systems, and needs solid compliance knowledge. Demand is driven by increasingly sophisticated threats and attackers now using AI themselves. Salary range: ฿40,000–180,000 per month Engineers holding certifications like CISSP or CEH can command 25–40% more.

Data Analyst and Data Scientist: Data analysts turn organizational data into dashboards and reports that guide business decisions. Data scientists build algorithms and models to process large datasets. Salary ranges: data analyst roughly ฿35,000–70,000; data scientist ฿50,000–150,000 depending on seniority and industry.

Cloud/Network Engineer and DevOps Engineer: Cloud engineers design and manage cloud-based networks on AWS, Azure, or GCP. DevOps engineers bridge development and operations, focusing on automation and deployment. Salary ranges: cloud engineer/architect ฿60,000–140,000; DevOps engineer ฿85,000–140,000.

IT Project Manager and ERP Business Analyst: Project managers oversee planning, budgets, and execution of IT projects. ERP business analysts connect requirements across departments and guide software purchasing decisions. Salary ranges: IT project manager ฿50,000–150,000 (varies widely by seniority and company size, up to ฿145,000+ at MNCs); business/ERP analyst ฿35,000–75,000.

Systems Administrator: Still essential despite looking like an entry level role, managing hardware, software, patching, and backup/recovery. Salary range: roughly ฿25,000 –55,000 per month for most roles in the Thai market.

The Bigger Trend: Skills First Hiring

Hiring is shifting away from years of experience or degree requirements toward demonstrable, practical skills. For people looking to upskill, three areas stand out: AI and data literacy, cloud fundamentals, and basic security awareness, which is now relevant well beyond dedicated security roles.

AI itself isn't shrinking the IT job market, it's changing what skills are valued. It's automating more routine tasks, especially entry-level development and QA work, but overall IT hiring keeps growing. AI-generated resumes are also making candidate screening harder, which is why 70 percent of tech leaders now rely more heavily on staffing or consulting firms to find specialized talent.

Conclusion

The IT job market for the rest of 2026 remains strong in several key areas, particularly AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, data, cloud and DevOps, and roles that bridge technology and business like IT project manager and ERP business analyst. What's really changing is the type of skills companies need, not the overall number of jobs. Understanding these shifts can help both job seekers and hiring teams make sharper decisions for the rest of the year.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which IT roles are most in demand for the rest of 2026?

AI/ML engineer, cybersecurity engineer, data scientist, data analyst, DevOps engineer, and cloud/network engineer, with AI and security growing the fastest.

Why is cybersecurity still so understaffed?

Threats are getting more sophisticated, and attackers are now using AI too, pushing companies to hire specialized security talent faster than the supply of qualified candidates can keep up.

Will AI eliminate IT jobs?

AI is taking over more routine tasks, especially entry-level work, but overall IT employment keeps growing. The real shift is toward people who know how to work alongside AI rather than perform repetitive tasks manually.

How should someone switch into an IT career?

Assess your existing strengths, choose a path that builds on them, and develop relevant skills through real projects or recognized certifications in that field.

How should companies adjust their hiring strategy?

Focus on evaluating demonstrable skills over work history, streamline interviews, invest in upskilling current staff, and consider partnering with staffing firms for specialized roles.