10 tech skills that will boost your salary

It’s no secret that IT careers are some of the most in-demand and highest-paying out there. But the breakneck pace of digital transformation and constant innovation means professionals with certain skills can demand even greater compensation than others, whether at “pure” technology companies or in IT roles within other industries.

“Tech positions are needed everywhere, but some can command a premium in pay based on the skills. And the boost in compensation we’re seeing for these skills encompasses almost all industries, especially traditional places like manufacturing and finance where IT professionals might need an extra motivation to consider a role. We expect these kinds of premiums for tech skills to continue into 2017, too, as basic skills continue to be in high demand, and specialized skill sets become even more important,” says Katie Bardaro, vice president of data analytics for cloud compensation services company PayScale.

Here, using a methodology similar to The PayScale Index, PayScale’s data team measured the change in wages for hot IT skills in the first half of 2016, all else equal, as well as the median pay for an example role in which that skill could be used. Finally, PayScale data shows just how much of a boost you’ll see in your paycheck if you currently have or will add these skills to your resume.

Scala is a general-purpose, scalable programming language developed in response to criticisms of the Java language. The name is a portmanteau of “scalable” and “language,” meaning it can easily adapt to the growing demands of users.

React.js is an open source JavaScript library used to create user interfaces. The language is maintained by IT heavyweights like Facebook and Instagram.

Algorithm development is an important tool for product, project and/or program managers who are leading a technically or data-intensive project, who need to test or simulate product performance, or are looking to improve on existing products or solutions.

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Django is a rapid application development framework written in the Python language that helps developers quickly create Web applications.

Amazon is a leader in cloud services, which explains why Amazon Web Services, made to the list of hottest skills. AWS is a collection of cloud computing tools that make up an on-demand, scalable and affordable cloud services platform.

Apache Hive, written in SQL, is a data warehouse software solution that facilitates the reading, writing and storage of very large data sets across distributed storage.

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Rails is another web application development framework that’s written in the Ruby programming language. It helps Ruby developers quickly develop Web-based applications.

DevOps is shorthand for “development operations,” which refers to a culture, movement or practice that emphasizes collaboration between software developers and the IT business while also automating software delivery.

Apple’s iOS is the proprietary operating system for all of the tech giant’s mobile hardware: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. It’s second only to the Android operating system in popularity, as measured by global device sales.

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At the most basic level, a database is a collection of information that can easily be accessed by a computer. With the growing dependence of organizations on gathering, analyzing and acting on data, database skills are critical in today’s digital enterprises.