Business analysts top the list of most in-demand jobs in the IT and engineering industries for the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the 2025 Job Skills Report released by staffing software firm Ceipal.

However, business analysts only ranked as the 19th top-paying job at $137,571 per year; that honor went to data engineers at $168,480 per year, followed by IT technology analysts.

The report, The Most In-Demand Job Skills in IT & Engineering: The Evolving Skills Landscape, is based on more than 78,000 job listings that were posted via Ceipal’s applicant tracking system for the contingent IT and engineering workforce.

“We’re seeing increased demand for professionals who can integrate AI into business processes as well as for roles like AI engineers, machine learning specialists and cybersecurity experts,” Ceipal founder and CEO Sameer Penakalapati said in a press release. “At the same time, technical skills alone are no longer enough — employers are prioritizing problem-solving, adaptability and communication to ensure long-term success in an AI-powered world.”

The top 20 most in-demand jobs represent 41% of all job postings. Here are the report’s top ten, with number of postings and average annualized salary:

1. Business analyst: 3,908 postings, $137,571 average annualized salary
2. Project manager: 3,031, $154,980
3. Data engineer: 2,214, $169,020
4. IT technology analyst: 1,998, $166,732
5. Oracle consultant: 1,934, $143,769
6. Full stack developer: 1,930, $149,988
7. .Net Developer: 1,901, $144,560
8. DevOps engineer: 1,670, $154,648
9. Salesforce developer: 1,660, $156,208
10. Software engineer: 1,569, $158,641

The top 20 skills in the report represent 50% of all desired skills, with Java and cloud computing topping the list.

“Given that employers tend to be interested in multiple skills and not just one or two, candidates who want to gain an advantage in their job searches should consider upskilling to be more marketable,” the report states. “Candidates who specialize in certain sectors and have multiple skills have the potential to earn more.”

Here are the top 10 in-demand skills:

1. Java
2. Cloud computing
3. Oracle
4. .Net
5. API development
6. SQL
7. AWS
8. Azure
9. Database administration
10. Salesforce

Washington led the list of highest-paying states at $166,296 per year, followed by Texas and California at $156,000 and $154,586, respectively.