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Java tops list of software skills in demand: employer survey

Demand is hottest this year for Java developers, new survey of 1,200 hiring managers shows.
Written by Joe McKendrick, Contributing Writer

The folks at Dice just issued their latest findings based on data compiled from nearly 1,200 tech-focused hiring managers and recruiters, and Java developers are the top priority.

"If your company is looking to hire this talent, don't dawdle -- a seasoned Java developer clearly has options," says Alice Hill, managing director for Dice.com. Demand for tech professionals with Java know-how has grown year over year for more than two years as measured by job postings on Dice, she adds.

Software developers in general occupy the number-two position this year. On Dice, there are software developer positions posted in 44 out of 50 states. Outside of the major metropolitan markets, demand is strong in Florida, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona.

Occupying the number-three spot in the most sought-after skills are mobile developers and number four are .NET developers. As Hill explains, "Mobile has become ubiquitous and the number of qualified, experience developers hasn't caught up with the market," she says. "For .NET, the money gap and the concerns about .NET limiting careers has held back tech professionals from fully embracing the Microsoft framework."

Interesting point of view, that .NET may be a career inhibitor, given the fact that is is just as ubiquitous in enterprises as the Java platform.

Here is Dice's list of the top 10 software skills in demand as of January 2012:

  1. Java/Java EE developers
  2. Software developers/engineers
  3. Mobile developers
  4. .NET developers
  5. Project managers
  6. Web developers
  7. System engineers/administrators
  8. Network engineers/administrators
  9. SAP professionals
  10. Business analysts

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