Big Data Job Growth and Trends to Watch in 2015

2014 was an exciting and eventful year for the Big Data market as the technology surrounding it became more versatile than ever before. Big Data has grown by leaps and bounds, and there appears to be no letting up from the dramatic increases seen over the past year. 2015 is now upon us, which means its time to take a look ahead to see whats in store for Big Data over the next year. In particular, jobs requiring Big Data skills seem to be foremost on peoples minds. From a look at some of the 2015 predictions, some interesting trends begin to emerge which could help businesses and Big Data experts make solid plans over how to take advantage of Big Datas solid and continuing growth.

Predicting the future can be tricky business, but one way to find the right continuing trends is to look at the trends from the previous year and see if they will remain consistent. Data from WANTED Analytics showcases which jobs saw the biggest increases in demand, which can be quite telling for what will be in demand for 2015. Several job categories immediately jump to the top of the list, the most prominent being Information Technology Project Managers (which saw a more than 123 percent growth in job demand), Computer Systems Engineers and Architects (around 89 percent), and Computer and Information Research Scientists (more than 85 percent). While these jobs arent necessarily centrally focused on Big Data, the demand for Big Data expertise in these areas is where the increased demand originates, and the results are increasing salaries for the people with the right skill sets.

The same jobs data also shows where these jobs are located most prominently. The higher job counts center around two major regions: northern California and the Washington D.C. area. More specifically, the markets most in demand of Big Data-related jobs include San Jose, Santa Clara, and San Francisco in California, and Arlington and Alexandria near Washington. New York, Boston, and Seattle are also important areas to keep an eye on. In other words, Big Data scientists searching for the places with the biggest job growth would be served by paying more attention to these areas and the emerging companies from there.

None of these increases in demand should come as any surprise, of course. Big Data has become big business, one that could reach $125 billion this year. Many of the current technological trends are the chief causes behind this booming market. Take the Internet of Things (IoT) for example. By embedding sensors within objects and products, and then connecting those sensors to the internet, more data will be generated than ever before. Combine the growth of the IoT with the explosion in mobile devices and cloud services, and companies have an unprecedented need for employees skilled in Big Data. Every application now needs some form of data analytics so it can identify and send the right data to those who need it the most.

Organizations are also placing a greater emphasis being on security in the wake of major data breaches and hacks of multiple large corporations around the world. Companies will likely look for experts in IT security who also possess the Big Data skills to better identify, combat, and prevent cyber security attacks in the future. In fact, this greater focus on security is also indicative of another trend: a shift from highlighting descriptive analytics to predictive analytics. Some experts view this as a natural evolution of Big Data that will likely reach new heights in 2015. While descriptive analytics can be used to tell what happened and even why something happened, predictive analytics can be used to figure out future events and outcomes. It is a far more versatile skill set, one that companies will want their data experts to have moving into the future.

These are just a few of the jobs and trends to watch for as we move deeper into 2015. Other areas, such as the growth of open source Big Data and prioritizing quality data over quantity, will also likely make a big impact on the Big Data market and have a lasting effect on the jobs and skill sets data scientists will need to develop to remain competitive into the future. Knowing what businesses and organizations will value and look for in their employees can prove to be a tremendous benefit as data experts continue in their careers.