Experts named the most sought-after professions in the Russian Federation

IT and engineering specialists remain the most in demand in the labor market, while their salaries significantly exceed the average. Alexey Karpunin, Director of Information Technology, founder of the IPWK Academy of IT Management, and Olga Romanova, HR Director of the Bazis IT developer, told Izvestia on July 26.

"The most sought—after and highly paid specialists now in the IT and engineering industries are energy, data centers, and critical infrastructure. This is due to the acute shortage of qualified personnel capable of solving complex tasks," said Karpunin.

According to him, the demand for DevOps engineers, machine learning (ML) specialists and critical power supply engineers is two to three times higher than the supply. At the same time, companies are looking not just for theorists, but for professionals with real-world experience.

The expert noted that senior specialists in DevOps/SRE can receive from 300 thousand to 450 thousand rubles per month. ML engineers earn from 250 thousand to 500 thousand, and critical infrastructure engineers — from 200 thousand to 400 thousand rubles. The upper limit depends on the complexity of the projects and the level of expertise.

"There is a clear pattern in the IT market right now: the highest salaries are paid to specialists who are able to solve system and infrastructure problems and understand complex technologies, from DevOps to machine learning," Romanova emphasized.

Labor fuse: the State Council will work on a system of advanced training

What is the current situation with the shortage of personnel in the main industries

In her opinion, middle specialists in advanced areas can expect salaries from 250 thousand to 350 thousand rubles. DevSecOps engineers receive from 250 thousand to 400 thousand rubles, and backend developers working with Go and Java receive an average of 300-400 thousand rubles. Python developers, especially those with machine learning skills, can earn from 250,000 to 400,000 rubles.

"A high salary is a reward for maturity and reliability. Businesses need those who can not just write code, but ensure the smooth operation of systems," Romanova added.

Experts note that a similar situation is observed in other countries: in the United States and Europe, cloud engineers and power system specialists earn 30-50% above average.

"Salary growth is directly related to technological development. Companies are investing in automation and AI, which increases the demand for hybrid specialties, such as DevSecOps or energy system engineers with IT skills," concluded Karpunin.

Level Group researchers reported on July 2 that a third of young Russians believe that practical skills are more important than a diploma when applying for a job. It was clarified that 35% of the respondents are guided by experience rather than education, but the majority (47%) primarily look at the salary level when choosing a job. Only 8% go to a place where they can gain experience quickly, and only 3% are guided by the company's values and mission.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.