In a recent blog post, LinkedIn examined data from its social network and determined that machine learning and data science were the top-paying skills for software engineers. “Both specialties actually have the least experienced engineering workforces, with the highest percentage of employees with 0-5 years of experience of any specialty at 17 percent, likely due to being emerging fields in the technology sector,” the post said. “Despite being a newer and more dynamic field, machine learning and data science engineers have the highest compensation level, with a median of $129,000 across the United States.” By comparison, cloud computing and mobile development pros had median compensation of $116,000, while embedded and application developers made $118,000.
The report also found that developers are frequently engaged in “passive” job search activities, like looking through job openings and updating their LinkedIn profiles.
