The most wanted tech careers and skills of 2026

From IT to coding, new data reveals 2026’s top wanted tech skills and career paths driving the industry. 

It's no surprise that a career in tech is one of the most sought-after careers in the job market today. As AI and new facets of the digital economy continue to grow, in 2026, the demand for tech-focused skills shows no sign of slowing down. In response, more and more of us are turning to upskilling and online learning to get ahead of the curve, and embrace a fulfilling career in tech. 

As more of us invest in our knowledge, we reveal the tech careers people are pursuing the most, and the top digital skills driving the UK’s online learning boom. So, which tech skills are trending, and which roles are most in demand for 2026? 

At a glance, the most wanted tech careers of 2026:

Based on average monthly UK search demand for online courses.

1. IT 
2. Digital Marketing 
3. Project Manager 
4. Graphic Design 
5. Software Engineer 
6. Data Analyst 
7. Machine Learning Engineer 
8. Web Designer 
9. UX Designer 
10. Product Manager 
11. Web Developer 
12. Business Analyst 
13. Automation Engineer 
14. Cybersecurity 
15. UI Designer 

What does the data say?

The most wanted tech careers 

The data reveals clear trends in the UK's online learning landscape, indicating not only which skills people are attempting to improve, but also the desired career trajectories which they are actively training for. 

At the forefront of online learning, tech-focused roles take the lead, with searches for IT courses (74,090) topping the charts, followed closely by Digital Marketing (67,180), and Project Manager (65,670) courses. These attract strong interest from UK learners looking to combine their technical abilities with organisational and strategic work.

Despite concerns that it's highly replaceable by AI, a profession in Graphic Design remains a popular career path, with over 34,590 of us looking for training courses to improve our design skills each month. Other prominent creative careers that still pique our interest in 2026 include Web Designer (16,160), UX Designer (13,670), and Web Developer (12,360) careers. These attract a combined total of over 75,000 monthly searches.

In the data and analytics fields, Data Analyst training courses see over 20,000 monthly searches meanwhile Machine Learning Engineer (17,240), and Automation Engineer (10,790) are among the most popular careers for those trying to enter the AI industry.

At a glance, the most wanted tech skills of 2026:

Based on average monthly UK search demand for online courses.

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) 
2. Excel 
3. Coding 
4. Python 
5. Bookkeeping 
6. SEO 
7. Xero 
8. Power BI 
9. SQL 
10. Machine Learning 
11. C++ 
12. UX Design 
13. AWS 
14. Automation 
15. Java 

The most wanted tech skills of 2026

Interestingly, when it comes to upskilling and adding new notches to the belt, the data shows a balance between creative, business, and technical learning. 

Courses to learn skills such as AI (127,790), Excel (79,550), Coding (56,770), and Python (54,640) are among the most searched. This shows that modern and technical, expertise is needed to stand out in today’s high-demand roles and competitive job market.

At the same time, complementary skills in Bookkeeping (37,860), Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) (32,370), and Xero (25,590) demonstrate that learners are investing in learning cross-functional capabilities and business-related systems to enhance their employability.

But beyond popular data and analytics capabilities such as Power BI (19,120) and SQL (17,410), programming and automation-based skills, including Machine Learning (17,240), C++ (15,500), Java (13,670), and Automation (10,790), remain at the top of our learning priorities for those wishing to enter innovative and intelligent tech-focused careers. 

This mix of business-focused, technical and creative skillsets shows that UK learners are not simply chasing new job titles, but proactively equipping themselves with the tools needed to succeed in a digital-first economy.

Overall

UK learners are upskilling at an all-time high. As we continue to embrace the digital skills required to succeed in the modern job market, the next generation of workforce is not only adapting to the demands of an automated economy, but preparing for the next wave of emerging technologies.

The most wanted tech careers of 2026

Data source: Semrush

The most wanted tech skills of 2026

Data source: Semrush

Methodology

The most in-demand tech careers and skills were determined using average monthly search data from Semrush. Each career and skill term was analysed based on its search volume when paired with the word “course” (e.g., “AI course”, “IT course”) to identify the level of public interest and online learning intent for that keyword.

While the data reflects current UK search demand for online tech courses, it provides a strong indication of the career paths and digital skills people are preparing for as we move into 2026.