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According to the World Economic Forum, 9 out of the 10 fastest-growing jobs through 2027 are directly tied to technology. For IT professionals, this confirms what was already expected: artificial intelligence, data, cybersecurity, and software development remain at the center of the economy. For technology leaders, this data carries different weight, since it points to where budget and headcount need to go in the coming months, even as the market continues to compete hard for qualified talent.
This guide brings together the most recent data on the topic (WEF, Gartner, and Brasscom), organizes the areas expected to grow the most through 2027, and shows what that shift means both for those building a career in IT and for those who need to decide, in practice, where to invest.
Why 2027 Is a Turning Point for IT?
The acceleration of generative AI over the past two years has changed the pace of nearly every technology area. It’s not just about adopting new tools; it’s about rethinking entire development, security, and data governance processes. The World Economic Forum itself estimates that 60% of the global workforce will need to be reskilled by 2027, and that nearly half of today’s skills will lose relevance in the same period, as noted in a report by IT Forum based on the forum’s findings.
This pace creates a concrete problem for companies of every size: the speed of technological change now outpaces the speed at which internal teams can adapt, hire, and train. In this scenario, simply identifying the right area to prioritize is no longer enough; you also need the people to actually execute it.
The IT Areas Set to Grow the Most Through 2027
The World Economic Forum’s most recent Future of Jobs report projects the percentage growth for each technology role through the end of the decade. The numbers help clarify where demand will concentrate first.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI and machine learning specialists are expected to see 82% growth in demand, according to the WEF. This growth isn’t limited to pure data scientists; it also extends to professionals who know how to apply AI to business processes, integrate models into existing systems, and train teams to use these tools day to day.
Big Data and Data Engineering
This is the area with the highest percentage growth of all: 113%, according to the same World Economic Forum survey. That makes sense: every AI initiative depends on organized, clean, accessible data. Without a solid data engineering foundation, any automation or advanced analytics project loses effectiveness.
Cybersecurity
Demand for security management specialists is growing 53%, according to the WEF. In Brazil, the picture reinforces this trend: according to the Gartner CIO Agenda, cybersecurity and risk management are the top priority for CIOs for the fourth consecutive year. Gartner also projects that by 2030, preemptive cybersecurity solutions (which act before an attack happens, rather than after) will account for half of all security spending, as announced by the firm itself.
Cloud Computing
Migration to the cloud remains the foundation of any modernization strategy. Companies still running on-premise infrastructure face scaling and cost limitations that make it harder to compete with those already operating in the cloud. Demand for specialists who can design, migrate, and maintain cloud architectures continues to be among the highest in the sector.
Software Development and Digital Products
Software and application developers are expected to see 57% growth in demand by the end of the decade, also according to the WEF. It’s one of the broadest areas on the list, covering everything from customer-facing digital products to internal management systems, and it’s precisely where most companies feel the bottleneck most acutely: they know they need to build, but don’t always have the team available at the right time. This is the case, for example, with legacy system modernization projects or new products that depend on dedicated full-stack squads, with clearly defined scope and timeline, to get off the ground without disrupting existing operations.
FinTech Engineering
Engineers focused on financial solutions are expected to see 93% growth in demand, ranking second only to Big Data in the WEF’s list. This growth reflects the accelerated digitization of banks, fintechs, and companies in other sectors that have started offering financial services as part of their own product.
UX/UI and Product Design
UI/UX designers appear with a projected 48% growth. Even when the technology behind a product is robust, user experience remains decisive for adoption and retention, keeping these professionals among the most sought-after by technology companies.
The Biggest Obstacle Isn’t Knowing the Trend, It’s Having the Team to Execute It
So far, the data clearly shows where the market is headed. The real challenge, however, comes when turning that map into execution. In Brazil, the gap between demand and the training of IT professionals is significant: according to Brasscom’s most recent sector report, cited by IT Forum, there was a 30.2% mismatch between supply and demand for ICT professionals between 2019 and 2024; the sector needed 665,000 professionals during that period, but only 464,000 graduated.
The economic weight of this market makes the problem even more evident: the ICT sector generated more than R$760 billion in 2024 (equivalent to 6.5% of Brazil’s GDP), with expectations of R$774 billion in digital technology investments by 2028, according to the same source. In other words, the money to invest in technology exists and is being allocated; the bottleneck lies in finding, hiring, and retaining the people who will put it into practice, especially in areas like software development, data science, cloud, and cybersecurity, identified as the most in-demand at the moment.
It’s exactly this bottleneck that’s leading more and more companies to rethink their hiring model. Instead of relying solely on internal recruitment processes, which often take months in high-demand areas, many are choosing to complement their team with dedicated squads: technically vetted professionals ready to work under the company’s own management, with scope, timeline, and SLA defined from the start. This is the model behind software projects with a dedicated squad that NextAge has structured for 19 years, bringing together full-stack developers, UX designers, QAs, DevOps, and analysts into a single team, built specifically for each project.
What This Means for Technology Leaders
For CTOs and technology leaders, market data translates into concrete decisions about where to invest and what to prioritize in 2027. Gartner points to a few specific directions for the coming cycles.
First, the rise of AI-native development platforms, which allow smaller teams to build software faster with the help of generative AI, and which are becoming increasingly enterprise-ready, according to Gartner itself. Second, the projection that by 2027, companies will deploy three times more small, task-specific AI models (known as SLMs) than large, general-purpose models, according to an analysis published by Softdesign based on the consulting firm’s data. And third, the rise of “physical AI,” which brings intelligence into robots, drones, and equipment that sense, decide, and act in the physical world, requiring skills that connect IT, operations, and engineering, as described by Gartner.
In practice, this means the way software is developed is changing too, not just what gets developed. Companies that already apply AI to their own development process (not just to the final product) tend to gain speed without sacrificing quality. This is the principle behind NextFlow AI, NextAge’s proprietary methodology that combines artificial intelligence and human expertise at every stage of development, from scope mapping to code review, reducing rework and increasing delivery predictability.
How to Prepare for 2027
For those building a career in IT, the most efficient path isn’t trying to master every area at once, but choosing a track aligned with your own profile (data, security, development, cloud) and going deep into it consistently, keeping a close eye on how AI is changing the tools and processes within that specific field.
For those leading technology teams, the central question is no longer just “which area is worth prioritizing.” Before that, it’s necessary to assess whether the current team has the real capacity to execute what’s been planned, within the timeline the business requires. When the answer is no (whether due to a lack of available professionals in the market or a backlog that no longer fits the internal team), adding a dedicated external squad tends to be faster and more predictable than opening a hiring process that can take months in areas where competition for talent is high.
If your company already knows which IT area it needs to strengthen in 2027 but doesn’t yet have the team to make it happen, talk to NextAge. The process starts with a no-cost conversation to understand the technical challenge and show how a full-stack squad, with guaranteed SLA and AI-validated quality, can take on the project under your management, from the first requirement to the last commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which IT areas are set to grow the most through 2027?
According to the World Economic Forum, the areas with the highest projected growth are Big Data (113%), FinTech Engineering (93%), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (82%), Software Development (57%), Security Management (53%), and UX/UI Design (48%).
Why is there a shortage of IT professionals in Brazil despite such high demand?
According to Brasscom data, between 2019 and 2024 the ICT sector demanded 665,000 professionals, but only 464,000 graduated during that period, a 30.2% mismatch between supply and demand that’s especially concentrated in software development, data, cloud, and cybersecurity.
Is it better to hire an in-house team or outsource development in 2027?
It depends on urgency and talent availability in the specific area. For strategic projects with a defined timeline, in areas where in-house hiring tends to be slower, a dedicated squad (like the software project model at NextAge) allows you to keep management control without depending on the time a full recruitment process would take.
How is artificial intelligence changing software development?
Beyond appearing in the final product, AI now integrates into the development process itself, supporting everything from scope mapping to code review. Gartner projects that AI-native development platforms will become increasingly common in enterprise environments.
How can my company prepare for the 2027 IT trends?
The first step is mapping which areas (AI, data, cybersecurity, cloud, development) are most critical to your business over the next few years. Next, assess whether the internal team can execute that priority within the required timeline; when it can’t, complementing operations with a dedicated technical squad tends to be the fastest way to avoid losing competitiveness.
Conclusion
The IT areas in demand for 2027 are already well mapped: artificial intelligence, data, cybersecurity, cloud, software development, and fintech remain at the top of both global and domestic demand. The real challenge is no longer identifying these trends, but having the right team to turn them into results within the timeframe the market demands. Companies that solve this bottleneck first, whether by training or by complementing their teams, will be the ones that get ahead.
