Most in-demand IoT (Internet of Things) skills

Most in-demand IoT (Internet of Things) skills

The Internet of Things (IoT) is in the midst of an explosion, as more connected devices proliferate. 

But there's not enough talent with the right skills to manage and execute on IoT projects.

By tracking data from Upwork's extensive database, Johnson and his team have identified the top 10 skills companies need to drive a successful IoT strategy.

1. Circuit design

Connected devices require companies to adjust and adapt chip design and development to account for new system requirements. For example, applications that rely on long-life batteries may need to have specially designed circuit boards to optimize power consumption, or have multiple chips and sensors on one circuit board.

2. Microcontroller programming

The Internet of Things is comprised of billions of small, interconnected devices, many of which require, at minimum, a microcontroller to add intelligence to the device to help with processing tasks. Microcontrollers are low cost, low power, embedded chips that have programming and data memory built onto the system.

3. AutoCAD

AutoCAD is the premier design software for engineering applications and has seen strong growth as the number and complexity of IoT devices continues to increase. Smart, connected products often require a whole new set of design principles, such as designs that achieve hardware standardization or enable personalization.

4. Machine learning

Machine learning algorithms help create smarter appliances, applications and other products by using data sensors and other connected devices. Machine learning algorithms can be used to make predictions based on identifying data patterns from these devices, but that requires experts in big data management and machine learning, Johnson says.

5. Security infrastructure

Information security and fears of increased exposure of data, not to mention device and physical security, are some of the top impediments to IoT development, according to research from TEKsystems.

6. Big data

IoT has greatly increased the amount of data for organizations to analyze. Companies need to collect all the data that is relevant to their business while simultaneously filtering out redundant data and protecting that data. This requires a highly efficient mechanism that includes software and protocols, Johnson says.

7. Electrical engineering

The creation of the next generation of connected devices requires both software and electrical engineering expertise. "Electrical engineers are being brought in to help with embedded device development for mobile applications, and for radio frequency (RF)/analog and microwave engineering for communication systems and GPS on the devices," Johnson says.

8. Security engineering

Security is such a huge concern in the IoT market. High-profile data breaches have heightened consumers' awareness of data security and privacy issues that may occur if a connected device is breached or hacked and data exposed, Johnson says. "To help mitigate against potential risks, companies are investing in security engineering to conduct in-depth assessments to identify both physical and logical secured threats to embedded systems such as local controllers/gateways and determine the risk at the device level. We're seeing strong demand for professionals with security analysis and vulnerability assessment experience," Johnson says.

9. Node.js

Node.js is an open-source environment for server-side web development used to manage connected devices such as the Arduino and Raspberry Pi, among others. With the availability of boards like Raspberry Pi, Node.js is becoming more of an option for developers looking to leverage their existing expertise in building applications for IoT, says Johnson. From wearables to machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, Node.js is rapidly becoming the language and platform of choice for IoT," he says.

10. GPS development

The GPS market is seeing a resurgence, thanks to IoT. Specifically, wearables, smart vehicles and logistics companies. Analyst firm ABI predicts that the GPS market will reach out $3.5 billion in 2019 as businesses and consumers embrace location-aware devices.