2026 Technology Career Study

The technology market continues to operate with a structural talent shortage. Between 2019 and 2024, cumulative demand reached 665,000 professionals, while the supply stood at approximately 464,000, resulting in a 30.2% mismatch (Brasscom, 2025).

At the same time, technology has established itself as the backbone of the economy. The ICT macro-sector already accounts for 6.5% of Brazil’s GDP, driving demand for professionals in fields such as healthcare, agribusiness, finance, and manufacturing.

The result is a market with more entry points than meets the eye. Opportunities are spread across different sectors and organizations, far beyond the companies traditionally associated with technology.

Brazil loses approximately R$ 1 trillion per year in productivity due to skills gaps and misaligned career paths (Pearson, 2024). In the technology sector, part of this challenge lies in the difficulty of aligning technical knowledge with business needs.

With technology now present in virtually every industry, employability has come to require a dual skill set: technical excellence combined with the ability to understand customers, products, and results.

Today, standing out depends on the ability to turn technical knowledge into impact by connecting technology, people, and business results.

The Brazilian technology market combines rapid growth with high volatility. With more than 13,000 active startups and a turnover of US$73.9 billion in 2022, the sector has established itself as a cornerstone of the digital economy.

At the same time, job mobility remains high. According to ManpowerGroup Brazil (2026), 47% of technology professionals plan to change jobs in the near future.

The paradox is clear: companies continue to hire, but finding qualified professionals remains a challenge. In the tech industry, opportunities abound, but establishing a strong presence in a rapidly changing market has become essential.

The idea of a single career path in technology is becoming increasingly outdated. As the industry expands, so do the opportunities for professional growth.

A career can take different paths, such as leadership, technical specialization, entrepreneurship, or education and research. Rather than choosing a single, definitive path, professionals often move between different roles throughout their careers.

Among the skills that most expand opportunities in technology, two consistently stand out: English and artificial intelligence.

For job openings with a disclosed salary range, professionals with English skills are most frequently found in positions paying between R$5,000 and R$10,000. Meanwhile, job openings that require AI skills offer twice as many opportunities paying over R$10,000 compared to other positions.

The impact, however, goes beyond compensation. These skills expand the market available to professionals, opening doors to global companies, international projects, and more complex roles.

In an increasingly connected and AI-driven industry, mastering these skills has evolved from being a competitive advantage to becoming a key career accelerator.

Getting into technology is just the beginning. Career advancement depends more and more on the ability to build up technical skills, business context, and practical experience.

Nearly 60% of the job openings identified are at the Full and Senior levels, indicating that most of the demand is for professionals capable of working independently and taking on more complex responsibilities.

The message from the market is clear: entry can happen in different ways, but growth remains strongly linked to the consistent building of experience.

Demand for technology exceeds supply, but opportunities are not distributed where the discourse suggests they are. While Artificial Intelligence attracts attention and is perceived as having high value, most job openings remain concentrated in development and infrastructure.

The market talks about the future, but hires to sustain the present. Those who jump in because of the hype run into obstacles. Those who understand where the real volume is find opportunities.

Technology is no longer an isolated sector; it has become the foundation of virtually every business. The finance, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, agribusiness, and education sectors are all competing for the same professionals, each at different stages of digital maturity.

This changes the logic of a career. Choosing a technology no longer defines one’s path. Professionals still decide which industry to work in, what kind of problems they want to solve, and in what context they want to operate.

In the panel on the right, select an industry to view the key skills and technologies in demand.