Top Skills Employers Are Looking for in 2024... And How to Get Them

What they do:
Product ops pros are the behind-the-scenes force that keeps product teams running. They support feature launches, handle internal tooling, manage documentation, and make sure everyone has the data they need to move fast.

Why it’s growing:
As companies ship faster, product teams need structure—and product ops is exploding as a result.

Ideal background:
Project management, strategy consulting, biz ops, or support/CS roles

Average salary: $90,000–$130,000

Get the Skill: Introduction to Operations Management by the University of Pennsylvania

What they do:
TPMs help coordinate complex engineering projects. They don’t write code—but they do manage timelines, prioritize roadmaps, and communicate between engineers and stakeholders.

Why it’s growing:
TPMs are in high demand as companies scale and build cross-functional teams around AI, cloud, and infra.

Ideal background:
Strong project management skills, comfort with technical lingo, and experience working with dev teams

Average salary: $110,000–$160,000

Get the Skill: Google Project Management: Professional Certificate

What they do:
You teach or evaluate AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude by giving feedback on prompts, scoring outputs, and helping fine-tune tone or factual accuracy.

Why it’s growing:
Generative AI models require constant human feedback—and companies are hiring fast to improve safety and usability.

Ideal background:
Writing, editing, UX, education, or customer support

Average salary: $70,000–$120,000 (many roles are contract but growing full-time)

Get the Skill: Leveraging AI for Enhanced Content Creation

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What they do:
CSMs help clients onboard, adopt, and succeed with SaaS products. They’re part strategist, part relationship builder, and part product translator.

Why it’s growing:
Customer retention is key in SaaS, and CSMs are the frontline of retention.

Ideal background:
Support, account management, or any client-facing role

Average salary: $85,000–$125,000

Get the Skill: Reports, Dashboards, and Customer Success in Salesforce

What they do:
UX researchers study how users interact with products. They conduct interviews, run usability tests, and help design teams create better experiences.

Why it’s growing:
Good UX is critical in a competitive market—and AI tools have created a whole new category of interaction to study.

Ideal background:
Psychology, research, design, teaching, or customer feedback roles

Average salary: $95,000–$135,000

Get the Skill: User Experience Research and Design Specialization by the University of Michigan

Final Thought: You Can Work in Tech Without Writing Code

Tech isn’t just about engineers—it’s about teams. And every great team needs project managers, researchers, strategists, writers, and communicators.

If you’re looking for a way in, these roles offer real opportunity, strong salaries, and career growth—no GitHub required.