Coursera lists top 10 tech skills that will be in high demand in 2025

Online skills training platform, Coursera, has unveiled the top 10 tech skills that will be in high demand in 2025.

The company in its Job Skills of 2025 report said it drew insights from over five million enterprise learners and 7,000+ institutional customers to arrive at the list which gave a direction to what skills organisations are looking for.

According to the report, cybersecurity and risk management skills are the fastest-growing in tech for 2025, reflecting employers’ pressing need to fill relevant roles.

“Six of the top 10 skills—including incident management & response, threat management and modeling, and SIEM—are direct pathways to meet these needs.  

“These skills also align with the fastest-growing roles on Coursera, such as Cybersecurity Specialist, Chief Information Security Officer, and Cybersecurity Analyst. The urgent need for security is likely due to the growing number of cyberattacks,” the company stated.

The top 10 tech skills of 2025

The report highlighted the top 10 tech skills that will be in high demand in 2025 to include the following:

1. Incident management & response: The skill of managing and resolving IT incidents.
2. Threat management & modelling: Identifying and neutralizing software threats.
3. Security information & event management (SIEM): Using SIEM to strengthen security posture.
4. Computer security: Protecting digital information and systems.
5. Vulnerability management: Finding and fixing security weaknesses in systems and software.
6. Network planning & design: Designing and building reliable computer networks.
7. Network management & monitoring: Keeping computer networks running smoothly.
8. Software documentation: Writing clear instructions for using software.
9. Infrastructure security: Protecting essential computer infrastructure systems.
10. Data analysis expressions (DAX): Analyzing data and uncovering insights with powerful formulas.

Meeting the growing need for cybersecurity experts

Commenting on the report, Global Program Director at IBM, Rav Ahuja, noted that in Q3 2024, there was a 75% increase in attacks, making effective incident and threat management critical for mitigating risks.

“Additionally, more than half of public organizations cite a lack of resources and skills as their biggest obstacle to achieving cyber resilience, showing a gap that can be addressed through upskilling.  

“By developing cybersecurity skills like SIEM, learners can make themselves more desirable to employers. These skills are not only crucial for mitigating current threats but also align with the growth of cybersecurity-related jobs,” Ahuja stated.

With a nearly five-million-person shortage of cyber professionals, he added that there are plenty of opportunities for students and job seekers to enter this field.

“As cybercriminals become more sophisticated and use more advanced technologies, the demand for cybersecurity professionals will only grow, making these skills essential for career success,” Ahuja said.

More insights

Providing further insights on the report, the CEO of Coursera, Jeff Maggioncalda, said the 2025 report also reveals that the global workforce is embracing GenAI at an incredible pace.

He noted that the top-ranking skills across business, data science, and technology also include risk management, cybersecurity, and data ethics, highlighting the critical need to use AI in a responsible and collective way.

According to him, as cyberattacks grow more frequent and sophisticated, these skills will become indispensable across industries and technical job roles.