# Where the software development jobs are now > Source: > Published: 2026-07-13 09:00:00+00:00 While many technology companies have slowed hiring or even launched [significant layoffs](https://www.trueup.io/layoffs), that doesn’t mean job opportunities have dried up for software developers. In fact, skilled developers—particularly those with [knowledge of AI](https://www.infoworld.com/article/4025073/9-ai-development-skills-tech-companies-want.html)—are in demand in other industries. The key to success for developers looking to snatch up these roles is to be well-prepared to meet the needs of potential employers in a variety of sectors. “The demand for developers in non-tech sectors is real and growing, but the roles look different from what you’d find at a software company,” says [Pragati Awasthi](https://drexel.edu/cci/about/directory/A/Awasthi-Pragati/), assistant teaching professor of AI and data science at Drexel University. “Across all these sectors, the common thread is that software is no longer a support function; it is embedded in core operations,” Awasthi says. “The developer in these environments is often the person translating domain-specific business problems into technical solutions, which requires a different profile than a pure product engineer at a tech firm.” The tech industry has long been a mainstay as far as employing software developers. But as these businesses trim staffs in efforts to cut expenses, that has impacted the hiring landscape. Even as the tech sector scales back, however, companies in industries such as financial services/fintech, healthcare/healthtech, retail/ecommerce, and manufacturing are looking to acquire programming talent. “The unifying factor is data complexity,” Awasthi says. “These industries generate large volumes of sensitive, regulated, or operationally critical data, and they need developers who can build and maintain systems that handle it responsibly.” While recruiting firm Summit Search Group has placed developers in roles with technology companies, “it is just as common to recruit them for roles outside this niche,” says [Matt Erhard](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matterhard/), managing partner at the company. “There are actually a fairly wide variety of roles available for developers in industries beyond tech,” Erhard says. For example, in financial services Summit Search Group has seen significant hiring for back-end and data engineers who can build and maintain fraud detection systems, digital banking platforms, and regulatory tools, Erhard says. In healthcare, companies are hiring developers to build AI-driven diagnostics platforms and patient portals, or to work with systems that manage electronic health records, he says. In manufacturing and industrial companies, developers are needed for systems integration and embedded software related to predictive maintenance, [Internet of Things](https://www.networkworld.com/article/963923/what-is-iot-the-internet-of-things-explained.html) (IoT) systems, and smart factories. And in retail and ecommerce, there’s strong demand for [full-stack developers](https://www.infoworld.com/article/2259033/full-stack-developer-what-it-is-and-how-you-can-become-one.html) and data developers who can handle logistics systems, omni-channel platforms, and personalization engines, Erhard says. “One significant function where we’ve been placing developer talent lately is in developing business systems and internal applications,” Erhard says. These roles often have titles such as systems engineer or application developer, and professionals are hired to handle tasks such as customizing customer relationship management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, building workflow automation tools or modernizing legacy systems, he says. Other core functions for which Summit Search Group has placed a lot of developers include data, analytics, and AI-enablement. “That could be directly involved with [data engineering](https://www.infoworld.com/article/2263668/data-wrangling-and-exploratory-data-analysis-explained.html) or in building tools like reporting systems and [ETL [extract, transform, load]](https://www.infoworld.com/article/2263668/data-wrangling-and-exploratory-data-analysis-explained.html) pipelines,” Erhard says. The firm also has handled searches for developers who can build and maintain customer-facing products for banking, healthcare, and retail companies, such as mobile apps or digital platforms customers can use to interact with companies. Randstad Digital, a provider of global technology talent, sees demand for roles including web developers, system developers, and app developers. “These professionals would work on anything from customer-facing platforms to internal tools,” says [Michael Morris](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpmorris36/), global head of platform and talent at the company. “Non-tech companies are also often hiring roles like software architecture and [devops](https://www.infoworld.com/article/2255028/what-is-devops-transforming-software-development.html) to help scale existing technology. These involve being more ingrained in the business, like building a supply chain system for a retailer, rather than creating individual tech products like you would at a technology company.” To increases the chances of success at landing developer jobs outside of the tech industry, development professionals would be wise to follow some good practices. One best practice is to boost skills in using AI-powered tools and get familiar with all things AI. “Get fluent with AI-assisted development and its limits,” Awasthi says. “This is not optional. Organizations across every sector expect developers to use AI coding tools productively. But the more durable skill is knowing when AI output is wrong, incomplete, or unsuitable for a regulated context. That critical evaluation capacity is what non-tech employers are increasingly trying to hire.” AI does not necessarily replace the need for human developers so much as it changes the skills profile for those roles, Erhard says. “The biggest difference in recent years is that AI literacy is now a non-negotiable,” he says. “At minimum, developers today need to understand concepts like [prompt engineering](https://www.infoworld.com/article/4122440/what-is-prompt-engineering-the-art-of-ai-orchestration.html) and how to use AI tools to improve their efficiency.” One thing many job candidates don’t expect is that the rise of AI has also increased the importance of high-level skills such as problem framing, system design, and cross-functional communication,” Erhard says. “Essentially, if something is related to development but too complex or nuanced for an AI to handle effectively, then the demand is high for human developers who have that expertise,” he says. Candidates who land roles consistently have experience building AI-augmented workflows along with standard coding skills, Erhard says. “Employers increasingly expect to hire developers who can leverage AI, so demonstrating this experience on your résumé can be very beneficial,” he says. Summit Search Group is seeing high demand for developers with deep domain knowledge in an organization’s specific industry. “So, for instance, if someone is both an experienced developer and has expertise in healthcare compliance, or financial regulations, then those candidates tend to be very sought after,” Erhard says. Domain fluency is an underrated skill, Awasthi says. “A developer who understands healthcare compliance, financial regulation, or manufacturing process logic is significantly harder to replace than one who only writes clean code,” she says. “AI can generate boilerplate. It cannot navigate a HIPAA audit or explain a model’s output to a compliance officer.” Development professionals should “pick an industry and learn it seriously; not just the technology stack but the regulatory environment, the business model, and the actual problems practitioners face,” Awasthi says. “A developer who has read about HIPAA, or spent time understanding credit risk, is immediately more valuable in those hiring contexts.” It’s also vital to demonstrate real-world, practical application of skills, not just credentials. “The strongest candidates have projects in their portfolio that directly tie to and solve real business problems,” Erhard says. And then there are the soft skills that are becoming more of a differentiator than they were in the past. As AI handles more routine coding, human developers are expected to make more architectural decisions and collaborate across departments, Erhard says. “Strong communication and problem-solving skills are critical for many of the developer roles that we’re filling today,” he says. While technical skills are still relevant for developers using and managing AI tools, “they also need to develop the skill of ‘deeper thinking’ and learn how to think one step ahead,” Morris says. “This includes skills like system design mastery—understanding the macro view and learning how [microservices](https://www.infoworld.com/article/2263327/what-are-microservices-your-next-software-architecture.html), databases, and third-party APIs interact securely and efficiently.” They also should become deeply fluent in the AI coding tools commonly used in their particular industry, with a strong understanding of how to prompt them for optimal output, Morris says. Product context awareness is also useful. “AI doesn’t know what the customer wants, but you do,” Morris says. “Understanding the business problem and the end-user experience is a requirement for being able to guide LLMs.” Developers looking to break into non-tech sectors also should develop skills in debugging and incident response, Morris says. “Complex systems with multiple AI agents can, and will, fail, which means companies need humans to trace logic flaws to get the system back on track,” he says. “A mastery of root-cause analysis is a critical skill.” “Security, compliance, and reliability are very important in non-tech industries like finance and healthcare,” says [Rohit Agarwal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-agarwal/), co-founder of Zenius, a remote hiring company. “So employers want developers who also know regulatory environments well.” To successfully pivot from jobs at tech companies, “continuous learning, upskilling, and building hybrid skills that combine technical and business knowledge are essential,” Morris says. “With the right preparation, tech professionals can adapt and continue to thrive in meaningful, dynamic careers.” It’s also a good idea to join talent communities in fields of interest and “engage with other members in conversations that increase your knowledge through the collective intelligence of the community,” Morris says. “Take advantage of AI skilling opportunities relevant for your role, or better yet, where you want to go next. Experiment with the technology either on your own or through structured programs.” Ultimately, be curious and proactive, he says. “I’d also recommend developers not to ignore referrals, direct outreach, and industry-specific communities during job search,” Agarwal says. “There are often a lot more opportunities available than the ones posted online.”