Dive Brief:
- 3D graphics skills have emerged as highly sought-after credentials in the current U.S. job market, according to a report from Burning Glass Technologies and Epic Games. Data presented by Burning Glass show a total of 315,000 job postings between Oct. 2017 and Oct. 2018 requested 3D graphics skills, with demand for these skills growing 42% faster than the overall market.
- Part of the cause for this growth is that 3D graphics skills have become "essential" to concepts and designs in industries ranging from architecture, healthcare and film to manufacturing, the report said. These skills are also in low supply, meaning associated jobs have experienced high salary growth; a job requiring 3D graphics experience can command an average starting salary of $73,513, 34% more than the average advertised salary.
- Jobs in the 3D graphics space can be hard to fill, however, taking 18% longer to fill than the average job, the report said. This effect can be even more dramatic when drilling down to 3D graphics positions within certain industries: those in construction and architecture take 33% longer to fill on average.
Dive Insight:
Tech skill sets — in 3D graphics or other areas — are in high demand across nearly every industry, especially as respective fields become more advanced and specialized. A strong majority, 92%, of respondents in a 2018 Consumer Technology Association survey said their business needs more people with tech skills, yet 74% said the would have trouble finding qualified candidates.
Attracting qualified talent will depend on offering satisfactory wages, given the highly competitive nature of the current talent market. It's not uncommon to find the type of salaries mentioned in the Burning Glass report in many job postings for specialized tech fields like cybersecurity and data science.
Beyond pay, HR might look to other elements of a job that could entice candidates in highly technical fields. For instance, employees might prefer an office with more flexible arrangements, or perhaps a management environment that allows for greater autonomy.
