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Article | Beyond Data

Reward trends for hot jobs: What you need to know for 2025

By Brittany Innes | January 24, 2025

From improving operational efficiency to driving business growth, hot and high-demand jobs continue to be critical to organizational success.
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As the U.S. job market responds to technological innovation, demographic shifts and economic changes, compensation and HR leaders face the critical challenge of recruiting and retaining talent in high-demand roles. WTW released its latest Hot and High-Demand Jobs Report to help you make informed decisions about your business’s talent acquisition and retention strategies. Following are the latest insights, which reveals the most sought-after roles in today’s market.

Tech strategies continue to influence demand

More than ever, companies across industries are capitalizing on technology to improve their operational efficiency, drive business growth and gain a competitive advantage. As a result, the roles and skills that are needed to execute on a tech-centric business strategy are dominating this year’s hot and high-demand jobs list.

Roles in technology and strategy and digitally focused work areas represent more than half of the hot jobs in the latest report (Figure 1). Versatility and relevance across a wide range of industries distinguishes these roles along with the impact their skills have on a variety of focus areas.


Mobility opportunities for hot-job seekers

This year’s hot jobs reflect the growing reliance on technology as a source of innovation across industries. Jobs in research and development, data science and information technology continue to dominate hiring trends, offering workers with specialized skills not only stability but also the opportunity to command premium pay.

As employers in nearly every sector compete for talent capable of driving transformation, mobility opportunities for job seekers with in-demand skills are plentiful. And professionals with sought-after competencies are finding that their skills are transferable across industries.

For instance, supply chain experts, cybersecurity professionals and advanced manufacturing engineers are seeing opportunities in sectors ranging from healthcare and financial services to energy and defense (Table 1). This high mobility underscores the value of adaptable, specialized talent. It also positions workers with the right mix of expertise and experience to leverage competitive compensation packages.

Table 1. Average incumbent count movement by work area
Source: 2025 Hot and High Demand Jobs Report – U.S.
Work area Increase
Sciences and development 43%
Data science 40%
Information technology 26%
Marketing and communications 12%

For hot-job seekers, the combination of demand, skill versatility and a willingness to explore new industries creates significant opportunities to advance their careers while capitalizing on the premium employers are willing to pay.

While demand among all jobs was highest for career level professionals, the Hot and High Demand Jobs Report reveals an interesting data point that further differentiates today’s hot jobs. Unlike jobs that did not receive the hot job designation, demand for hot jobs is high across all career levels, further signaling healthy mobility opportunities for employees and job seekers.


Specialization drives premium pay

Area of focus makes a material difference when it comes to commanding a higher rate of pay. In today’s job market, specialization has become a key driver of premium pay, as employers increasingly prioritize deep expertise in critical areas over generalist skill sets (Table 2).

Table 2. Annual base salary percent increase, by top pay-increase heat tier
Source: 2025 Hot and High Demand Jobs Report – U.S.
Heat tier P1 P2 P3 P4 P5
Top 5% 15% 12% 12% 10% 12%
Top 10% 12% 7% 10% 2% 9%
Top 15% 9% 1% 8% 1% 4%

Professionals who bring highly specialized knowledge – whether in artificial intelligence, cloud architecture, advanced manufacturing or niche healthcare fields – are commanding higher compensation, as their skills directly address business challenges and fuel innovation. For example, data scientists with expertise in machine learning or engineers skilled in aerospace systems design are uniquely positioned to secure top-tier salaries.

The trend highlights an important shift: while broad skills remain valuable, organizations are willing to pay a premium for professionals who can solve complex, industry-specific problems or contribute to strategic growth initiatives.

Incentive pay to support talent acquisition and retention

In a competitive labor market, employers are using all the tools in their belt to attract and retain key talent. Beyond base salaries, organizations are leveraging tools such as signing bonuses, retention incentives and equity packages to secure the talent they need. These programs are particularly common in industries facing skills shortages or high turnover.

Employers are recognizing that, to maintain their competitive edge, they must invest not only in attracting top talent but also in keeping their workforce satisfied and engaged over time. This is especially true for the hot jobs identified in the Hot and High Demand Jobs Report, which shows that disciplines in the top heat tiers received, on average, 26% higher actual bonus amounts compared to disciplines that did not receive the hot-jobs designation (Table 3).

Table 3. Median actual annual incentive by combined heat tier (USD)
Source: 2025 Hot and High Demand Jobs Report – U.S.
Heat tier P1 P2 P3 P4 P5
Top 5% 5,000 8,000 13,000 21,000 37,000
Top 10% 4,000 6,000 12,000 18,000 41,000
Top 15% 4,000 7,000 13,000 17,000 33,00
Other 4,000 6,000 10,000 16,000 27,000

WTW’s December 2024 Salary Budget Planning Report, which helps business leaders gain valuable insights into actual and projected salary budget increases, revealed that businesses in the United States are adapting their salary increase budgets mainly in response to concerns over inflationary pressure, economic uncertainty and anticipation of weaker financial results. Despite this, most salary increases are concentrated in the top 15% highest increase disciplines, ranging from 8% to 15%. Meanwhile, other disciplines exhibit significantly slower movement.

In today’s job market, staying informed about the roles experiencing the highest demand and fastest pay growth is essential for effective workforce planning. The full Hot and High Demand Jobs Report offers valuable insights to help organizations understand these trends and make data-driven decisions.

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