Which Financial IT Skills Are In Greatest Demand?

The technology skills most sought by financial employers are C, C++ and C#, followed by Java/J2EE, according to an analysis of current eFinancialCareers job postings.

"Companies are looking to recruit programmers, database administrators and project managers in various operations including algorithmic trading, risk management and wealth management to name a few," observes Constance Melrose, managing director of eFinancialCareers North America.

The next-most frequent skills the postings ask for are database administrator, SQL and Unix. Perl and Oracle rank ninth and tenth.

The career impact from regulatory overhaul, omnipresent in recent headlines about traders and hedge fund pros, is also evident in the financial IT arena. "Risk management" is mentioned so frequently in eFC technology job postings, it's number seven on the list of the most sought-after skills and experience.

Even though technology has always been integral to financial markets, hiring managers say people who combine specific tech skills with financial industry backgrounds are in short supply. That creates bottlenecks and lifts compensation. "For technology professionals, the compounding dynamics of strong demand, enthusiasm for experience and new regulation create significant career opportunity," Melrose says.