The most searched tech job on Google this year is still Software Engineer.

That will not surprise many people. It has held that position for years, supported by its broad definition and the volume of developers entering the market globally. It captures everything from graduates starting their careers to experienced engineers exploring international opportunities. As a search term it represents the default destination for anyone looking at a future in technology.

What is more interesting is what sits behind it.

When we look beyond the single highest-volume search and focus on the fastest-growing roles, a very different picture emerges. AI Engineer, Data Engineer, Platform Engineer and Cybersecurity specialists are all seeing significant increases in search activity. These are not entry-level career paths. They are capability roles. They sit close to production systems, infrastructure, reliability and long-term technical strategy.

Search behaviour is often an early signal of where attention is moving. Hiring budgets tend to follow.

For technology leaders this reflects a shift that has been building for some time. Growth is no longer measured purely by how many engineers a business can add. It is defined by how effectively teams can build, deploy and operate complex systems at scale. That requires a different type of hire. It requires engineers who are comfortable with data platforms, distributed architecture, machine learning in production and cloud-native environments.

The rise of data engineering searches is a good example. The role has moved from being a supporting function to being a core part of product delivery. AI initiatives depend on it. Real-time decision-making depends on it. Platform maturity depends on it. As a result, both candidates and companies are prioritising it.

The same pattern is visible in platform and cloud engineering. As organisations reduce operational friction and aim for faster delivery cycles, the engineers who can design and maintain the environments that make that possible have become central to technical roadmaps. These roles rarely attract the same public attention as new frameworks or tools, though they are where the most sustained investment is being made.

Cybersecurity follows a similar trajectory. Regulation, AI adoption and the growing value of data have elevated security from a compliance requirement to a product and infrastructure concern. Search growth in this area reflects a market that understands the long-term importance of resilience.

Software engineering remains the most searched role because it is the foundation. The growth in these other areas shows where specialisation is increasing and where organisations are building for the next phase of scale.

For candidates, this creates a clear message. The broad title still opens the door, though the strongest opportunities are increasingly tied to depth in a specific domain. Experience with data platforms, machine learning infrastructure, cloud architecture and production systems is becoming the differentiator in senior processes.

For hiring managers and CTOs, the same data reinforces a familiar challenge. The most in-demand capability sits in a smaller talent pool and requires more deliberate hiring strategies. These are not high-volume searches. They are targeted investments in system-level impact.

At Tides, this is reflected in the roles we are asked to work on. They are less about adding capacity and more about introducing leverage. The engineers being hired are expected to change how a platform behaves, how quickly teams can deliver and how reliably products operate in real environments.

Software Engineer remains the most searched term because it represents the entry point into the industry. The growth in AI, data and platform roles shows where the future of that industry is being built