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skills & motivations.

This section provides a breakdown of the inherent skills, learned skills and motivations/aspirations for each skill cluster. Inherent skills and motivations/aspirations combined are commonly defined as “soft skills” in the market.

inherent skills

  1. 1. leadership and interpersonal skills
  2. 2. problem-solving
  3. 3. organizational and time management skills
  4. 4. communication and negotiation
  5. 5. flexibility and adaptability

learned skills

  1. 1. agile methodologies
  2. 2. budgeting and forecasting
  3. 3. documentation and reporting
  4. 4. quality assurance
  5. 5. resource management
  6. 6. risk management
  7. 7. software project life cycle
  8. 8. stakeholder communication
  9. 9. tools and platforms

motivations/aspirations

  1. 1. delivering value
  2. 2. problem-solving and innovation
  3. 3. collaboration and teamwork
  4. 4. continuous improvement and learning
  5. 5. autonomy and empowerment
  6. 6. responsibility and leadership
  7. 7. aligning with organizational goals
  8. 8. career advancement
  9. 9. financial rewards and benefits
  10. 10. work-life balance
  11. 11. recognition and achievement
  12. 12. customer interaction
  13. 13. technological passion
  14. 14. social impact

what it shows


The chart here illustrates the sub-level of learned skills required for software project management and leadership in each of the 24 markets researched. The findings presented here are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, as well as career sites.

need to know

  1. The software project management and leadership skill cluster includes technical and leadership skills applicable to various roles and seniority levels.
  2. Some of the most popular sub-skills in this cluster include initiating and maintaining efficiency standards, quality assurance and project management methodologies.
  3. Success in this skill cluster is rooted in stakeholder management and communications, including presentation skills, conflict resolution and communication planning.

skills supply.

what it shows


Skills supply data indicates the total number of individuals who have the skills required for software project management and leadership in each of the 24 markets researched. These figures are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, as well as career sites.

Use the chart to understand the availability of skills (“supply map”), availability of sub-skills (“skill type”), talent with recent job search activity (“active talent”), as well as the share of talent who prefer permanent or contract work (“preferred employment type”).

The AI filter can help you understand the ways in which talent supply has been impacted by the growth of AI.

need to know

  1. Talent supply in the software and project management skill cluster is increasing relatively slowly (3.4%), but given the large talent pool within this category, these increases remain significant.
  2. Besides audit and compliance, this is one of the most senior skill clusters, with 63% of candidates having more than 10 years of experience.
  3. Surprisingly, only 7.4% of professionals in this cluster have AI experience, showing below-average AI adoption compared to other tech-savvy skill clusters.

skills demand.

what it shows


Skills demand data indicates job postings that require software project management and leadership skills in each of the 24 markets we researched. These figures are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, and career sites.

See demand for each skill cluster by market, explore demand for sub-skills within each cluster or view the job vacancy ratio (JVR) — defined as hiring complexity — to understand market competitiveness for these skills. The higher the JVR, the more competitive it is to recruit.

The AI filter can help you understand the ways in which skills demand has been impacted by the growth of AI.

need to know

  1. Demand for talent within this skill cluster is relatively diversified across markets, although it has experienced a substantial drop in global JVR year over year (38%).
  2. Hiring complexity is highest across Singapore, Malaysia and Brazil (ranging from 4-5%), with Brazil having a notably large talent pool to support it.
  3. Approximately 5.4% of job advertisements mention AI in some form, which is significant but still far behind more tech-driven skill clusters, like cloud computing or data science and analytics.

compensation.

what it shows


The data included in this graph shows the average salary brackets in U.S. dollars for software project management and leadership skills in the 24 markets examined by level. Compensation data is mapped and analyzed from combined sources providing current pay data.

Select the markets of interest to understand which salary ranges are considered competitive and in which markets you should recruit to stay within budget.

need to know

  1. Compensation for this skill cluster ranks in the higher percentile when compared to other tech-oriented roles, making it the third best-compensated skill cluster.
  2. The trend for compensation is upward, although it’s highly dependent on markets. The most significant salary growth has been in markets with intensified job growth, such as Brazil and Malaysia.
  3. In contrast, India and Australia have experienced relatively small declines in average salaries.

remote & hybrid working.

what it shows


Remote working data shows the percentage of job postings that offer candidates remote or hybrid work for software project management and leadership roles (noted as “demand”), as well as talent working preferences (noted as “supply”) in each of the 24 markets researched.

It is estimated that the actual share of remote/hybrid working opportunities is higher than advertised online. You can view the data by both skill cluster and individual skills.

need to know

  1. Remote and hybrid job advertisements for this skill cluster were at average levels last year and have remained consistent this year despite a 41% drop in remote job postings.
  2. Similar to trends across most skill clusters, remote opportunities have largely been replaced with hybrid options, which have increased by 55%.
  3. Candidate preferences have diverged even further from employer expectations, with a 49% increase in the preference for remote work this year.

gender diversity.

what it shows


Gender diversity data shows the current balance of male to female employees currently working in roles that require software project management and leadership skills in each of the 24 markets researched. Findings are based on self-identified, normalized data from talent supply sources.

Use the chart to understand in which markets you are more likely to engage female talent with software project management and leadership skills. You can view the data by both skill cluster and individual skills.

need to know

  1. Gender diversity in this skill cluster is relatively strong, with 37% (self-identified) female representation, marking a significant 13% increase from last year.
  2. The proportion of female candidates is consistent across experience levels — at 34% for the least experienced and 37% among the most experienced — indicating minimal variation across categories.
  3. The trend in AI adoption highlights a gender gap, as only 26.9% of talent working with AI are female.

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