SwissDevJobs

Transparent IT Job Market Report 2026/27

01/39

Transparent IT Job Market Report

2026/2027
SWISSDEVJOBS.CH

+
+

    Transparent IT Job Market Report 2026/2027

    The reality
    of Juniors

    Challenges and opportunities.

    A child in round glasses studying beside a laptop

    Breaking into IT has never been easy for juniors. We look at education, entry barriers, first-job routes and the growing influence of AI on early careers.

    Juniors / education

    University degrees are common.

    Respondents with higher education 87%

    Formal education remains the most common route into Swiss IT.

    402 votes

    Do you have a university diploma or other form of higher education?

    1. Yes
      87%
    2. No
      13%

    The takeaway

    Higher education opens doors, but it is not the only way into IT.

    A university degree can open doors, build confidence and signal a foundation of technical knowledge, discipline and problem-solving. At the same time, juniors who built careers through bootcamps, online courses and self-directed study show that practical learning and sustained curiosity can widen access to Swiss IT.

    Juniors / expectations

    Entry requirements set the bar too high.

    386 votes

    Are companies asking for too much experience for entry-level roles?

    1. Yes, it’s way too much
      76%
    2. No, it’s reasonable
      9%
    3. Not sure
      15%
    505 votes

    Is higher education still essential to enter the IT industry?

    1. Yes, it’s essential
      25%
    2. No, experience matters more
      26%
    3. It helps, but isn’t necessary
      44%
    4. Not sure
      5%

    Experience over credentials

    For Juniors, lack of experience remains a bigger obstacle than education.

    Respondents see entry barriers as mainly about experience. A degree can still signal a useful foundation, yet it is rarely viewed as enough on its own. For junior candidates, portfolios, practical projects, internships and a visible ability to learn can make the difference when employers are looking for evidence of real-world readiness. The result is a hiring market that places more weight on demonstrable capability than credentials alone.

    Juniors / first role

    284 votes

    How did you secure your first job in the industry?

    1. University connections
      15%
    2. Online job boards
      40%
    3. Personal network or referrals
      29%
    4. Internship
      16%
    331 votes

    How long did it take to get your first job as a Junior?

    1. Less than 3 months
      59%
    2. 3 to 6 months
      18%
    3. 6 to 12 months
      10%
    4. Over a year
      13%

    Junior-level reality.

    The pattern

    First jobs come through broad search and strong connections.

    First jobs come through a mix of broad search and active networking. For many juniors, combining applications with referrals and personal connections helps turn those routes into a first role relatively quickly.

    Juniors / AI competition

    41% of Juniors feel threatened by AI and believe it increases competition.

    Do AI tools make it easier for junior developers to compete in today’s job market?

    335 votes

    .

    Transparent IT Job Market Report 2026/2027

    AI is here
    to stay

    The workplace is already changing.

    A person holding a phone surrounded by a glowing digital network

    AI is transforming job roles and daily routines. That brings new pressure, but also a new class of tools and opportunities for both companies and employees.

    AI / job security

    Most employees don’t expect AI to replace them soon.

    Do you think AI will be able to take over your job in the next five years?

    No
    Yes

    Confidence remains strong.

    The outlook

    AI / adoption

    AI tools are already at work.

    AI adoption at work

    AI delivers practical gains.

    AI has become part of everyday routines for many respondents, with productivity gains that are useful rather than transformational. The pattern points to augmentation: faster work and more room for focused tasks, while people remain firmly in control.

    302 votes

    Are you using any AI-powered tools in your job?

    1. Yes, extensively
      36%
    2. Yes, to some extent
      55%
    3. No, not at all
      7%
    4. I’m not sure
      2%
    469 votes

    How much do AI tools improve your productivity at work?

    1. 200% or more
      13%
    2. 50% to 200%
      28%
    3. 10% to 50%
      52%
    4. Negative impact
      7%

    AI / wellbeing

    The hidden costs of AI productivity.

    Do you notice more pressure to be productive because of AI tools?

    301 votes
    1. 61%
      No
    2. 39%
      Yes
    The human cost

    Higher productivity can bring higher pressure.

    AI can improve efficiency, but higher expectations can also create burnout, disengagement and turnover. The real challenge is building a workplace where AI supports people instead of overwhelming them.

    Adoption should go hand in hand with clear priorities, realistic workloads and attention to employee wellbeing. Productivity gains remain fragile when the people producing them do not feel supported.

    AI / job search

    AI in job hunting.

    The adoption curve

    AI is changing how IT professionals work and search for jobs, but adoption remains cautious. Few use it regularly for mass applications; more experiment, consider it or avoid it. For coding assignments, most use AI for selected tasks rather than depend on it completely, treating it as an assistant for repetitive work instead of a replacement for skills, judgment or decision-making.

    Have you ever used AI tools to mass-apply for job openings?

    221 votes
    1. Yes, regularly
    2. Yes, but just to try it out
    3. No, but considering it
    4. No, I refuse to use them

    Have you ever used AI tools to complete coding assignments?

    254 votes
    1. Yes, they’re essential
    2. Yes, but only for some tasks
    3. No, I prefer doing it myself
    4. No, AI is bad

    AI / generated code

    The human element
    is still needed.

    The trust gap

    Useful? Yes. Trusted? Cautiously.

    AI-generated code is already useful, but confidence remains conditional. Most respondents trust it cautiously or verify every output, showing that speed matters only when professional judgment remains in the loop.

    Do you trust code generated by AI tools?

    1. No, I always verify it
    2. Generally yes, but cautiously
    3. Yes, 100%
    4. I don’t use AI tools

    AI / learning to code

    379 votes

    Is it still worth learning to code?

    1. Yes, absolutely
      62%
    2. Yes, but with AI tools
      21%
    3. Not sure anymore
      12%
    4. No, AI has changed the game
      5%
    398 votes

    Do you feel pressure to learn AI tools to stay employable?

    1. Yes, a lot of pressure
      37%
    2. Yes, some pressure
      39%
    3. No pressure at all
      23%

    Coding is still worth learning.

    The skill shift

    Core skills still matter, but AI fluency is becoming the new norm.

    Over 80% of engineers agree that learning to code is still essential, even as everyday work blends with AI. Meanwhile, a vast majority of developers feel pressure to pick up new tools to stay competitive – showing that core programming fundamentals and modern workflows now go hand in hand.

    AI / coding tools

    Claude Code leads the toolkit.

    The tool landscape

    Assistants are standard. Full delegation is not.

    Claude Code dominates developer toolboxes, but human authorship remains central: four in five engineers still write half or more of their codebase manually, using AI to accelerate rather than fully replace their coding.

    305 votes

    Which AI coding tool do you use?

    1. Codex
      12%
    2. Claude Code
      68%
    3. OpenCode
      8%
    4. Other
      12%
    568 votes

    How much of your code do you still write yourself (without AI)?

    1. 90–100%
      20%
    2. 50–90%
      35%
    3. 10–50%
      30%
    4. <10%
      16%

    .

    Transparent IT Job Market Report 2026/2027

    Job
    Change

    Recruitment process

    A professional considering a job change

    Why do engineers switch jobs? Sometimes it’s about exploring new opportunities, other times it’s simply the right moment to move on from their current role or company.

    JOB CHANGE / DECISIONS

    Stability lasts. Friction makes us move.

    What's the longest you've worked for one company?

    795 votes

    What'd be your main reason to consider a job change?

    628 votes

    THE INFLECTION POINT

    People stay for years, then leave for very practical reasons.

    Tenure is spread across the career arc, but the motives for moving are tightly clustered. Compensation and management carry almost equal weight, while flexibility and project interest complete the decision.

    JOB CHANGE / BETWEEN ROLES

    The gap between roles is usually short.

    THE TRANSITION

    Most job searches resolve within a few months.

    A job change rarely means an immediate hand-off from one employer to the next. Still, the largest share of respondents report a relatively brief period without work, while longer breaks remain a meaningful part of the experience. These transitions can reflect focused searching, changing expectations, or simply the time needed to find a role that feels like the right fit.

    What is the longest time you've been without a job?

    JOB CHANGE / COMPENSATION

    .

    328 votes

    Do you think current market salaries are fair for the work expected?

    1. Yes, they are fair
      30%
    2. No, we should be paid more
      65%
    3. No, we are paid too much
      5%
    340 votes

    Can you live comfortably with your salary in your current location?

    1. Yes, very happy with it
      32%
    2. It's manageable, but not great
      54%
    3. No, it's hard to get by
      14%

    THE PAYCHECK GAP

    JOB CHANGE / SEARCH

    .

    THE DISCOVERY PATH

    Project interest, salary and remote work sit close together when engineers judge an opportunity. But when it is time to discover that opportunity, personal networks remain the strongest route, ahead of job boards and recruiters.

    424 votes

    What matters most to you when searching for new job opportunities?

    1. Interest in a project
      30%
    2. Salary
      35%
    3. Remote work possibility
      30%
    4. Reputation of a company
      5%
    197 votes

    What is your preferred way to find job offers as a software developer?

    1. Friends and networking
      45%
    2. Recruiters
      23%
    3. Job boards
      31%
    4. Other
      1%

    JOB CHANGE / RECRUITMENT

    Clarity beats a long hiring maze.

    What aspect of the recruitment process is the most annoying and demotivating for you?

    306 votes
    1. Lack of feedback
    2. Too many interview stages
    3. No salary information
    4. Other

    How many stages should an interview process have?

    652 votes
    1. 1 stage
    2. 2 stages
    3. 3-4 stages
    4. 5 or more stages

    THE BETTER PROCESS

    Communication problems and too many stages create the same share of frustration. The preferred process is decisive: two stages, visible expectations and feedback that closes the loop.

    JOB CHANGE / FOLLOW-UP

    Over half of candidates report they were ghosted by companies after interviews!

    What is the longest you have had to wait for a company’s final decision after an interview?

    286 votes

    A clear rejection closes the loop with respect. When companies go silent, candidates are left to finish the process themselves and carry that uncertainty into how they judge the employer.

    JOB CHANGE / CAREER ARC

    When do we enter and leave the stage?

    How old were you when you started your coding journey?

    1. 20%5 - 14
    2. 60%15 - 24
    3. 16%25 - 34
    4. 4%35+
    936 votes

    At what age would you like to retire?

    1. 27%<45
    2. 25%45 - 55
    3. 27%55 - 65
    4. 21%65+
    1064 votes

    THE LONG JOURNEY

    Most careers begin young. Knowing when to leave is the hard part.

    A remarkable number of developers started coding before turning 14, and the vast majority were well into it by their mid-twenties. Starting later is just as valid – it is never too late to begin.

    Retirement preferences, however, are far more spread out. Only 21% want to continue past 65, most see themselves stepping back somewhere between 45 and 65, and over a quarter (27%) would happily wrap things up even earlier.

    .


    .

    25%
    75%
    10%
    50%
    90%

    .

    , .

    .

    .

    , . .

    .

    .

      .

      .

        .



        .