Expert Svetlana Grinkova named the ten most in-demand professions in Russia for 2026. The main drivers of demand were technological literacy, import substitution, automation, and an acute labor shortage in manufacturing industries.
According to analysis by HeadHunter, the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation, Rostrud, and international studies (BLS, WEF), the highest demand is forecast for the following specialties:
- Engineers — especially designers, process engineers, design engineers in aircraft manufacturing and heavy engineering, as well as robotics engineers. Salaries: 98,000–280,000 rubles; robotics engineers — up to 370,000 rubles.
- IT specialists — full-stack developers, ML engineers, cybersecurity experts. Salary: 115,000–250,000 rubles. Higher education is not mandatory, but confirmed skills are required.
- Medical workers — doctors in narrow specialties (general practitioners, pediatricians, oncologists, anesthesiologists), nurses, junior staff. Salary: 80,000–120,000 rubles for doctors, 50,000–65,000 rubles for nurses.
- AI and machine learning specialists — needed to implement models in finance, retail, and industry. Salary: 150,000–300,000 rubles.
- Cybersecurity experts — in demand in the public sector and corporations due to the growth of cyber threats. Salary: 120,000–200,000 rubles.
- Financial analysts — help businesses optimize costs and manage investments. Salary: 100,000–150,000 rubles.
- Digital marketers — SMM specialists, targeting specialists, marketplace marketers. Salary: 70,000–120,000 rubles.
- Logisticians and supply chain specialists — adapt logistics to new trade routes and e-commerce. Salary: 80,000–130,000 rubles.
- Psychologists and psychotherapists — especially child psychologists, family psychologists, neuropsychologists, and burnout specialists. Salary: 60,000–100,000 rubles (private practice — higher).
- Skilled trades — turners, milling-machine operators, welders, electricians. Salary: 70,000–150,000 rubles.
Professions Under Threat of Automation
Demand is falling for:
- call center operators (being replaced by chatbots),
- entry-level accountants (automation via 1C, Kontur),
- cashiers and salespeople (growth of self-service and online commerce),
- generalist translators (neural networks provide high-quality translation),
- junior developers and testers (GitHub Copilot and automated testing systems are being used).
As Aleksandr Tereshkov, CEO of the training center "NTsPO," noted, demand does not always correlate with income. For example, occupational safety engineers are needed everywhere, but earn 80,000–100,000 rubles because they work in low-margin industries. At the same time, mid-level IT specialists earn 150,000–200,000 rubles due to the sector's high added value.