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