As similar to global trends, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also eating job openings in Pakistan’s tech industry that have seen a noticeable decline despite the industry growing at a fairly good pace, largely influenced by the rapid rise of AI tools and apps in recent years, according to PASHA Skill Survey.
The IT industry hired as many as 32,685 technical professionals and 1,969 non-technical professionals in the preceding year. As AI-driven tools become more advanced and accessible, many routine tasks that once required dedicated teams can now be handled with greater speed and efficiency by fewer people. This shift has led companies to streamline hiring, favoring professionals who bring a mix of technical, analytical, and AI-integration skills.
The survey released by Pakistan’s IT industry association highlighted the prevailing trends of its member companies, stating that organizations are looking for multi-skilled individuals, those who cannot only code or design but also leverage AI to automate workflows, generate insights, and enhance productivity. Instead of hiring separate specialists for each function, many companies now seek versatile team members who can wear multiple hats and use AI as a tool to scale their impact.
As a result, adaptability and the ability to integrate AI into one’s core work have become essential for remaining competitive in the evolving job market.
In-demand Skills in IT
The market strongly favors mid-to-senior level professionals in Fullstack JavaScript, .NET, and Python. However, since .NET Fullstack and C# .NET are essentially the same, it can be concluded that the demand for .NET is greater than JavaScript Fullstack. These roles are central to modern web engineering stacks, indicating where upskilling or strategic hiring would be most impactful for tech organizations.
The 2025 job market for mobile development shows a strong demand for hybrid frameworks, with React Native and Flutter leading across all experience levels, particularly for entry-level roles, making them essential for early-stage skill development. The CRM job market favors Salesforce and Dynamics professionals, with good opportunities for both new entrants and experienced professionals, reflecting the tools’ widespread use in digital transformation and customer relationship strategies.
The survey data shows a strong preference for AWS Developer Certifications, especially at the entry level (0–2 years), highlighting AWS as the most accessible and widely adopted cloud platform for newcomers. Microsoft Azure and DevOps tools follow, with solid demand across all experience levels, suggesting these skills are critical for modern infrastructure and continuous delivery pipelines.
Kubernetes stands out at the senior level (5+ years), reflecting its complexity and its role in scaling production environments. The demand for software testing professionals is strong across experience levels, with tools like ISTQB, Selenium, and Cypress leading the way. These are clearly foundational skills, with ISTQB showing high entry-level relevance and Cypress being particularly valued for senior roles.
The creative tech job market is booming now for early-career professionals, especially in Game Development and UI/UX design, which show the highest demand at the 0–2 years level.
The blockchain roles are still emerging, with Ethereum as the preferred platform, particularly relevant for developers interested in decentralized applications, smart contracts, and Web3 ecosystems. Relational databases (such as Oracle, MySQL, and MS SQL) continue to dominate Pakistan’s IT job market, especially at the entry level, indicating their strong presence in traditional systems and academic programs. With the highest demand across all experience levels, these databases remain foundational to enterprise operations and are a critical skill for early-career professionals.
Overall, 256 companies participating in the skills survey reflect the overall market composition of the IT and tech industry in Pakistan.
The P@SHA Skills Survey Report 2025 aims to uncover new employment opportunities, support strategic training interventions, and ultimately help bridge the gap between talent supply by offering an exclusive demand and skills gap analysis. This survey will support the overall industry human resource strength to empower Pakistan’s tech ecosystem for the future.
Senior Vice Chairman PASHA Muhammad Umair Nizam said that human capital is the real asset of the IT industry, which needs constant upgrades and development through capacity building. Without investment in human resources, including working professionals and a new workforce, the IT industry could not achieve ambitious goals to enhance its export targets in the future. He added that it is not only a challenge for the industry, but an opportunity for the whole country to develop the skills of our young generation with emerging technologies and employ them to improve their living standards.