Skill report · Practices & Methods
Automation: demand in job postings
Automation is named in 5% of the 28,652 tech job postings Mettlespark read in the United States and Canada over the last 180 days (1,384 postings), most often for Site Reliability Engineer at 31%, Platform Engineer at 13% and Security Engineer at 11%. When a posting names it, 82% list it as required.
From 28,652 postings in the United States and Canada, April 23, 2026 to October 20, 2026. Updated October 20, 2026. How we count
- Postings naming it
- 1,3845% of all postings
- Required when named
- 82%rather than nice to have
- Senior level or above
- 63%of the postings naming it
Over time
Its share of postings has risen about 3.8 points since October 2023, comparing like with like, and the rise has sped up lately.
The roles that ask for it most
The share of each role's postings that name Automation.
| Role | Share of the role's postings |
|---|---|
| Site Reliability Engineer | |
| Platform Engineer | |
| Security Engineer | |
| Cloud Engineer | |
| DevOps Engineer | |
| Engineering Manager | |
| Data Analyst | |
| Applied AI Engineer |
Often asked for alongside
The share of postings naming Automation that also name each.
- Python46%
- AWS37%
- CI/CD36%
- Observability34%
- Distributed Systems29%
- Terraform28%
Industries
Where the postings naming it come from.
- Banking & Financial Services16%
- Cybersecurity9%
- Enterprise Software & SaaS9%
- Healthcare8%
Quick answers
Is Automation in demand?
Automation is named in 5% of tech job postings in the United States and Canada over the last 180 days, 1,384 postings, and required in 82% of those. Its share of postings has risen about 3.8 points since October 2023, comparing like with like, and the rise has sped up lately.
Which jobs ask for Automation?
Site Reliability Engineer, Platform Engineer, Security Engineer and Cloud Engineer postings name it most often: 31% of Site Reliability Engineer postings, 13% of Platform Engineer postings, 11% of Security Engineer postings.
What skills go with Automation?
Postings that name Automation most often also name Python, AWS, CI/CD and Observability.