IT Staffing Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
The IT staffing market size reached USD 123.30 billion in 2025 and is projected to advance to USD 147.58 billion by 2030, registering a 3.66% CAGR during the forecast period. This steady expansion reflects enterprises realigning talent strategies toward specialized skill acquisition rather than volume hiring, a change reinforced by cloud, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity spending priorities. Temporary and contract engagements remain the dominant hiring mechanism, yet growth is gravitating toward Statement-of-Work models that shift delivery risk to providers. Generative-AI engineering, edge computing, and cyber-resilience needs are reshaping job requisitions, while persistent global skill shortages sustain upward wage pressure. At the same time, vendor consolidation across Global-2000 clients compresses margins for managed service providers but also deepens their wallet share with retained customers.
Key Report Takeaways
- By skill set, software developers led with 37.6% of IT staffing market share in 2024, while generative-AI roles are forecast to post a 12.40% CAGR through 2030.
- By end-user industry, BFSI held 24.5% of demand in 2024; healthcare IT staffing is projected to expand at a 10.80% CAGR to 2030, the fastest among all verticals.
- By staffing service type, temporary and contract engagements accounted for 63.8% of the IT staffing market size in 2024, yet Statement-of-Work deals are advancing at an 11.60% CAGR.
- By enterprise size, large enterprises controlled 71.45% share of the IT staffing market size in 2024, whereas the SME segment is growing at 9.20% CAGR on the back of cloud-first adoption.
- By geography, North America commanded 44.3% revenue in 2024; Asia-Pacific is scaling at an 8.50% CAGR through 2030.
Global IT Staffing Market Trends and Insights
Drivers Impact Analysis
| Driver | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerated adoption of AI-, cloud- and IoT-centric projects | +1.2% | Global, North America and Asia-Pacific | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Remote and hybrid work models | +0.8% | Global, North America and Europe | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Cyber-resilience staffing under insurance mandates | +0.9% | Global, North America and EU | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Post-pandemic digital-budget rebound | +0.6% | Global | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Generative-AI supervision roles | +0.7% | North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Vendor consolidation among Global-2000 clients | +0.4% | North America and Europe | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Accelerated Adoption of AI-, Cloud- and IoT-Centric Digital-Transformation Projects
Fourteen percent of global tech job postings now demand AI or machine-learning skills, up from 9% a year earlier [1]DHI Group, “As AI Transforms Tech Hiring,” dhigroupinc.com . Cloud migrations call for specialized DevOps engineers and security architects, while edge-computing investments that are projected to reach USD 139.58 billion by 2030 require blended infrastructure-plus-IoT talent. NTT DATA’s program to train 200,000 employees in generative AI further underscores the scale of reskilling underway [2]NTT DATA, “Generative AI Talent Development Framework,” nttdata.com . Interdisciplinary project teams that connect AI algorithms, cloud resources, and device networks are therefore driving sustained expansion in the IT staffing market.
Expansion of Remote and Hybrid Work Models Requiring Distributed Talent
Sixty-five percent of Dell Technologies personnel use formal flexibility arrangements, signaling lasting normalization of location-agnostic hiring. Employers gain access to broader talent pools, yet must navigate cross-border compliance and rising pay parity expectations. ManpowerGroup’s 2025 outlook shows 41% of firms plan to add headcount, with technology roles topping demand charts. Competitive bidding now spans continents, increasing compensation levels and compelling agencies to enhance retention packages that extend beyond salary.
Surging Demand for Cyber-Resilience Staff Driven by Cyber-Insurance Mandates
Eighty-nine percent of organizations anticipate expanding security teams to meet NIS 2 Directive obligations. Insurance carriers require demonstrable controls, lifting needs for security architects, cloud-config auditors, and continuous-monitoring analysts. Data sovereignty laws that localize citizen information add further complexity and spur recruitment of legal-plus-technical hybrid professionals. Given the acute talent shortfall, many firms pursue staff-augmentation contracts to secure expertise without permanent hiring overheads.
Digital-Transformation Budget Rebound Post-Pandemic Fuels Staff-Augmentation Demand
Deferred projects from 2020-2023 are now back on executive roadmaps, placing near-term strain on internal hiring pipelines. ASGN forecasts 20% revenue growth in 2025 by pairing consulting acquisitions with flexible delivery models that promise faster ramp-up. Organizations increasingly sign outcome-based SOW agreements that share delivery risk with providers, reshaping the IT staffing market from pure labor sourcing to value-based capability provision.
Restraint Impact Analysis
| Restraint | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global skill shortages in niche technologies | -0.7% | Global, acute in North America and Europe | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Wage inflation compressing MSP margins | -0.5% | North America and Europe | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| AI-based self-service hiring platforms | -0.4% | Global, early adoption in North America | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Tightening data-sovereignty laws | -0.3% | Europe, expanding into Asia-Pacific and the Americas | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Persistent Global Skill Shortages in Niche Technologies
It is estimates that unresolved digital-skills gaps could cost the global economy by 2034, underscoring structural supply constraints for quantum, advanced AI, and zero-trust security expertise. Universities have not kept curriculum pace, creating multiyear lags before new graduates enter these specializations. The scarcity elevates compensation packages and lengthens project timelines, compelling enterprises to bankroll intensive reskilling initiatives that erode near-term ROI.
Wage Inflation Compressing MSP Bill-Rate Margins
Specialist salaries are rising faster than providers can renegotiate multiyear contracts, particularly in government and highly regulated industries where rate caps are common. Insight Global notes that bill-rate growth trails wage inflation by several points, squeezing gross margins for mid-tier providers [3]Insight Global, “IT Wage Correction 2024,” insightglobal.com . Smaller firms lacking scale are becoming acquisition targets, accelerating consolidation but also reducing competitive pricing pressure in the IT staffing market.
Segment Analysis
By Skill Set: Generative-AI Roles Reshape Traditional Development Hierarchies
Software developers accounted for 37.6% of IT staffing market share in 2024, reflecting entrenched application modernization projects. Generative-AI engineers are projected to register a 12.40% CAGR through 2030, underscoring growing demand for prompt design, model auditing, and LLM fine-tuning. The IT staffing market size for data and AI engineering is projected to escalate sharply as edge-cloud pipelines scale. Salary corridors signal premium pricing that providers can command when supplying hybrid AI-development expertise.
Traditional testers and QA roles face automation headwinds, pushing many professionals toward AI-enabled verification tools. Systems analysts are pivoting to integration architecture, and network specialists are upskilling in AI-driven threat monitoring. Emerging skills—quantum development, blockchain architecture, and IoT device security—collectively remain a small but rapidly expanding slice of the IT staffing market.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By End-User Industry: Healthcare Digital Mandates Accelerate IT Adoption
BFSI remained the largest adopter with 24.5% share in 2024, driven by open-banking compliance and fintech platform upgrades. Healthcare emerges as the fastest-growing vertical at 10.80% CAGR, propelled by electronic-health-record modernization and AI-assisted diagnostics. The IT staffing market size for healthcare projects is expected to widen as telemedicine and patient-data interoperability standards take hold.
Manufacturing prioritizes smart-factory deployments requiring IoT and predictive-maintenance talent. Retail and e-commerce continue omnichannel build-outs, while public sector agencies earmark cybersecurity and citizen-service digitization budgets. Energy, automotive, and smart-city programs fill the “Other Industries” category, each demanding bespoke skill combinations and feeding diverse pipelines for the IT staffing market.
By Staffing Service Type: Project-Based Models Gain Strategic Prominence
Temporary and contract staffing dominated with 63.8% contribution in 2024, demonstrating enterprise preference for cost-containment flexibility. Statement-of-Work engagements, however, are recording an 11.60% CAGR as clients shift toward outcome accountability. Providers that master project governance and risk management capture premium pricing and greater stickiness in the IT staffing market.
Permanent placement shows muted expansion because rapid technology cycles deter long-term headcount commitments. Managed Service Provider and outsourced models benefit from vendor consolidation, as conglomerates seek fewer, broader suppliers capable of global compliance assurance and performance analytics.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Enterprise Size: SME Cloud Adoption Drives Specialized Demand
Large enterprises claimed 71.45% of IT staffing market share in 2024, leveraging preferred-supplier frameworks to secure scarce talent. Nonetheless, SMEs are projected to advance at a 9.20% CAGR thanks to turnkey cloud platforms that require implementation support. The IT staffing market size for SMEs is enlarging as these firms invest in cybersecurity hardening and e-commerce integrations.
SME engagements generally favor short, milestone-driven contracts, enabling providers to rotate teams across multiple customers. Large-scale clients continue multi-year transformation initiatives but pressure suppliers on rate optimization, reinforcing the importance of delivery productivity and automation.
Geography Analysis
North America retained 44.3% share in 2024, supported by deep tech ecosystems, large digital budgets, and rigorous security mandates. Continuous visa policy shifts and wage escalation challenge talent availability, prompting more near-shoring to Canada and Latin America. The United States leads demand due to Silicon Valley software projects and Wall Street cloud overhauls, while Canada provides cost-advantaged hubs in Toronto and Montréal.
Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region at an 8.50% CAGR, buoyed by India’s IT services scale-up, Japanese reskilling initiatives, and Singapore’s regional headquarters attraction. Managed-services annual contract value in the region rose 32% in 2024 as multinationals diversified sourcing. China’s platform rebound and Korea’s semiconductor R&D add further pull on specialist headcount.
Europe posts stable demand in Germany and the United Kingdom, even as Eastern European destinations evolve from pure cost-arbitrage to niche specialist centers. GDPR compliance maintains high cybersecurity uptake. Middle East and Africa trail but register steady growth; Saudi Arabia’s smart-city projects and South Africa’s English-language service hubs are notable demand pockets. Currency-adjusted wage differentials across these markets shape provider margin strategies within the global IT staffing market.
Competitive Landscape
The IT staffing industry shows moderate fragmentation with rising consolidation. TEKsystems generated USD 5.8 billion revenue in 2024, while ASGN, Randstad, and Cognizant’s staffing arms deepen consulting overlaps. Providers differentiate through AI-driven candidate matching, workforce-planning analytics, and automated compliance tools that reduce time-to-fill cycles.
Large MSPs dominate Fortune 500 accounts, yet specialized boutiques carve niches in quantum computing, industrial IoT, and sector-specific AI. Technology-enabled marketplaces threaten to disintermediate traditional agencies by directly connecting employers with vetted freelancers.
Margin compression from wage inflation triggers MandA activity: HeadFirst-Impellam’s merger created an EUR 8 billion spend platform, while System One, GEE Group, and Kelly Services executed smaller capability acquisitions in 2025. Scale economies are now essential for maintaining profitability and investing in proprietary sourcing technology.
IT Staffing Industry Leaders
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TEKsystems Inc. (Allegis Group Holdings Inc.)
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ASGN Incorporated
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Insight Global LLC
-
Randstad NV
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Kforce Inc.
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Recent Industry Developments
- May 2025: NTT DATA launched the Smart AI Agent Ecosystem to convert legacy RPA bots into autonomous agents.
- April 2025: Randstad executed its partner-talent strategy, accelerating digital onboarding and talent analytics.
- April 2025: AXION secured USD 1.5 million seed funding for AI-augmented recruitment workflows.
- March 2025: HeadFirst Group merged with Impellam, forming a managed-service leader with EUR 8 billion spend under management.
Global IT Staffing Market Report Scope
IT staffing is a management process that includes hiring and developing IT manpower necessary to fill the various positions in the organization. IT staffing is getting increasingly outsourced to ensure better manpower for managing the organization effectively.
The IT staffing market is segmented by skill set (software developer, tester, systems analyst, technical support professionals, networking and security experts, and other skill sets), end-user industry (telecom, BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and other end-user industries), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World).
The market sizes and forecasts are provided in terms of value (USD) for all the above segments.
| Software Developers |
| Testers and QA Engineers |
| Systems Analysts / Business Analysts |
| Technical Support Professionals |
| Networking and Security Experts |
| Data and AI Engineers |
| Other Skill Sets |
| Telecom |
| Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) |
| Healthcare and Life Sciences |
| Manufacturing |
| Retail and e-Commerce |
| Government and Public Sector |
| Other Industries |
| Temporary / Contract Staffing |
| Permanent Placement |
| Statement-of-Work (SOW) / Project-based |
| Managed Service Provider (MSP) / Outsourced Staffing |
| Large Enterprises |
| Small and Medium Enterprises |
| North America | United States | |
| Canada | ||
| Mexico | ||
| South America | Brazil | |
| Argentina | ||
| Colombia | ||
| Rest of South America | ||
| Europe | Germany | |
| United Kingdom | ||
| France | ||
| Italy | ||
| Spain | ||
| Russia | ||
| Netherlands | ||
| Rest of Europe | ||
| Asia-Pacific | China | |
| Japan | ||
| South Korea | ||
| India | ||
| Australia | ||
| Singapore | ||
| Rest of Asia-Pacific | ||
| Middle East and Africa | Middle East | Saudi Arabia |
| United Arab Emirates | ||
| Rest of Middle East | ||
| Africa | South Africa | |
| Egypt | ||
| Rest of Africa | ||
| By Skill Set | Software Developers | ||
| Testers and QA Engineers | |||
| Systems Analysts / Business Analysts | |||
| Technical Support Professionals | |||
| Networking and Security Experts | |||
| Data and AI Engineers | |||
| Other Skill Sets | |||
| By End-User Industry | Telecom | ||
| Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) | |||
| Healthcare and Life Sciences | |||
| Manufacturing | |||
| Retail and e-Commerce | |||
| Government and Public Sector | |||
| Other Industries | |||
| By Staffing Service Type | Temporary / Contract Staffing | ||
| Permanent Placement | |||
| Statement-of-Work (SOW) / Project-based | |||
| Managed Service Provider (MSP) / Outsourced Staffing | |||
| By Enterprise Size | Large Enterprises | ||
| Small and Medium Enterprises | |||
| By Geography | North America | United States | |
| Canada | |||
| Mexico | |||
| South America | Brazil | ||
| Argentina | |||
| Colombia | |||
| Rest of South America | |||
| Europe | Germany | ||
| United Kingdom | |||
| France | |||
| Italy | |||
| Spain | |||
| Russia | |||
| Netherlands | |||
| Rest of Europe | |||
| Asia-Pacific | China | ||
| Japan | |||
| South Korea | |||
| India | |||
| Australia | |||
| Singapore | |||
| Rest of Asia-Pacific | |||
| Middle East and Africa | Middle East | Saudi Arabia | |
| United Arab Emirates | |||
| Rest of Middle East | |||
| Africa | South Africa | ||
| Egypt | |||
| Rest of Africa | |||
Key Questions Answered in the Report
What is the projected value of the global IT staffing market by 2030?
The market is forecast to reach USD 147.58 billion by 2030, reflecting a 3.66% CAGR.
Which skill segment is growing fastest in IT staffing?
Generative-AI engineering roles are expanding at a 12.40% CAGR through 2030.
Why are Statement-of-Work engagements gaining traction?
Clients favor outcome accountability and risk sharing, pushing SOW deals to an 11.60% CAGR.
Which region is recording the highest growth in technical staffing demand?
Asia-Pacific leads with an 8.50% CAGR driven by India, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
How are skill shortages affecting provider margins?
Scarcity inflates wages faster than bill-rate adjustments, compressing MSP margins and spurring consolidation.
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