Every month, Dice compiles hiring data from nearly 1,200 tech-focused hiring managers and recruiters. January’s report revealed these trends:

Java developers are the top priority for tech hirers. The demand for these tech professionals has grown for more than two years as measured by job postings on Dice.

The need for software developers has grown. Employers want developers who have strong opinions on what makes for high-quality code and who have a passion to create excellent user experiences and business solutions. On Dice, there are software developer positions posted in 44 out of 50 states.

Hiring managers are facing a talent crunch for both mobile and .NET developers for different reasons. According to Dice, “Mobile has become ubiquitous and the number of qualified, experienced developers hasn’t caught up with the market. For .NET, the money gap and the concerns about .NET limiting careers has held back tech professionals from fully embracing the Microsoft framework.”

Systems and network engineers/administrators made the top ten jobs for the first year. Their appearance may demonstrate that “companies have pushed the backbone of their organizations too far. Doing more with less has limits as these professionals maintain, operate and optimize entire communication channels and platforms.”