Most In-Demand Skills in 2026 Job Postings
The skills US employers name most often, from 1,572,947 job postings (October 2026).
1 minute read
- Communication is the skill named most often in US job postings: 31.8% of 1,572,947 postings that list skills (October 2026).
- The most requested named tools and technologies are Excel, Microsoft Office.
- Skills are read from the posting text; in a check of 1,527 extracted skills, 98.4% [97.7-98.9] were really asked for.
Top 25 skills across all careers
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 31.8% |
| Customer service | 12.6% |
| Organizational skills | 11.9% |
| Interpersonal skills | 11.5% |
| Problem-solving | 10.5% |
| Attention to detail | 10.2% |
| Work independently | 6.3% |
| Excel | 6.3% |
| Microsoft Office | 5.6% |
| Analytical skills | 4.9% |
| Leadership | 4.5% |
| Teamwork | 4.3% |
| Team player | 4.2% |
| Time management | 4.1% |
| Word | 3.7% |
| Positive attitude | 3.5% |
| Compassionate | 3.3% |
| Self-motivated | 3.0% |
| Professionalism | 2.8% |
| Outlook | 2.7% |
| Integrity | 2.6% |
| Dependable | 2.5% |
| Multi-task | 2.5% |
| Powerpoint | 2.5% |
| Follow instructions | 2.2% |
US job postings that list skills, October 2026; at most 20 postings per employer in each career.
By field
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 24% |
| Interpersonal skills | 10% |
| Compassionate | 8% |
| Organizational skills | 8% |
| Customer service | 5% |
| Problem-solving | 5% |
| Work independently | 5% |
| Nursing process | 5% |
Sales and Related
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 49% |
| Customer service | 39% |
| Organizational skills | 27% |
| Problem-solving | 22% |
| Follow instructions | 15% |
| Relationship management skills | 15% |
| Interpret operational documents | 15% |
| Decision-making | 14% |
Management
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 40% |
| Interpersonal skills | 17% |
| Organizational skills | 15% |
| Leadership | 15% |
| Problem-solving | 13% |
| Excel | 12% |
| Microsoft Office | 11% |
| Customer service | 10% |
Food Preparation and Serving Related
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Team player | 16% |
| Communication | 15% |
| Customer service | 14% |
| Interpersonal skills | 12% |
| Attention to detail | 11% |
| Positive attitude | 9% |
| Friendly | 9% |
| Teamwork | 8% |
Transportation and Material Moving
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 25% |
| Lift 50 lbs | 18% |
| Maneuver packages | 16% |
| Human relations | 14% |
| Attention to detail | 12% |
| Customer service | 12% |
| Verbal communication skills | 12% |
| Work independently | 9% |
Computer and Mathematical
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 29% |
| Python | 29% |
| Java | 20% |
| Problem-solving | 15% |
| AWS | 15% |
| SQL | 15% |
| JavaScript | 14% |
| Analytical skills | 13% |
Method
Share of US job postings that list skills and name the skill, in the 214 careers we publish (careers that passed our accuracy check), at most 20 postings per employer in each career; spelling variants merged by hand for the top skills. Methodology.
Download the figures (CSV). Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.
Cite this report
OwlApply, Most In-Demand Skills in 2026 Job Postings (October 2026), 1,572,947 US job postings. https://owlapply.com/en/research/most-in-demand-skills