IoT Career Opportunities [Ultimate Guide 2024]

IoT or the Internet of Things is a new and fascinating take on the very Internet itself. The Internet truly is a miraculous thing. The Internet enables you to do things that were earlier deemed impossible. Do you want to have a face-to-face chat with a person? Do you want to learn something new? Do you want to know what is happening in the opposite corner of the world? The Internet allows you to do all that and more.

So, it is inherent that connecting things to the internet yields some awe-inspiring results. To solidify this point, just look at any smartphone, tablet, or computer and think of all the fantastic things you have managed to achieve just because you had access to the Internet.

Yes, everything is better with the Internet and the IoT or Internet of Things is no different. The layman’s definition of the Internet of Things would be taking all the things that are in the world and hooking them up to the Internet. You might be wondering about the vagueness of the term “things” and how far one can push this definition. Yes, things here are essentially just things, from TV to washing machines, from doors to even Air Conditioning everything you can think of is the things being referred to in the Internet of things.

So, the Internet of Things aims to add the Internet’s power beyond traditional computers and smartphones. IoT is considered to be the future because it allows both a big organization and a single human being to have control over their environment. Imagine being able to open doors via your smartphone or have help called at your place in case of any emergency, the Internet of Things makes it all very possible. With artificial intelligence being so readily accessible, now would be an excellent time for a career in IoT.

The Internet of Things helps in providing better autonomy to people’s lives and helps them in getting better control over the technology they use. 

There are various advantages to the IoT for everyone. Businesses use IoT as an advantage to help in optimizing their tasks. The IoT helps in transferring mundane or redundant tasks to the technology. This allows for better resource management, where the team can put their energy to better use thus helping in productivity. 

Organizations can use this technology to perform actions in various industries such as retail, education, agriculture, healthcare, etc.

There are various IoT careers in the market that helps one grow their roots in highly good fields. The professionals having a good hold of the IoT domain find better opportunities due to vast demand and a higher number of employers looking to recruit them. 

Enrol for the Machine Learning Course from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career.

Making a Career in IoT

Unlike other traditional industries, considering the Internet of Things as an enterprise in itself would definitely not be wrong. Considering the constantly evolving nature of the world in terms of technology, the need for “smarter” alternatives is mostly sought after. Internet of Things provides just that and for a broad spectrum of people. IoT has enabled companies to collect data likes of which had never been seen before.

Read: Real World Applications in IoT

The data thus collected is taken, and processed to gain insights that would then drive the company’s decisions. Thus, making IoT an indispensable part of their toolkit. Not just that, the unmatched convenience that IoT is said to offer for a consumer makes Internet-enabled devices a must-have for individuals.

So, making a career in IoT is definitely not a wrong choice for anyone looking to get into it. IoT in itself is by no means small offering a wide assortment of IoT career opportunities, some of which you would find listed below:

1. Data Analytics

Any IoT system generates a lot of data, and with the sheer number of such gadgets connected, the amount of data that is generated is overwhelming. Not to mention without the presence of someone to make sense of this data and convert it into information, all the data is essentially garbage. Hence the need for a data analysis wing in any IoT based company is very essential. To become a data analyst yourself, you would need to have a good hold on statistics.

Yes, you should be able to find correlations, make graphs, and you should also be able to present all your findings in a presentable manner. Having knowledge of statistics-based language R or modules of python like NumPy, Pandas, statistics, etc. would definitely make you more employable in the field of data analytics.

Data analytics help in processing and analyzing data that is generated by IoT devices. This data can be made sense of by using various tools as mentioned above. The gained insights equip the company to take better decisions and monitor the tasks. The industrial or non-industrial processes can be optimized. Moreover, data analytics also help in weather management, logistics management, etc. There is various internet of things jobs available in the field of data that are highly competitive and contributes to a successful career.

Check out: Data Analytics Project Ideas

2. Network and the networking structure

Any Internet of things machine is complicated. The complexity majorly comes from the arrays of sensors that are supposed to be both attached to the device and the internet. If the connection is broken or any of the complex mesh links, that is any IoT machine is not planned correctly, then the machine would not feel as intuitive as it could have been otherwise. Here is where having a knowledge of Networks and their architecture comes into the picture.

The professionals having specialization in network and networking would be employed to ensure all the connections are working well. They are also supposed to make sure that all the communication that is happening feels intuitive rather than something which is hacked on for the sake of making the object “smart.” Anyone who has worked with managing desktop or laptop networks would find no challenge whatsoever in managing the networks of any IoT system.

The networks act as a bridge between the data transmission from the actual physical objects. The transmission of data includes gathering, receiving, and transmitting the data via modes of sensors or networks connected through the devices.

There are various types of IoT networks or devices that are available, such as RFID, Cellular, MESH protocols, LPWAN, BLE, Wifi, LoFi, etc. Depending on the requirements, the appropriate network can be selected. There is a bigger scope for CSE IoT job opportunities one can pursue for a better future.

Know more: Top 10 Neural Network Architectures

3. Security

Any tech-related industry has to vary from hackers and malicious programs, IoT fares no differently. If protection is skimped upon, then the tool’s explosion or the sensor in question becomes a genuine possibility. Not just that, if any hacker who is miles away or lives in your vicinity gets a hold of your fridge, which is connected to your home network, will also get a grip on the network itself.

If the hacker gains control over the network, this means your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet any electronic device connected to that network is also not safe. This security flaw puts all your valuable data at risk. So, any Internet of Things related organizations should not take the security of its system lightly. If you think you want protection as your preferred career in IoT, then you would be tasked to protect and secure the network.

You will also be responsible for doing regular testing of the security of the system. Finding and fixing any flaw which could induce risk would be your job on a daily basis. You should have a profound knowledge of vulnerability evaluation, and public-key encryption, and you should also know how to secure a wireless connection.

There are various measures one can take to secure the network system on their IoT devices such as –

1. Set up a strong router
2. Set up passwords that are strong and made up of combinations
3. Create a separate Wifi network for the devices
4. Enable multi-factor authentication
5. Update  the devices
6. Disable not-in-use features

4. Hardware and Devices

Internet of Things aims at connecting various devices to the internet. The connection which IoT wants to establish is only possible with the use of proper hardware devices. To say that hardware is the bread and butter of the Internet of Things industry would definitely be an understatement. However, the hardware you would create for any IoT company would be mostly sensors and transmitters. You should also know how Bluetooth’s integration is done and keep updating your knowledge as and when new technologies become mainstream.

There is a big role of hardware in IoT. These devices of IoT manage important tasks such as activation, security, application management, etc. The IoT devices are implemented using both the software and the hardware.

The most important hardware in any IoT is its sensors. They consists of various components such as energy modules, power management modules, etc.

The hardware components as already mentioned are highly important in the IoT devices. Physically these hardware devices are for routing, sensors, etc. There are various IoT job opportunities which one can procure for themselves in order to gain better opportunities. 

5. The creation of User Interface

UI or User Interface is the key to make any technology more user-friendly. The Internet of Things aims to provide everyone with the information that the sensors of various machines hooked up to the internet produces. This vision of IoT will never come to fruition without a proper User Interface. The importance of having a good User Interface could be traced all the way back to when the first computer came out.

There was no UI. Everything was all black and white, and to do anything with your machine, you would have to use the command line. This was also the time when computers weren’t popular. With the improvements in the User Interface throughout the year’s computers have also gained popularity. So, the importance of having a useful UI for the IoT app, which would display the information, should not be undermined.

If you decide to choose a UI developer as your preferred career in IoT, you would be tasked to develop intuitive UI. You would also have to ensure that the users get the best UX or user experience. To be successful in creating a useful UI, your designing skills should be on point. You should be able to put yourself in the shoes of the User, which is very important in ensuring that the UX is also on point.

A good UI is important for attracting large userbase towards the IoT. The UI aids in fulfilling the potential of IoT device. The intercation between the user and the device becomes much easier thus making the technology user friendly. 

The UI of an IoT device may include buttons, screens, pages, keyboards, etc. These features of the UI device helps the users in navigating through the device easily thus helping out in better experience. 

On the other hand, if the user interface is not sophisticated enough and is difficult to navigate through the device, then that becomes a big hindrance for the technology to scale higher. So, the beginners having the apprehension “Is IoT a good career?” should be ensured that yes, it is a good career that is here to stay.

Also Read: IoT Project Ideas & Topics

Career Opportunities in IoT

We have discussed the various niches that you could possibly work on if you can envision a future in the Internet of Things. Let us now shift our discussion to the multiple titles you could get if you have a job in IoT. So, listed below are some of the IoT career opportunities based on the title of the job.

1. Sensors and Actuator Professional

As the name suggests, if you choose to be a Sensors and Actuator professional, you would be working with well sensors and actuators. You would be tasked with developing devices, as mentioned earlier. Not only that, but your role would also be to test out the various tools you create continually. Your responsibility would also include keeping track of the industry and performing research on the different new technologies available and how would you be able to integrate them into the sensors and actuators that you are tasked to produce.

2. Embedded Programs Engineer

Any embedded programs engineer would be tasked to create the various PCBs, firmware, etc. You would also be assigned to quantify the performance and to troubleshoot the devices you make or program.

Some of the skills required from these professionals are mentioned below-

1. C++
2. Microcontrollers or MCU
3. RTOS  (Real- time operating systems)
4. Linux Operating Systems
5. Microprocessors

On average the salary procured by the embedded systems engineer is 4.5 lakh per annum. The average salary ranges from 2.0 lakhs per annum to 15.9 lakhs per annum (Source). The salary may differ due to various factors such as skill sets, experience, location, seniority, etc.

Check out: IoT Developer Salary in India

3. Safety engineering

You would be tasked with ensuring that the IoT technologies that are being created are safe from hackers’ potential attempts to gain control. You must have the knowledge of penetration testing, and also you should continuously check for any loopholes that you can detect.

Some of the skills required from the safety engineers are mentioned below-

1. Identifying the loopholes
2. Identfying the leakages by studying the blueprint model
3. Deisgning the measures against the leakages
4. Communication
5. Investigation
6. Research
7. Team collaboration
8. Team management

On average the salary of a safety engineer is 4.1 lakhs per annum. The average salary ranges from 2.2 lakhs per annum to 8.5 lakhs per annum (Source).

Conclusion

IoT is a very rapidly growing field. The IoT career opportunities that currently exist could never be even thought of before. There are many fields to currently choose from, and you can either go into security, design the UI, or design the various sensors. The choices presented before you are endless.

However, the pay is very subjective to the company and the nature of the work you are tasked to perform. If you want to choose a career in IoT, you would not be wrong because of the vast amounts of available opportunities for you.

If you’re interested to learn about AI & machine learning, check out IIIT-B & upGrad’s PG Diploma in Machine Learning & AI which is designed for working professionals and offers 450+ hours of rigorous training, 30+ case studies & assignments, IIIT-B Alumni status, 5+ practical hands-on capstone projects & job assistance with top firms.