Navigating the Booming ServiceNow Job Market: Skills, Salaries, and Growth Areas for 2024 and beyond

With all the rapid developments on the platform, candidates often ask us: Which ServiceNow skills are in demand? What modules should I focus on? How much could I earn? Where is the platform heading next? With so many new courses and modules launching, quite often they are overwhelmed with options of where to specialise.

ServiceNow's Platform Modules and Industry Verticals

Empiric’s recruitment journey with ServiceNow started out with modules like IT Service Management (ITSM) and Customer Service Management (CSM) that met common needs across industries.

Now that ServiceNow is booming, and older modules such as ITSM, ITOM, CMDB and CSM are already implemented to companies' systems, in recent years the platform has developed industry-specific solutions also known as vertical module streams that cater to the unique needs and challenges of different sectors – think healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing, education, and government – all with their own ecosystems and rules. For job seekers and professionals, specialising in a vertical can really boost your skills value.

How Much Can You Earn in ServiceNow?

Unsurprisingly, one of the most common questions that we get from candidates is how much they can expect to earn as a ServiceNow professional.

There isn’t one answer to this - experience, certification, location, industry, language skills and module specialisation are all contributing factors here, however we’ve created some top line stats based on the modules we work across – hopefully these help as a reference point to negotiate your salary or plan your career path.

According to PayScale data the average base salary for ServiceNow developers and administrators in the Europe is €100,000, with salaries ranging from €65,000 on the low end up to €160,000 for top talent. I’ve scraped some talent data from a number of industry sources around freelance consulting vs end client rates that gives a rough idea of compensation ranges for ServiceNow professionals in the region.

Hot Skills to Develop

ServiceNow used to upgrade their platform once per year, but due to the vast ongoing developments they are planning to change this to three upgrades per annum. Some new modules that have been in high demand by our clients recently are TSM (telecom module), FSM (field service management), FSO (financial service operations), OTSM (manufacturing), LOM (legal operations).

A few key skill areas stand out:

HR Service Delivery (HRSD)

HRSD improves the employee experience by automating HR processes like onboarding, payroll, performance management, and more with the aim of enhancing employee satisfaction and engagement by providing faster and more personalised services.

With a tight labour market, organisations are increasingly focused on retaining their best talent. Streamlining HR operations helps - according to a ServiceNow blog from 2021, HRSD can improve employee satisfaction by 23%.

To master HRSD kills like process automation, integration development, reporting, and custom app development are essential and certifications in HRSD basics and system admin are also handy. A background in human resources is often a must for customers who are new to HRSD.

Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)

GRC helps to efficiently manage risk and compliance and is one of the most in demand modules in ServiceNow right now. It can automatically detect risks, monitor compliance and audits, control policies and fix issues.

GRC is a rare skill and is in high demand with lots of opportunities out there for GRC experts.

To ace GRC, you need skills like risk management frameworks, audit processes, regulatory compliance, assessment creation, and remediation workflows. Certifications in risk and compliance are also a big plus.

Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM)

SP SPM helps to plan and manage projects better, by aligning them to business goals and priorities. It helps decide which projects to fund, how to allocate resources, and how to track progress. It’s great for showing business strategy to decision makers for fast tracked approvals. SPM is a hot skill area in ServiceNow, because it helps to get things done faster and smarter. Many of my clients love SPM for its clarity and simplicity.

To nail SPM skills like portfolio planning, investment analysis, resource allocation, program management, and PMO processes are essential. You also need to know how to do financial planning and strategic alignment as these skills are highly valued in the market.

Security Operations (SecOps)

SecOps is all about keeping safe from hackers and cybercriminals. It lets you automate how you handle security incidents, find and fix vulnerabilities, and get the latest intel on threats.

SecOps is a hot skill area because cyberattacks are getting more frequent and complex, with organisations needing security experts who can help them defend their data and assets from bad actors.

To be a SecOps pro, you need skills like security incident management, vulnerability scanning and prioritisation, threat intelligence integration, orchestration and automation, and security best practices. Certifications in SecOps basics and system admin are also a plus and a background in cybersecurity or IT security is often a must-have for SecOps roles.

What's on the Horizon for ServiceNow?

ServiceNow has no plans to slow down their rapid innovation with some key areas they are focused on next include:

• New Regions: Expanding their worldwide presence with new data centres across the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
• Partnerships: Tapping into leading platforms like Microsoft, Salesforce, and IBM to provide tighter integrations.
• New Products: Launching new solutions for specific functions like Customer Workflow, Supplier Lifecycle Management, and Environmental Sustainability.

For professionals, this means more exciting opportunities in ServiceNow in the future.

An Abundance of ServiceNow Opportunities

Between vertical modules, emerging skills, worldwide growth, and new offerings - it's an amazing time to jump into and upskill in ServiceNow.

We’re expecting salaries and demand for skilled professionals to only continue rising. Whether you're new to ServiceNow or an experienced professional, now is the time to level up and capitalise on the abundant opportunities.

Our expert recruiters are embedded in the ServiceNow community and can help assess your readiness while matching you with the best roles.

Learn more about Empiric's ServiceNow capabilities and explore open positions on our dedicated page and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter below. Also be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn. I am happy to help with anything ServiceNow related!