10K has just released its 2025 Salesforce Talent Ecosystem Report, which looks at all the Salesforce job trends around the world – from supply and demand figures to other key factors shaping the market.
The company’s newest report highlights many of the new expectations for both technical roles, such as technical architects (TAs) and developers, and non-technical roles, like admins and business analysts (BAs). We’re well past the job market “boom period” of recent years and entering a clear “reset” era.
In our Salesforce Salary Survey this year, 87% of respondents noted that the market feels tougher than previous years – a sentiment that matches the “reset” dynamic. Opportunities are growing again across most regions, but the rules have changed: employers are far more selective, prioritizing candidates with specialized skills and proven ability to navigate complex Salesforce orgs. Here are eight key takeaways from 10K’s ecosystem report.
1. Demand Rebounds Cautiously
After two years of contraction, global Salesforce job listings are finally climbing again, with an 8% year-on-year (YoY) increase in demand.
On the surface, this looks like a healthy recovery from years prior, considering demand declined -37% in 2024, and -46% in 2023. But the rebound is a lot more cautious than the numbers suggest.
This is because the hiring mindset has shifted dramatically. During the boom period post-COVID, companies were racing to build Salesforce capacity as fast as possible, often hiring broadly and then upskilling later. Now, the approach is much more targeted – employers want to plug very specific gaps in their teams, and they expect candidates across the board to show evidence of specialized skills.
This means technical professionals can no longer rely solely on broad platform knowledge. Hiring managers are looking for people who can solve complex challenges, such as integrating multiple clouds, reducing technical debt, or designing governance around AI agents.
In other words, the opportunities may be returning, but they come with a higher bar. Candidates need to prove they can deliver more than just technical execution.
Nick Hamm, 10K CEO, writes: “Companies are being far more intentional about the talent they hire, prioritizing architectural oversight, strategic alignment, and business outcomes over the broad-based hiring sprees of years past.”
2. Demand Numbers Benefit Some (Not All) Regions
While the recovery figures for demand are positive, not every region is reaping the benefits. North America (+34%) and Australia/New Zealand (+44%) have enjoyed the sharpest rebounds, making them clear growth markets for 2025.
In contrast, Europe (-15%) and India (-4%) are still struggling to gain momentum.
For technical professionals, the takeaway is clear: where you are matters, but you’re also competing globally. In North America and ANZ, companies are expanding and may look abroad to fill gaps, while in regions where demand is weaker, like Europe and India, candidates face tougher competition on the ground.
That makes it even more important to stand out, whether through advanced certifications, niche expertise, or skills that make you effective in remote, distributed teams.
3. More Technical Architects Are Needed
Technical Architects have long been considered the “rare breed” of the Salesforce ecosystem, making up just 1% of the global talent supply. Despite this, they’ve become the hottest role in 2025: demand for TAs has risen faster than any other technical career path, up 27% year on year.
Salesforce orgs are more fragmented and harder to scale than ever, and companies increasingly need deep technical insight to untangle complexity, manage integrations, and build sustainable architectures, making the drivers for this clear. Yet supply has barely moved, growing only 4% YoY — the lowest rate across all Salesforce roles.
According to our Salary Survey, TAs remain the highest paid roles in the Salesforce job market, with a base salary of $142K in the US.
But while demand is spiking, there are still discrepancies around recognition in the ecosystem. Earlier this year, on Salesforce Ben, several Technical Architects described feeling undervalued. Recent job ads were offering noticeably lower salaries and contract rates, without clear justification. As Salesforce TA veteran Darrell Gallegos put it:
“I think it’s a slap in the face. You’ve got professionals dedicating time and energy, being responsible for critical systems, and when things break, they’re the ones who step in to fix them. A tightening market shouldn’t be a reason to walk back what someone is worth. It’s just a convenient excuse.”
Demand for Technical Architects has dropped significantly in recent years, resulting in widespread layoffs across the ecosystem. The lower salary offers we’re now seeing suggest an oversupply of talent, giving employers more leverage to be selective and cautious with compensation.
Now that demand is climbing again, there are many more opportunities for people to move into the role, as well as higher or expected pay for long-time TAs.
That tension makes the 2025 picture especially interesting. TAs are both in record demand and, paradoxically, placing financial pressure on employers – a mismatch that could define the ecosystem’s talent challenges for the next few years.
4. Developer Demand Goes Down, Especially in India
For the first time in years, demand for developers is on the decline.
The figures for developers have dropped 12% globally, with India driving much of that drop – listings in this region have dropped a striking 29% YoY.
At the same time, the supply of developers continues to swell, especially in India, which now accounts for 42% of the global development talent pool.
This imbalance between shrinking demand and rising supply puts pressure on the market, with tougher competition for available roles. A lot of this likely comes down to AI coding tools taking on more responsibilities, and subsequently lessening the need for junior developers.
Growth has slowed in most regions, but there are pockets of expansion. In Asia (excluding India and China), developer supply more than doubled, surging 41% YoY. This highlights a broader shift – while traditional hubs are cooling, new markets are stepping up as emerging sources of Salesforce Developer talent.
The result of this is developer roles being under more scrutiny than ever. Employers are becoming increasingly selective, and developers who can’t differentiate are being caught in the squeeze. Success in 2025 and into next year will come from expanding beyond pure Apex skills into areas like integrations, DevOps, and architecture.
5. Admins and BAs Enjoy Surge, But Roles Are Evolving
While some technical roles may be cooling, non-technical careers are enjoying some serious growth in 2025.
Administrators saw the sharpest increase, with supply up 47% YoY and demand up 14% globally. Likewise, BAs are following the same trend – supply is up 33% while demand grows by 9%.
However, these numbers don’t tell the full story. The expectations of both of these roles are changing. 10K discusses in their report the evolving role of admins, stating:
“The admin role has expanded far beyond basic configuration and support. Admins today are expected to manage automation, navigate technical debt, implement Flow migrations, handle user access, oversee data integrity, and stay ahead of AI developments — often with little to no additional support.”
AI is, of course, playing a huge role in this ongoing shift. With Agentforce now in play, companies require clean and structured orgs before introducing AI to their business. This now places admins at the forefront of AI readiness, making their role more strategic than ever.
Business Analysts, likewise, are pretty bullet-proof in the AI era, and are also expected to connect the dots between business needs and increasingly complex technical solutions.
Supply may be rising, but so is the bar. Admins and BAs who adapt to this expanded scope will continue to find opportunities, while those who remain focused on yesterday’s responsibilities may find it harder to stand out. Speaking of which…
6. AI Is Reshaping Roles Across the Board
Demand patterns across the Salesforce ecosystem are now being impacted and ultimately shaped by Salesforce’s big push into AI and Agentforce.
Many tasks that once defined the day-to-day roles of admins and developers – such as routine configuration, simple automation, and troubleshooting – are now being delegated to AI agents, which is subsequently shifting the spotlight.
Other than BAs, strong architects and data strategists could benefit massively in the Salesforce AI era, with this new technology magnifying the importance of clean data, robust system designs, and business alignment – basically, roles that AI can’t yet replace.
From this, 10K’s report raises a bigger question: If AI continues to evolve at this pace, what Salesforce roles will actually exist in five years?
That’s a debate we’ll explore further in a future piece, but the implications are clear today – technical professionals should focus less on tasks that can be automated, and more on the higher-value skills that AI will never replace.
7. Global Supply Grows Fast
While demand numbers are recovering gradually, the supply of Salesforce talent is expanding at its fastest rate in a decade.
Globally, supply for all roles grew by 27% YoY, with emerging markets actually outpacing established ones by 32%. India, in particular, was the standout emerging market, posting a 41% growth in talent supply.
More people are entering the ecosystem at an earlier stage, while hybrid, remote, and offshoring opportunities are opening doors for talent outside traditional hubs.
Per our Salary Survey, remote working is still very much the norm – with under 10% fully office-based – which keeps talent pools global and competition high regardless of region.
The big question now is whether this rapid growth we’re seeing will eventually match up with opportunity. This year, the demand side hasn’t kept pace, which means new entrants in emerging markets may not find roles, even as pipelines of qualified talent continue to swell.
8. Partner Ecosystem Hits New Highs
Lastly, it looks as though the Salesforce partner ecosystem is bigger – and potentially more fragmented – than ever.
Consulting partners on the AppExchange have now surpassed 3,700 firms, marking 25% YoY growth. The fastest expansion is happening at the smaller end of the market, with firms employing just 1-5 certified experts growing by 41%.
This surge has now impacted the balance of power in the partner ecosystem, with the top five partners accounting for just 33% of certified talent, down 21% over the past five years – likely attributed to recent layoff trends.
In other words, customers have more choice than ever when picking a consultancy, but also a lot more noise to cut through.
Consultants continue to anchor the delivery model, holding the largest share of job listings at 25%. North America, in particular, has seen a massive 72% surge in consultant demand, underlining its status as the most active partner market.
With so many new consultancies competing for work, consultants who can flex across clouds, industries, and delivery models will be the ones that stand out in an increasingly crowded field.
Final Thoughts: The Ecosystem Is Maturing
Compared to the boom years, 2025 feels a lot more disciplined. Hiring is focused on skills and outcomes, and less on broad capacity. Supply is growing fast, but demand is shifting toward specialists who can solve complex problems and deliver measurable impact.
For leaders, that means more talent options and a more diverse partner landscape. For professionals, it means the bar is higher: AI and Agentforce are reshaping what’s expected from admins and developers, and generalist credentials alone won’t cut it.
The message from 10K’s report is simple – work smarter, not harder. Ten random certs or patchy experience won’t guarantee a role, but deep expertise in the right area will.
