Everyone talks about AI and coding, but is there still a market for experts? Specifically, which skill pays fastest in America: Python, SQL, Excel, AWS? I am very comfortable with spreadsheets and want to know if I can land a decent role without learning heavy programming.
3 answers
You would be surprised how much of the corporate world still runs on Excel. In the Business Analysis domain, an Excel wizard who understands Pivot Tables, VBA, and Power Query is highly valued. When you combine that with SQL, you become a powerhouse for financial reporting and operational analysis. Many mid-sized companies in the US aren't looking for AWS architects; they need someone to make sense of their monthly sales data. I’ve seen people start at $70k-$80k just by being the "spreadsheet person" who knows how to talk to databases.
That is encouraging, but as companies scale, don't they eventually move everything to Python or cloud-based tools? Is there a ceiling to how much an Excel expert can earn compared to a Python dev?
Excel is definitely the fastest to learn and apply. You can get a job as a coordinator or junior analyst within weeks if your spreadsheet skills are top-tier.
Spot on, Betty. Excel is the "low hanging fruit" of the tech world. It’s the quickest way to get a paycheck while you figure out if you want to dive into more technical domains like AWS.
Christopher, there is definitely a ceiling if you stay only in basic data entry, but "Advanced" Excel combined with business domain knowledge can lead to roles like Senior Financial Analyst or Operations Manager. These roles often pay as much as software developers because you are providing direct decision support to executives. It’s less about the tool and more about the insights you generate for the business.