State of the RPA Developer Report 2021

Key Findings

1. RPA is a fast-growing and desirable field that is relatively easy to transition into.
   The vast majority (92%) of RPA developers think the RPA industry has a high potential for growth over the next 5 years. And we are seeing signs of this growth: 77% expect their organization will hire more RPA developers in the next 12 months up from 70% last year. Not only is RPA attracting talent that’s new to the workforce, but it’s also something seasoned professionals are interested in as well. Two thirds of RPA developers come from other professional fields, most commonly software development. Half of RPA developers report it was easy to transition into their role.
2. RPA is a diverse software development field.
   59% of RPA developers think RPA is more diverse than other software development fields—and our data shows signs of gender and age diversity, too. 20% of the RPA developers who responded are women and half are over the age of 30. 52% of RPA developers have at least 5 years of work experience. 31% have at least 11 years of experience.
3. RPA developers report a high (and increasing) level of job satisfaction.
   97% of RPA developers report being satisfied with their career. This is in line with what we saw last year, but this year we see even more enthusiasm. 63% of RPA developers report being very satisfied, up from 51% last year. RPA developers are proud of the work they are doing—and they feel valued. 84% of RPA developers feel valued by their organization, up from 80% last year. 88% think their job as an RPA developer will have a positive impact on their next career move compared to 83% last year.
4. Even though satisfaction with the field is high and developers want to stay in the field, many are looking for new jobs or are open to new opportunities.
   80% of RPA developers are looking for new jobs or are open to new opportunities, but the majority of these job seekers (75%) want to remain in the field. Why are they looking to make a change? The top reasons include the desire to advance their career (78%), increase their salary (78%), and learn new skills (76%).
5. Like many fields, RPA developers shifted how they worked this year.
   85% started working from home, and most are still doing so (as of April 2021). While 90% of RPA developers want to continue working from home at least some of the time, those who are new to this arrangement have faced a few challenges, including difficulty unplugging (47%), collaboration (46%), and distractions (40%).

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