Gain essential insights into the US Windows Kernel talent market with our H2 2025 report. This guide explores how demand is evolving for low-level systems expertise, highlighting the industries, employers and niche skill sets driving Windows kernel hiring across security, virtualisation and enterprise infrastructure in the US.
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Windows Kernel US H2 205 Talent Report
Alex Ford
12th Jan 2026
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Key Highlights
- Market Trends: The Windows kernel market in H2 2025 remains resilient, with sustained demand driven by the critical nature of kernel-level expertise across operating systems, security, virtualization and enterprise infrastructure. Organisations continue to prioritise low-level systems knowledge where there are few realistic substitutes.
- Talent Supply: The talent pool is increasingly constrained. Many senior kernel engineers are nearing retirement, while fewer junior engineers are entering the space due to the steep learning curve and lower visibility compared to application-level development. This has widened the skills gap across the US market.
- Hiring Impact: Employers are experiencing longer hiring cycles, rising compensation expectations and heavier reliance on a small group of highly specialised engineers. Demand consistently outpaces supply, reinforcing Windows kernel expertise as one of the most niche and defensible skill sets in the software market.
- Insight: For a deeper technical perspective on this space, explore our Behind the Code interview with Pavel Yosifovich, offering first-hand insight into the realities of kernel-level development.