According to a recent LinkedIn post from QuEra Computing, new data from the QED-C® State of the Global Quantum Industry 2026 report indicates a notable shift in quantum workforce composition. The post highlights that operations roles have moved from fifth to the second most common role over the past year.
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Engineering reportedly still accounts for 32.7% of the workforce, while operations has risen to 14% and business development to 13%. The post also notes a decline in the share of researchers by three percentage points, suggesting a gradual transition from pure research toward deployment and commercialization activities.
According to the post, the report links part of industry revenue growth to an “increased emphasis on on-premises installations of larger systems.” This workforce mix and deployment trend may signal that quantum computing companies like QuEra are entering a more implementation-focused phase, which could support more recurring revenue and closer customer relationships.
For investors, the emphasis on operations hiring and on-premises system installations suggests growing demand for production-ready quantum solutions rather than purely experimental platforms. If sustained, these trends could enhance visibility into future revenue streams and strengthen competitive positioning for providers capable of executing complex deployments.