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Technical Skills for a Resume: 100+ Examples by Job
The technical and computer skills employers actually scan for — with 100+ examples grouped by job, how to prove each one, and the ATS keyword trick that gets your resume matched. Free to use, no sign-up.
What are technical skills on a resume?
Technical skills are the specific, teachable abilities you use to do a job — software, tools, programming languages, machinery, and methods such as SQL, Excel, AutoCAD, or Google Analytics. They are a type of hard skill: measurable, role-specific, and named in the job posting. They are also exactly what an applicant tracking system scans for when it matches your resume to a job description.
It helps to see where technical skills sit next to the other two skill types recruiters look for. Technical skills are a subset of hard skills, while soft skills are the separate, people-facing abilities that show how you work.
| Skill type | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Technical skills | Tools, software, and methods specific to a role | Python, Excel, AutoCAD, GA4, Epic EHR |
| Hard skills | Any measurable, teachable ability (technical skills are a subset) | Bookkeeping, Spanish fluency, copywriting |
| Soft skills | How you work with people and solve problems | Communication, teamwork, adaptability |
Want the full picture? Compare our guides to hard skills for a resume and soft skills for a resume, or start from the main skills to put on a resume hub.
Technical skills examples by job
The best technical skills to put on your resume are the ones named in the job description for your field. Use this table to spot the tools and methods that matter in your area, then keep only the ones you can actually back up. Each row links to a full resume example for that role.
| Field | Technical skills to list | See a real resume |
|---|---|---|
| Software & development | Python, Java, JavaScript, React, SQL, Git, REST APIs, Docker, AWS, CI/CD | Software engineer |
| Data & analytics | SQL, Python, R, Excel, Tableau, Power BI, pandas, ETL, statistics, A/B testing | Data analyst, data scientist |
| IT & systems | Windows/Linux administration, Active Directory, TCP/IP networking, PowerShell, VMware, ticketing systems | IT support, sysadmin |
| Cybersecurity | SIEM, firewalls, penetration testing, incident response, vulnerability scanning, NIST framework | Cybersecurity analyst |
| Digital marketing | Google Analytics (GA4), SEO, Google Ads, Meta Ads, HubSpot, email automation, A/B testing | Digital marketer |
| Accounting & finance | QuickBooks, Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), SAP, GAAP, financial modeling, AP/AR | Accountant, financial analyst |
| Design & creative | Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, Adobe XD, wireframing, typography | Graphic designer |
| Engineering | AutoCAD, SolidWorks, MATLAB, Revit, finite element analysis (FEA), GD&T | Mechanical, civil engineer |
| Administration | Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce CRM, calendar management, data entry, document control | Admin assistant, executive assistant |
| Healthcare | EMR/EHR (Epic, Cerner), ICD-10 & CPT coding, phlebotomy, vital signs, HIPAA compliance | Medical assistant, registered nurse |
Computer skills for a resume, by proficiency level
“Computer skills” are the everyday software abilities almost every office job expects. Listing the program alone says little — what tells a recruiter more is the level you work at. Use these honest descriptions to decide whether a tool belongs on your resume and how to phrase it.
| Software | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel / Google Sheets | Data entry, basic formulas | Pivot tables, VLOOKUP, charts | Power Query, macros, dashboards |
| Word / Google Docs | Formatting, spell-check | Styles, mail merge, templates | Macros, long-document automation |
| PowerPoint / Slides | Building basic decks | Custom layouts, transitions | Animation, template design |
| CRM (Salesforce / HubSpot) | Logging contacts | Pipelines, reports | Workflow automation, admin |
| Project tools (Asana / Jira) | Updating tasks | Managing boards, sprints | Configuring workflows, reporting |
Only claim a level you could demonstrate in an interview. If you can build a pivot table but not a macro, “Excel (intermediate)” is both accurate and credible — and it still matches the keyword “Excel” that an ATS is scanning for.
How to list technical skills on a resume
Follow these six steps to build a technical skills section that reads well to both software and a human recruiter.
- Create a dedicated section. Give technical skills their own clearly labeled block — “Technical Skills,” “Technical Proficiencies,” or “Skills” — so an ATS finds them in a predictable place.
- Mirror the job posting. Copy the exact wording the listing uses. If it says “JavaScript,” write JavaScript, not JS; if it says “Power BI,” do not abbreviate it.
- Group by category. Cluster related tools — languages, frameworks, platforms, analytics — so the list scans in seconds instead of reading as one long string.
- Add proficiency only where it helps. Label a level when it genuinely sets you apart, and skip it when the skill is table stakes.
- Prove your top skills in your bullets. A skills list is a claim; a bullet is the evidence. Show the tool doing real work: “Built a Power BI dashboard that cut monthly reporting time by 40%.”
- Check it against the job. Run your resume through the free ATS resume checker to see which technical keywords you are missing, then add the ones you truly have in the resume builder.
How do you match technical skills to ATS keywords?
Most applicant tracking systems rank resumes by how closely they match the job description, and technical skills are the highest-signal keywords in that match. The tactic is simple: read the posting, list every tool and method it names, and make sure the ones you genuinely have appear on your resume — spelled the same way, in both your skills section and at least one experience bullet.
Tip. Paste the job description into the Fresume resume-job match score. It highlights the exact technical skills the posting wants that your resume is missing, so you can add the real ones instead of guessing. See how ATS keyword matching works for the full method.
Common technical-skills mistakes to avoid
- Listing tools you cannot actually use — one interview question exposes it.
- Dumping 40 skills in one block instead of the 8–15 that match the job.
- Using abbreviations or synonyms the posting does not use, so the ATS never matches them.
- Naming skills but never showing them in an experience bullet.
- Listing outdated software that dates you, while omitting the current standard.
- Rating everything “expert,” which reads as inflated rather than confident.
Get the section right and the rest of the resume follows. Fresume gives you a free ATS resume checker that scores your resume against any job description, 50+ ATS-friendly resume templates, and a cover letter generator that pulls the same skills into a tailored letter. The core tools are free; Premium is $17.49/month with a $2.95 7-day trial.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
01What are technical skills on a resume?
Technical skills are teachable, job-specific abilities such as software, programming languages, tools, and methods — for example SQL, Excel, AutoCAD, or Google Analytics. They are a subset of hard skills and are the keywords an applicant tracking system matches against a job description, so listing the right ones is often what gets your resume seen.
02What are examples of technical skills?
Common examples include Python, Java, and JavaScript for developers; SQL, Excel, Tableau, and Power BI for analysts; QuickBooks and SAP in finance; Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma in design; AutoCAD and SolidWorks in engineering; and Epic or Cerner EHR systems in healthcare. The best ones to list are those named in the job posting you are targeting.
03How do you list technical skills on a resume?
Put them in a dedicated, clearly labeled section, grouped by category and worded exactly as the job posting words them. Add a proficiency level only where it sets you apart, and prove your top skills inside your experience bullets rather than leaving them as an unsupported list.
04What is the difference between hard skills and technical skills?
Technical skills are a subset of hard skills. Hard skills are any measurable, teachable ability — bookkeeping, a second language, data analysis. Technical skills are specifically the tools, software, and methods you operate, such as SQL or AutoCAD. All technical skills are hard skills, but not every hard skill is technical.
05Should you include proficiency levels for technical skills?
Only when the level genuinely adds information. Labeling Excel as “intermediate” or a language as “advanced” helps a recruiter calibrate; tagging every tool “expert” reads as inflated. Never claim a level you could not demonstrate in an interview, because one question can undo the whole resume.
06How many technical skills should you put on a resume?
Aim for roughly 8 to 15 skills that match the job, not an exhaustive dump of everything you have touched. A focused list that mirrors the posting keeps the resume readable and gives the ATS the strongest, most relevant keyword match.
See which technical skills your resume is missing.
Paste a job description and the free ATS checker shows the exact keywords to add — then build it out in minutes.