SAP Skills Gap and Consultant Demand Statistics (2026)

S/4HANA programs keep running into the same constraint: too few people who have done this work before. This roundup collects the sourced figures on that gap from ASUG surveys, SAP's own quarterly results, ISG, SAPinsider, valantic and recruiter data. Each figure states its year and population.

Key takeaways

Adoption: where S/4HANA programs stand

Deployment has accelerated faster than completion. The clearest recent split comes from SAPinsider's 2026 benchmark.

• Of 296 organizations polled between December 2025 and March 2026, a record 55% have deployed S/4HANA or S/4HANA Cloud, but only 34% have completed their transformation.
• Valantic's 2025 SAP study, a vendor-published consultancy survey, found that the share of companies with ongoing migration projects rose from 21% to 40%, and 27% have already completed their S/4HANA migration.
• In ASUG's 2024 Pulse, 47% of surveyed members were already using S/4 HANA or starting implementation, and within two years 69% expected to have implemented it. 41% said they still planned to implement S/4HANA, which points to a large group still at the start.

Source: SAPinsider 2026 ERP Migration and Transformation benchmark (n=296), as reported by Datapace

Source: valantic SAP Study 2025 (vendor-published)

Deadlines and migration approach

The deadline still sets the pace. SAP has committed to mainstream maintenance for Business Suite 7, which includes ECC 6, through the end of 2027, and ASUG members are moving toward S/4HANA in increasing numbers. ISG's respondents often cited that end of support as their reason for migrating, and ISG noted that many of them were using limited cloud moves to extend support rather than transform (companies frequently cited the end of support for SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) as a reason for migrating to S/4HANA, and in these cases may be aligning their changes with maintenance deadlines.).

On approach, as of early 2026, ISG research found 34% of organizations choosing brownfield, 18% greenfield, and nearly half (48%) opting for a bluefield hybrid. Those shares were reported by a vendor site that cites ISG; we did not open the ISG report itself for this figure.

Source: ISG research as cited by Software Modernization Services, early 2026

Cost, timelines and quality

Overrun figures are the most quoted numbers in this space, and they do not agree with each other. Here is the range as published.

• ISG's 2026 study, drawn from a survey of more than 200 senior decision-makers, found nearly 60 percent of SAP migrations behind schedule and over budget, most often due to underestimated complexity, scope expansion and internal capacity constraints.
• A 2026 survey by Precisely and ASUG, as reported by Silicon Partners, found that 30% of SAP migration projects are either delayed or over budget, and that is among organizations actively in motion.
• Horváth's 2025 study of 200 SAP user companies, as summarized by Silicon Partners, found that only 8% of organizations that have completed their S/4HANA migration did so on schedule, with projects taking an average of 30% longer than planned.
• Also from the Horváth work, a secondary source reports that roughly 65% of surveyed firms report severe to very severe quality deficiencies after go-live. We could not confirm this figure in the primary Horváth report.
• On rates, a 2026 UK recruiter guide puts SAP day rates at £550 – £700/day, with scarce skills like BTP, MDG, GRC reaching £800/day.

Source: ISG, 2026; Horváth 2025 and Precisely/ASUG 2026, as summarized by Silicon Partners. Definitions differ across the three bars.

The skills gap as customers describe it

The ASUG Pulse series is the longest-running customer view on SAP staffing. Its 2025 wave put three figures on the table.

Source: ASUG, 2025 Pulse of the SAP Customer Research (members); ASUG Talks, September 2025

• In ASUG's 2024 research, members reported that the top skill set missing or lacking at their organizations is SAP S/4 HANA expertise. 28% of organizations struggle to find the right internal candidates to manage new projects.
• Members who cited difficulty with "maintaining knowledgeable staff" as a top challenge fell over three years. The ASUG series shows 37% in 2023 and 29% in 2024, and a 2025 ASUG post reports that 23% cite challenges in maintaining knowledgeable staff.
• Recruiter data points the same way. Robert Half's 2025 poll of 250 technology leaders found that 76% identified skills gaps within their team. Finding candidates with enterprise resource planning module experience was cited by tech leaders as the top challenge.
• A 2025 joint survey across DSAG, ASUG, UKISUG and JSUG, with 274 DACH participants, found 63% of DACH respondents fear a loss of system customisations and functions in a cloud transition, compared to 36% of US respondents. That survey is cited here through IgniteSAP.

Source: Robert Half poll of 250 technology leaders, April 2025, as reported by Staffing Industry Analysts

Source: ASUG Pulse 2024 (2023 and 2024 values); ASUG, 2025 Pulse (2025 value). Share of members naming maintaining knowledgeable staff as a top challenge.

Historical skills data (2022 and earlier)

• In ASUG's 2022 Pulse, permanent staff who learned SAP S/4HANA on the job made up 54% of the answer, and compared with previous years, more organizations relied on implementation partners for the staff they needed (+14%). (Historical.)
• A UK and Ireland user group survey tracked concern about S/4HANA skills. The share of organizations concerned that a lack of S/4HANA skills would slow their migration rose from 71% in 2021 to 92% in 2022. (Historical.)
• In the same UKISUG work, 33% of those who had made the jump said partner training during implementation was poor or very poor, and 36% reported a lack of technical resources and training to manage new S/4HANA instances. (Historical.)

Source: UKISUG annual member survey, 2022, as cited by IgniteSAP (historical)

Roles, pay and demand signals

Role-level demand is harder to measure than headcount. The most specific figures come from one 2026 posting analysis, which is an estimate of job-ad volume rather than hiring data. Role demand comes from posting analysis.

Source: Talenbrium Research, SAP and Enterprise Applications Roles 2026

• The same report lists US medians of $157,000 for S/4HANA Solution Architects, $136,000 for S/4HANA Functional Consultants and $128,000 for SAP Security / GRC Consultants.
• In the UK, Cedarstone's 2026 guide reports that UK SAP vacancies remain high, with about 7,000 live roles on Adzuna. It is a single-platform count and should be read as a snapshot.
• On the vendor side, SAP reported that current cloud backlog reached €24.1 billion, up 28% and up 26% at constant currencies, in Q3 2026. Backlog measures contracted cloud revenue, not consultant demand, but it signals the project pipeline behind it.

AI and the next skill set

• ASUG's 2024 research found that candidates with S/4HANA skills are most in demand, followed by AI, optimizing emerging technologies, and business process management.
• Dice's October 2024 tech job report, cited by a staffing firm, said demand for generative AI skills had skyrocketed by 318% over the year. This is an older figure, and it covers tech jobs broadly rather than SAP.
• ASUG's 2025 research highlights business process management, integration and APIs, data science and analytics, and cybersecurity as top priorities for members.

Outlook for 2026 and 2027

• SAP expects its growth in current cloud backlog to slightly decelerate in constant currencies in 2026, from 25% in 2025.
• The ASUG 2024 expectation that 69% would have implemented S/4HANA within two years now falls due. Set it against SAPinsider's 55% deployed figure, but do not treat the two as the same population or the same definition.
• Migrations that stay on the ECC timeline still face the same deadline. Our ECC end of maintenance guide sets out what each date means for planning.

Where the numbers disagree

• Overruns. ISG reports nearly 60% late and over budget, while Precisely and ASUG report 30% delayed or over budget. Their sample and definition differ. The Horváth figure is described as "more than six in ten" exceeding budget, timeline or both.
• Horváth's 30%. Two secondary write-ups describe the same Horváth finding differently: one as projects running about 30% over budget, and another as projects running about 30% longer than planned. We could not open the primary report to resolve it.
• Adoption. SAPinsider's 2025 benchmark reported 31% of respondents had already transitioned to S/4HANA, while the 2026 benchmark reports 55% deployed in some form. The 2026 wording is broader, so the gap is partly definitional.

What this means for your sign-off

• Plan test capacity around the skills you can staff, not the headcount in the plan. ASUG's 2024 and 2025 results both put S/4HANA expertise at the top of the gap. Use our SAP Testing CoE operating model to define roles and funding before the partner is chosen.
• Name decision rights for testing before go-live planning starts. ISG's research points to unclear decision rights and weak accountability between providers as a common delay driver, so the sign-off owner should be on paper early. Our guide on who owns testing in RISE with SAP sets out the split.
• Treat overrun statistics as a prompt to check your own schedule against your scope. Given the spread between sources, use a benchmark only when you know its population.
• Build the knowledge transfer into the test plan. With turnover still cited as a top challenge, record test assets, data definitions and run books so that a departure does not stall regression. The SAP Testing CoE playbook covers the mechanics.
• Expect AI skills to show up in job descriptions and in your test tooling. Our overview of SAP AI for practitioners covers what that means for roles.

Frequently asked questions

What share of SAP customers have deployed S/4HANA?

A record 55% of organizations have deployed S/4HANA or S/4HANA Cloud, according to SAPinsider's 2026 benchmark of 296 organizations, but only 34% have finished.

How often do S/4HANA migrations run late or over budget?

ISG's 2026 study puts it at nearly 60 percent. Precisely and ASUG report a lower share, 30%, among projects already in motion, so the answer depends on the sample.

Which SAP skill do customers say they lack most?

In ASUG's 2024 research, the top skill set missing or lacking at organizations is SAP S/4 HANA expertise. In 2025, 56% indicated S/4 HANA skills were the most important to have this year, whether they had the talent on their team or not.

How fast is demand growing for S/4HANA roles?

Talenbrium's 2026 posting analysis shows S/4HANA Solution Architect demand up 30% year over year and S/4HANA Functional Consultant demand up 18%.

What are UK SAP contractors charging?

Cedarstone's 2026 guide puts SAP day rates at £550 – £700/day, with scarce skills like BTP, MDG, GRC reaching £800/day.

Is the tech talent shortage specific to SAP?

No. Robert Half's 2025 poll found that 74% of those with hiring plans are recruiting to support company growth, but 87% reported difficulty finding skilled candidates. SAP-specific figures show the gap is sharper for S/4HANA.

Sources

1. The State of SAP Migrations (press release), ISG, February 2, 2026
2. ERP data migration: 55% deployed, 34% done, reporting SAPinsider 2026 benchmark, Datapace, 2026
3. Quarterly Statement Q3 2026, SAP SE, October 2026
4. Keys to Successful SAP Digital Transformation Projects, ASUG, October 2025 (citing 2025 Pulse)
5. ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research 2025, ASUG, December 2025
6. Equipping Veterans to Become the Next Generation of SAP Professionals, ASUG Talks, September 2025
7. ASUG Campus Connect at Central Michigan University, ASUG, 2025
8. 2024 Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, ASUG, 2024
9. Highlights from the ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer 2022 Study, ASUG, 2022 (historical)
10. SAP S/4HANA Migration Benchmark Report 2025, detailed findings, SAPinsider, February 2025
11. valantic SAP Study 2025, valantic, 2025 (vendor-published)
12. SAP S/4HANA Migration: Why 2026 Is the Decision Year, Silicon Partners, 2026 (secondary, summarizing Horváth 2025 and Precisely/ASUG 2026)
13. SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA Migration, Software Modernization Services, 2026 (secondary, citing ISG)
14. SAP S/4HANA Migration: What the Talent Landscape Looks Like in 2026, Senovo IT, 2026 (secondary, citing ISG via CIO)
15. Shortage of tech skills hindering growth, Staffing Industry Analysts, April 2025 (reporting Robert Half)
16. SAP and Enterprise Applications Roles 2026, Talenbrium Research, 2026
17. SAP Hiring Trends for 2026, Cedarstone Recruitment, 2026
18. Bridging The S/4HANA Skills Gap, IgniteSAP, reporting UKISUG, 2022 (historical)
19. Moving into SAP Consulting for SAP Cloud ERP, IgniteSAP, 2025 (secondary, citing joint user group survey)
20. Seven tech hiring trends to watch in 2025, ALLSTARSIT, citing Dice October 2024 report
21. Skills shortage puts SAP projects on hold, Supply Chain Insights, reporting ASUG research, 2022 (historical)

Last updated: November 7, 2026. Statistics are refreshed as new research is published.