1C Development in 2026: Where the Market Is Heading and What It Means for Business

A few years ago, 1C was seen as a niche and not particularly prestigious field for developers — everyone went into web, Python, or Java instead. In 2026 the picture is different: the profession has grown more complex, salaries have caught up with web development, and demand for experienced specialists far outstrips supply. Here's what's behind these shifts and what they mean for businesses that depend on 1C and Bitrix24 integrations.

From "build a report" to ERP systems engineering

The key shift is in the substance of the work itself. A typical 1C developer's task used to sound like "configure a report" or "add a data processor." Now the professional community is seeing the opposite trend: discussions of basic development tasks are declining, while performance, integrations, and architecture questions are moving to the forefront.

A modern 1C developer looks more like an ERP systems engineer: working with architecture, integrations between systems, cloud services, highload optimization, and elements of DevOps. The ERP, architecture, and integrations category consistently leads in engagement within the professional community — and this is no longer a passing fad but a stable multi-year trend.

Talent shortage and salaries

The 1C labor market is developing against the backdrop of a broader IT slowdown. While companies in other fields cut hiring and lower offered rates, 1C developer salaries grew 46% between 2022 and 2024 and by 2026 have nearly closed the historical gap with web and backend development — especially at the middle and senior levels.

At the same time, the shortage is specific: junior developers capable of handling standard tasks graduate in large numbers, but the market is critically short of architects and lead developers who can design high-load systems. Analytical portals estimate that this need is being met only about one-fifth of the way. For business, this means one thing: finding an in-house senior at a reasonable rate is a project measured in months, not weeks.

AI is becoming part of daily 1C development

A topic that seemed exotic to the 1C community just a year or two ago is now a working tool. The 1C company is consistently developing its own AI tools within the platform, and in practice this is no longer abstract hype but a concrete cycle: the developer formulates a task, an agent does the bulk of the work within the Configurator/EDT + Git setup, and the result is reviewed and refined by a human.

It's the same pattern seen in web development — "AI builds the scaffold, the developer extends and verifies it" — adapted to 1C's specifics: a closed ecosystem, configuration metadata, and the need to understand the client's domain (accounting, HR, logistics), not just language syntax.

Regulation sets the pace of updates

Starting January 1, 2026, the VAT rate rose from 20% to 22%, directly affecting accounting systems — 1C users needed to update configurations promptly and revise tax accounting settings. This isn't a one-off event but an illustration of how the 1C market works overall: any change in legislation — VAT, the "Chestny Znak" labeling system, HR digital workflow — turns into a mandatory task for thousands of companies at once, and this is exactly what creates steady demand for 1C specialists regardless of the broader economic climate.

New products and interfaces

The platform keeps evolving beyond accounting tasks. 1C:Element — a solution for web portals and headless, API-only services — is seen as a competitor to standard web stacks thanks to how easily it integrates with a 1C:Enterprise backend. At the same time, standard solutions are gradually moving to the new Platform 8.5 interface, more modern than the classic one.

For integrators already working at the intersection of 1C and web development (Laravel, Nuxt, Bitrix24), this means an expanding field: pairing "1C as the backend for calculations and accounting" with "a separate web layer for the client interface" is becoming a more natural setup than before.

What this means for business

For a company whose accounting runs on 1C, several practical conclusions follow:

• Hiring an in-house senior 1C developer at old salary expectations isn't a realistic plan for 2026 — budget for the increase, or consider outsourcing specific tasks instead.

• Any update tied to tax or HR legislation shouldn't be postponed — the cost of downtime and fines is usually higher than the cost of a timely configuration update.

• A contractor's use of AI tools isn't a reason to skimp on reviewing the output: experts point to understanding integrations and the client's business processes — not just platform knowledge — as the key factor in a 1C developer's earning potential in 2026, and that remains a human responsibility.

• If a growing business is running into the limits of 1C's standard interface, pairing a 1C backend with a separate web layer is a viable model, not an exotic one.

Bottom line

In 2026, 1C is no longer a "legacy accounting platform" — it's a full-fledged ERP ecosystem with a talent shortage for architects, rising salaries, and AI tools built into the everyday development cycle. For business, this means paying more for competent expertise, but also gaining broader options: from headless solutions on 1C:Element to hybrid architectures where 1C handles accounting and a web layer handles the client experience.