Knowledge of PHP, HTML, Joomla! and Java are among the most powerful skills for a contractor to have right now, according to a survey released by Mountain View-based Elance, a site where companies can hire, manage and pay companies online.

The company on Oct. 14 released its October edition of the “Elance Work Index,” ranking the top 100 skills in today’s online labor market. The ranking is derived from data from more than 100,000 jobs posted on Elance in recent months.

This month’s Elance Work Index shows key technology skills continue to be in high demand. Coding in PHP held steady as the top skill in demand, followed by HTML (up two spots to number two) Joomla! (up 15 spots to number six) and Java rising in the ranks to take the number 25 spot.

E-commerce skills also are gaining in popularity as the holiday season nears, as companies begin searching contractors skilled in PayPal and osCommerce.

According to Elance Marketing Manager Brad Porteus, more than 300,000 jobs representing a cumulative $100 million in work will be posted at Elance this year. The company monetizes by taking a cut of each transaction, usually about 8 percent, as well as a membership program that currently has about 100,000 members.

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