Here are the potential top 15 careers for the future
Nobody knows what the future holds, but we can make educated guesses based on past and current trends. Many of tomorrow’s jobs will likely result from today’s developments. Some of the best jobs in the future are likely to be good options due to biomedical innovations and ever-smarter machines; cultural, demographic, and economic changes; global challenges and crises; and the human drive to play and explore.
Here are the potential top 15 careers for the future, according to Trade-Schools.net, with data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:
1. Solar Energy Technician
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 30,000
Median annual salary (2018): $42,680
Solar power continues to be a major part of humanity’s transition toward a clean-energy future. The cost of solar energy keeps dropping every year, so it’s becoming much more affordable for businesses and homeowners.
2. Wind Energy Technician
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 14,000
Median annual salary (2018): $54,370
With climate change threatening severed damage to the world, moving to clean-energy sources will become more important. Reducing carbon and methane emissions entails transitioning away from fossil fuel sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas. The wind energy industry has already grown a lot, and it will grow a lot more, which means that skilled technicians will be needed to help with the installation, maintenance, and repair of giant wind turbines.
3. Nurse Practitioner
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 144,000
Median annual salary (2018): $107,030
Due to an aging and longer-living population, the health care system may have trouble keeping up with the growing influx of patients. Many regions will need more non-physician health professionals who can diagnose and treat patients with acute and chronic conditions. Registered nurses who have the right kind of advanced education at the graduate level can become nurse practitioners to help fill that void.
4. Software Developer
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 1.2 million
Median annual salary (2018): $103,620
Computers, mobile devices, and robots are nothing without the well-engineered software that makes the sophisticated hardware it runs on come to life. As the web grows and machines get smarter and more connected to people and each other, the need for talented software developers will rise. Mobile app development is considered one of the best jobs for 2020 and beyond.
5. Physical Therapist
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 177,000
Median annual salary (2018): $87,930
With more seniors in communities, the need for physical therapy professionals will increase. Many seniors end up requiring physical rehabilitation, pain management, mobility assistant, or therapeutic treatment as they age.
6. Registered Nurse
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 2 million
Median annual salary (2018): $71,730
RNs will continually be in high demand for the decades to come, even if their roles change a little due to technological advances and medical breakthroughs.
7. Health Services Manager
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 367,000
Median annual salary (2018): $99,730
The health care sector may face more changes in the next decades than most industries. Health and medical organizations will need highly knowledgeable managers to help them keep up to legal, regulatory, and technological changes while enhancing the quality and efficiency of their services.
8. Data Analyst
Data collected every year grow by an astonishing amount thanks to computing advances and a cultural shift toward more tracking and measuring. Organizations of every type can now gather so much detailed information that it’s becoming more and more difficult for many of them to figure out what it all means. Their median salary is $58,987, according to PayScale.
9. Digital Content Specialist
The demand for fresh content that breaks through the noise is never-ending due to digital devices that keep people constantly connected to almost any kind of information or entertainment they want to consume. Organizations in every industry are discovering that creating new digital content is becoming a key to sustaining their effectiveness.
Digital content specialists – with all kinds of job titles and abilities – will continue to be in-demand, especially with the growing popularity of remote and freelance work.
10. Information Security Analyst
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 104,000
Median annual salary (2018): $98,350
As modern living gets more intertwined with computers and dependent on IT, we’re becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Cybersecurity is a global issue, and criminals keep getting more sophisticated in their attacks.
11. Computer Systems Analyst
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 449,000
Median annual salary (2018): $88,740
The reasons for getting an education in computer science will continue to increase as IT grows more complex and intertwined with everything in people’s lives. That growing complexity is why more organizations will likely need systems analysts moving forward. Companies will need help in choosing and implementing the best hardware and software, including robots and AI machines.
12. Biomedical Engineer
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 16,000
Median annual salary (2018): $88,550
Biomedical engineering is already starting to revolutionize the health care industry. It’s one of the best jobs to get into for those who want their work to have a positive impact in the future. Biomedical engineers are involved in all kinds of research and development, with many getting to design sophisticated artificial organs, bionic body parts, biological implants, and medical devices.
13. Mechanical Engineering Specialist
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 212,000 (engineers); 42,000 (technicians)
Median annual salary (2018): $87,370 (engineers); $56,250 (technicians)
Both mechanical engineers and mechanical engineering technicians are involved in the design and testing of 3D-printing machines, advanced robots, automation equipment, and clean energy devices.
14. Electronics Engineering Specialist
Projected job openings (2016-2026): 51,000 (computer hardware engineers); 92,000 (other electronics engineers); 120,000 (electronics engineering technicians)
Median annual salary (2018): $114,600 (computer hardware engineers); $102,700 (other electronics engineers); $64,330 (technicians)
As electronic circuitry and other components become smaller, more complex and powerful, it’s up to these professionals to identify how to capitalize on the latest technological advances. They may help develop things like automated machinery, better computers, handheld medical devices, navigation and communications equipment, and even self-driving cars.
15. Digital Rehab Counselor
Many people feel overwhelmed by the incredible amount of digital information they consume in a day. As our social media and other online activities are increasing, there’s a growing awareness that many of us are addicted to the technology we use. Thus, one of the best jobs of the future may involve helping people “detox” from the overconsumption of digital stuff. People with counseling training could be the best-equipped to pursue this type of job.
