What are the best careers for the future: in-demand and high-paying

It would be great to be able to look into a crystal ball at the beginning of your career to see the future of your industry—will it still be around in 30 years, or will it disappear into the annals of history? Unfortunately, while many fields are thriving in the 21st century (like healthcare), some are declining (like paper wholesaling—sorry, Dunder Mifflin). So what are your options for future-proofing your career? The trick is to know the best careers for the future and align your skills accordingly.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• How to prepare yourself for the workplace of the future

• How to monitor trends of fastest growing sectors and industries

• 4 industries set to grow the most over the next decade

• 15 best careers of the future

• Why you should invest in your career emotionally and financially

Preparing your career for the future

The COVID-19 pandemic had a great influence on how we work. With the right technology, much of the workload could be managed remotely. In the US, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK, 18 percent of workers aren’t going into an office, per Time. Hybrid situations have become standard for almost half of the workforce.

Being tech-savvy and having digital dexterity will be more important than having a wealth of experience, so workers must be able to continually update their skills to stay productive. Employees will also find themselves working alongside AI programs, apps, and software, with the workplace becoming more automated and streamlined, no matter the industry.

How to monitor the fastest-growing industries and sectors

If you're looking to future-proof your career, you'll need some information first. Where should you start? To get a better handle on how external drivers are affecting the high-growth industry sectors, you can find detailed information from a variety of reputable sources including: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publications,  and the World Economic Forum.

Reports by thought leadership consulting firms like Deloitte and Ernst & Young are another. Business management schools and universities like Harvard Business School provide insights. There are also academic articles such as those searchable in databases via Google Scholar.

You don’t have to be an economist to understand business growth trends or spend a lot of time researching. Knowledge is power, so being aware of basic trends of fast-growing sectors and industries that interest you can help plan your future career.

4 Industries that are set to have the largest growth over the next decade

Let's take a look at the fields that will be in demand in the coming decades. To get an idea of the fastest-growing industry categories and their associated occupations, we will reference only roles cited by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics's 2022 Occupational Outlook Handbook.

These four industries include:

1. Healthcare

Fast-growing and well-paid healthcare professionals may work in a variety of medical and care facilities. These are hospitals, physicians' offices, group medical practices, and other healthcare settings. 

In-demand healthcare professions include: 

• Nurse anesthetists

• Nurse midwives

• Nurse practitioners

• Physician assistants

• Caregivers

Healthcare is expected to be the fastest growing industry over the next decade, due to increased demand for care for the aging baby-boomer population. Other reasons are longer life expectancies, a rise in chronic conditions, and the sale of new healthcare products/software.

Approximately 56,000 openings for medical and health services managers are projected each year over the next decade, with many of the openings resulting from backfilling workers who move into different occupations or retire.

2. Information/analytics

What makes the information/analytics space so important are skills such as architecting infrastructure and mastering data tools that can provide order to structured and unstructured Big Data. For global companies to make use of raw customer data, that data needs to be accessible and manageable. 

Information/analytics professionals harvest valuable business intelligence using data mining and data visualization to extract insights that guide an organization’s data-driven decisions. The top employers are the federal government and scientific research and development companies. Insurance and healthcare companies also have deep data infrastructures that require information scientists.

Other future careers in demand include:

• Statisticians

• Mathematicians 

• Artificial intelligence specialists 

• Data scientists/engineers

• Information security analysts

• Market/operations research analysts

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an annual rate uptick of about 1.9% over the next decade for these roles.  Second only to healthcare, data and AI are among the fastest-growing segments with an annual growth rate of about 41%.

3. Computer science / IT

Computer science, IT, and information security analysts typically work for computer companies, consulting firms, or business and financial companies.

The top jobs in this category are: 

• Site information security analysts

• Computer systems designers

• Python developers

• Full stack engineers

• JavaScript developers

Employment for information security analysts is projected to grow 35% from 2021 to 2031, seven times faster than the national average for all occupations; 19,000 openings are projected each year over the next decade.  The number of available cybersecurity experts must grow by 145% to meet global market demands. Additionally, the computer science / IT professions that involve engineering and cloud computing have an annual projected growth rate of 33%.

4. Supply chain

Logisticians analyze and coordinate an organization’s supply chain, the system that moves a product from supplier to consumer. They manage the entire life cycle of a product, including how a product is acquired, allocated, and delivered. Found in nearly every industry, most logisticians work full-time and during regular business hours.

Related occupations include:

• Cost estimators

• Meeting, convention, and event planners

• Buyers/purchasing agents

• Quality control inspectors

Employment for logisticians is expected to grow 28% between 2021 and 2031, which means approximately 24,800 openings for logisticians are projected each year.

15 best careers of the future

You can’t plan your future career off the past. For example, at one time, working for a US auto manufacturer was a ticket to the middle class, but with most cars now being produced overseas, it’s no longer an upwardly mobile choice. While it’s important to know the fields that will be growing, some careers within those fields will  grow faster than others.  

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, solid careers of the future must include: a growth rate of at least 13%, a large number of new jobs projected, and an annual wage of at least $75,000.

In no particular order, here are 15 of the best careers for the future:

1. Management analyst

2. Nurse practitioner

3. Logistician

4. Information security analyst

5. Web/software developer

6. Data scientist

7. Information systems manager

8. Social/community service manager

9. Industrial engineer

10. Database administrator

11. Dental hygienist

12. Medical scientist

13. Public relations and fundraising manager

14. Pharmacist

15. Financial analyst

Why should you invest emotionally and financially in your career?

There is no doubt that high-paying jobs with the potential for long-term security can be appealing since they have a better chance of providing career and financial stability. But when it comes to a potentially life-long career, there’s more to consider than just a hefty paycheck. Ideally, you should like your job as well as being good at it.

Your career should require some commitment, whether that be time spent learning or training, working at your job, or spending time away from family and friends. To find the right career, weigh all your emotional and financial investments to understand the balance you’ll have to find between career advancement, work-life balance, financial growth, and overall job satisfaction. 

In fact, according to a study done by McKinsey & Company, up to 25 percent more workers than previously estimated are “potentially needing to switch occupations” due to “accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation.” Careers such as the ones listed above are expected to have significant growth. Adjusting your skill set means having a greater chance of not only surviving the ever-changing career landscape, but prospering.

Looking to make a career change? Check out Career.io’s Explore Careers tool, which will help you navigate different career fields and make decisions about your new career trajectory with confidence, and check out Career.io’s Salary Analyzer tool and make sure you’re getting an offer that aligns with similar jobs in your market.

Key takeaways

1. Being tech-savvy and having "digital dexterity" will be more important than having a wealth of experience, so workers must continually update their skills to stay productive.

2. Research the highest-paying, fastest-growing occupations from reputable sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3. The best jobs of the future will have job growth of at least 13%, a large number of new projected jobs, and a good salary base.

4. Many of the best jobs of the future will be in healthcare, software, IT, and logistics.