The 10 Best Jobs For The Future

When you’re choosing a career path, you want to know that you’re jumping into a field that’s growing rather than dying.

To help you choose a field of expertise that is expected to expand its job openings in the future, we’ve put together this list of the ten best jobs for the future and tips on how to find a career for the future.

Key Takeaways

• The three best jobs for the future are wind turbine service technician, nurse practitioner, and information security analyst.

• All of the top ten best jobs for the future have a predicted employment growth rate of at least 21% through 2031.

• When choosing a job for the future, look at its projected employment growth rate, average salary, and educational requirements.

The 10 Best Jobs for the Future

1. Wind Turbine Service Technician

   Average Yearly Salary: $41,456

   With an ever-increasing focus on clean and renewable energy, there is going to be a growing need for professionals who know how to install and maintain the equipment used to create this energy.

   This is especially true about wind turbines. This clean energy source is becoming more and more popular and is going to need more and more maintenance as the machines age.

   Wind turbine technicians inspect and repair turbines on the land and in the ocean, and they can learn the skills required to do this at a technical school or community college.

   Job outlook: Wind turbine service technician jobs are projected to grow by 44% through 2031, according to the BLS.

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2. Nurse Practitioner

   Average Yearly Salary: $94,000

   Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who have received additional training, usually in the form of a master’s degree, that allows them to have more autonomy than registered nurses.

   NPs aren’t doctors, but they can operate their own practices, treat and diagnose patients, and even prescribe and administer medication.

   This field is growing rapidly, thanks in part to a shortage of doctors and an increase in patients since people are living longer than they used to and are becoming more willing to visit medical facilities since they have better access to health insurance.

   Job outlook: Nurse practitioner jobs are projected to grow by 40% through 2031, according to the BLS.

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3. Information Security Analyst

   Average Yearly Salary: $86,000

   Between an increased reliance on digital storage and communication platforms and an ever-growing remote workforce, companies are in need of experts who can secure their data.

   Information security analysts protect company and customer data from internal and external threats, which requires an in-depth knowledge of computers. Because of this, most employers want candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information assurance, or information technology.

   Job outlook: Information security analyst jobs are projected to grow by 35% through 2031, according to the BLS.

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4. Statistician

   Average Yearly Salary: $80,000

   As organizations are relying more and more on data to inform their decisions and strategies, they need professional statisticians to help them collect and interpret that data.

   Many companies want their statisticians to have master’s degrees in statistics or mathematics, but many will hire candidates without this advanced degree if they have proven technical skills and track records. This is especially true if the statistician also has expertise in the field that the organization works in.

   Job outlook: Statistician jobs are projected to grow by 31% through 2031, according to the BLS.

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5. Physical Therapist Assistant

   Average Yearly Salary: $52,000

   Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) are the professionals who carry out treatment plans under the supervision of a physical therapist. They’re the ones helping patients stretch, walking them through exercises, and giving therapeutic massages.

   PTAs can work in schools, rehabilitation centers, nursing facilities, and home care organizations. They only need an associate degree from a physical therapy assistant program, which many technical schools and community colleges offer.

   Job outlook: Physical therapist assistant jobs are projected to grow by 31% through 2031, according to the BLS.

   Find Physical Therapist Assistants jobs near me

6. Medical and Health Services Manager

   Average Yearly Salary: $77,000

   Medical and health services managers, also known as healthcare administrators or healthcare executives, are the professionals who run the hospitals, clinics, practices, and departments of the healthcare world.

   They handle a wide variety of administrative tasks, including overseeing, recruiting, and training employees, managing the budget, maintaining records, and setting work schedules.

   Medical and health services managers need to be comfortable with both the business and healthcare disciplines, and many organizations filling high-level positions look for candidates with a master’s degree in healthcare administration.

   Job outlook: Medical and health services manager jobs are projected to grow by 28% through 2031, according to the BLS.

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7. Physician Assistant

   Average Yearly Salary: $126,000

   For those who don’t want to spend the time and money it takes to become a licensed medical doctor (MD) but want to work in the medical industry, becoming a physician assistant (PA) is often a good option.

   PAs can do many of the tasks MDs can, including diagnosing and treating illnesses and prescribing medications; they just have to do so under the supervision of a Medical Doctor. This means they can’t open their own practices, but PAs often work in urgent care and primary care practices and even act as patients’ primary physicians.

   Job outlook: Physician assistant jobs are projected to grow by 28% through 2031, according to the BLS.

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8. Logistician

   Average Yearly Salary: $71,000

   Companies, especially large ones, deal with many moving parts. They need to figure out the logistics of how to purchase, keep track of, package, and ship all of their products accurately and on time, often from many locations around the country or world. To manage and streamline all of this, many hire professional logisticians.

   As supply chains get more complex and customers expect better and better service, companies are relying heavily on their logisticians to improve and maintain these processes.

   Logisticians typically need bachelor’s degrees in supply chain management, business, or a related field, but many companies will hire candidates who have associate degrees.

   Job outlook: Logistician jobs are projected to grow by 28% through 2031, according to the BLS.

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9. Home Health and Personal Care Aide

   Average Yearly Salary: $24,000

   With longer lifespans comes a greater need for in-home health care. Often when someone is disabled or recovering from an illness but can still live in their own home, they hire home health or personal care aides to care for them during the day.

   These medical professionals also work in hospice care, physical therapy, and other disciplines to take care of patients in the comfort of their own homes. They don’t usually get paid as much as registered nurses, but they need far less expensive training.

   Job outlook: Home health and personal care aide jobs are projected to grow by 25% through 2031, according to the BLS.

   Find Home Health and Personal Care Aides jobs near me

10. Speech-Language Pathologist

    Average Yearly Salary: $68,000

    Speech-language pathologists, also known as speech therapists, help children and adults work through and prevent a variety of communication, language, speech and swallowing disorders.

    They assess, diagnose, and treat these disorders, and their work includes everything from helping children with their stutters and lisps to teaching stroke or dementia patients how to communicate and even eat again.

    Speech-language pathologists need at least a master’s degree in speech-language pathology and a clinical fellowship in order to practice. Once they have those credentials, they can work in schools, hospitals, and other medical facilities, depending on what type of work they want to focus on.

    Job outlook: Speech-language pathologist jobs are projected to grow by 21% through 2031, according to the BLS.

    Find Speech-Language Pathologists jobs near me

What to Look for When Choosing a Job for the Future

When you’re considering how stable a career or occupation will be in the years to come, there are several elements to pay attention to.

1. Projected Employment Growth

   The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics researches and publishes reports about how much industries and occupations are projected to grow over the next several years.

   These statistics cover the number of jobs currently in the industry, and the number of jobs they predict will be added to or subtracted from the industry during a set period of time (usually ten years). You can usually find this information in regard to both general industries and specific occupations.

   Looking into the projected growth of a career path can give you an idea of how difficult or easy it will be to find employment in the future. While this shouldn’t necessarily make or break your decision, it’s important to be aware of it.

2. Average Salary

   When you’re considering a career, it’s a good idea to look at the average annual salary someone in that occupation earns. While you shouldn’t base your entire decision on money, you do need to make sure that your future salary will match up with your other goals.

   If your goal is to make a living that will provide a modest but comfortable life for your family in your Midwest hometown, a plethora of different career paths will fit that goal. If your goal is to live in a brownstone in Brooklyn and send your kids to Ivy League prep schools, however, that narrows down your career options quite a bit.

   Neither goal is better than the other. It’s just important to be aware of your goals and whether your career path of choice will help you get there.

3. Educational Requirements

   This often goes hand-in-hand with knowing how much you’d get paid in a position because it’s important to know if the amount of time and money you’d spend on becoming qualified for a position will be worth it in the long run.

   For example, if you’re interested in a career path that requires a master’s degree and will only pay you a salary that falls below the national average, you’ll likely be paying off student loans much longer than you’d like. This can make it difficult to reach your financial goals.

   Instead, find an occupation that takes less school or that pays you significantly more for your additional degrees. This will hopefully allow you to get a return on the investment you made in your schooling and training.

Best Jobs For The Future FAQs

1. Which jobs will disappear by 2030?

   Jobs like travel agents, drivers, cashiers, and more will all begin to disappear by 2030. That’s because as technologies like AI and automation become more advanced, those systems will be able to work the jobs listed more efficiently.

   Unfortunately, when given the option of saving time and money, companies will choose the former instead of maintaining a human workforce.

   Here are some of the jobs with the highest risk of automation (all above 95% risk):

   • Food Science Technician (97%)

   • Procurement Clerk (97%)

   • Library Technician (97%)

   • Cargo and Freight Agent (97%)

   • Tax Preparer (97%)

   • Real Estate Broker (96%)

   • Counter and Rental Clerk (96%)

   • Agricultural Inspector (96%)

   • Manicurist (96%)

   • Correspondence Clerk (96%)

   While these risks are problematic for anyone working in these fields, the silver lining is that automation may remove boring, strenuous, and repetitive jobs from the workforce. That, in turn, will lead to new opportunities for everyone.

2. What will work look like in the future?

   In the future, work will look far more flexible and tech-orientated. While many foreseeable and unforeseeable changes will come over time, current trends show how millennials and gen Z will shape the workforce.

   Some predictable changes include:

   • More Flexibility: We’re already starting to see the rise of “gig work,” and this trend is only expected to continue. For the most part, instead of seeing flexibility as a bonus, younger generations are starting to see it as a requirement.

     In part, the COVID-19 pandemic has also added to this expectation, as more workers are learning they could have easily worked from home the whole time!

   • Importance of Education: As certain jobs become more automated, education will become more crucial. That’s because workers will need the skills to obtain jobs AI cannot fill. The STEM field will likely continue to be an important area of study.

   • Integrated Technology: As AI and other technology systems become more advanced and readily available, they’ll start to be implemented into our everyday job tasks. Think of a more advanced version of the extensions you might have on Google Chrome that help you find deals or spell correctly.

   Overall, future workers will be highly impacted by technology and their own standards and desires. After all, there’s no work without workers.

3. What high-paying jobs will be in demand in the future?

   There are many high-paying jobs that will be in demand in the future. While this list names some of the highest, including Wind Turbine Service Technicians with massive projected job growth of 68.2%, there are many more.

   Based on our list, though, here are the top jobs with their projected growth rates:

   • Nurse Practitioner (52.2%)

   • Statistician (35.4%)

   • Physical Therapist Assistant (35.4%)

   • Information Security Analyst (33.3%)

   • Home Health and Personal Care Aide (32.6%)

   • Medical and Health Services Manager (32.5%)

   • Physician Assistant (31%)

   • Logistician (29.5%)

   • Speech-Language Pathologist (28.7%)

   Given that all of these jobs have exceptionally high growth rates, we can expect them to be in high demand in the future.

Final Thoughts

If you’re about to choose a career path — whether because you’re about to enter the workforce for the first time or you just need a change after years in the same industry — it’s a good idea to consider which career will provide you with the best long-term opportunities.

The world is always changing, and so are the industries and jobs that are a part of it. Many careers that were common 30 years ago have hardly enough positions to go around today, and some that are large players in the global economy today didn’t exist at all back then.

While it’s impossible to predict the future, it is possible to gain at least some idea of the direction a particular career path is headed. Doing your research on this can help you choose an occupation that will keep you employed and well-paid for years to come.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” Accessed on September 16, 2022.

Author

Abby McCain

Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.