Best Jobs for the Future

Edited by: Dr. Paul Sparacio
Last Updated: 10/29/2024

Quick Highlights:

Two of the best careers for the future are in sustainability and robotics.
Fields like business analytics and biomedical engineering are highlighted for their growth potential and relevance to current market trends.
The careers emphasized are diverse and suggest a broad range of opportunities for future professionals.
Knowing which jobs will be in demand in the future can help you make informed career decisions.

If you’re reading this, then you’re pondering these questions:

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What field should I go into?

What are the best careers for the future?

What are the top degrees in demand for the future?

With so many careers to study, you want to narrow one down that excites you!

The job market has changed rapidly even in the past few decades, and like they say, “The only constant in life is change.”

For high school and early college students, finding a career that will deliver both personal satisfaction and financial security can be stressful.

However, young individuals also have technology at their fingertips, which offers an immense opportunity to explore different fields and job functions unlike ever before.

If you want to know which careers will set you up for personal and professional success for years to come, you’ve come to the right place. These top jobs for the future are technology driven, in high demand, and offer financial security.

Check out the 10 best careers for the future.

Related: Highest Paying College Majors

Top Careers of the Future

1. Sustainability

Our environment faces significant challenges, and they aren’t going anywhere. A degree program in sustainability or environmental science is among the best degrees to get for the future. A sustainability degree opens up a range of careers in areas like:

Advocacy
Policy
Communications
Public service

Students who graduate with an environmental degree enter the workforce with the knowledge needed to protect the environment.

Individuals who earn a degree in sustainability will study:

business
science
law courses
Additional emphasis is put on ways to manage resources and ethics.

As the threat of climate change worsens, sustainability careers in the United States are only expected to grow in the coming years. If you’re environmentally-minded, sustainability degrees can lead to some of the best jobs for the future.

2. Robotics

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), about 146,000 new jobs are expected to be added to the architecture and engineering space between 2020 and 2030, which includes careers in robotics.

Why is robotics one of the best careers of the future?

Every aspect of modern life is being influenced by robotics including:

healthcare
civil development
business processes

In healthcare, for example, anesthesia bots powered by artificial intelligence are being used to assist with surgery.

Oceanographers use robotics to help them map the watery depths where humans cannot travel. As space travel becomes more important, robotics are used in surveying the surface of foreign planets and engaging in exploratory missions.

Robotics also play a role in automation, where they help businesses reduce time spent on mundane tasks like data entry.

Individuals who work in robotics will likely study areas like:

mechanical
electrical
software engineering

3. Healthcare

Healthcare will always be an in-demand field because we constantly need:

well-trained doctors
nurse practitioners
physician assistants
other medical professionals

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, along with an aging population, the public health sector will only grow over the next decade.

Individuals who choose to pursue work in a medical field have a wide variety of jobs to choose from. For example, they can work in a lab and study public health as a research analyst. They can also work as a physical therapist or team health services aide in an athletic setting.

Healthcare professionals can work with hospitals and directly interact with patients. Or, they can work with nonprofit organizations. They provide low-cost and free healthcare to individuals in their communities and around the world.

Healthcare professionals will always be needed. Healthcare is one of the best careers to study for the future.

4. Business Analytics

As long as there are businesses, business analytics will be an essential job. And as social media, e-commerce, and new technologies in software continue to rise, job growth in business analytics will remain high.

Business analytics majors are experienced not only in core business methodology but also in industry trends.

Those who pursue business analytics will study the best courses to study for the future:

computer software
math
statistics

Students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business or entrepreneurship will also need strong communication skills to deliver information to business stakeholders.

Students may also decide to pursue a master’s degree in business analytics by receiving an MBA, leading to additional roles in business management and operations.

5. Biomedical Engineering

Best careers for the future: Mechanical diagrams with cutters and bearings in a table

Biomedical engineering is one of the best careers to study. This is particularly for those who want to learn about the correlation between life that exists on the planet and cutting-edge engineering. Biomedical engineers focus on applying technology and medicine to make advancements in human health.

Biomedical engineers are at the forefront of creating lifesaving apparatuses such as artificial organs. A good example of this is the artificial kidney. This has improved the lives of more than 2 million individuals since its creation.

It’s easy to find a full time job in this field after graduation with a bachelor’s degree, simply because biomedical engineers are in high demand. The BLS says this industry is expected to experience a growth rate of 6% (faster than average) until 2030.

6. Biometrics

Another top job for the future is biometrics. Biometrics is the field that teaches individuals how to make devices that recognize living organisms.

A good example of this is the facial recognition system. Over the next few years, biometrics and biometric readers will replace conventional forms of identification.

They will also replace many of the passwords that individuals use on their electronic devices. Examples of this can be seen by smartphones, smart devices, and laptops that allow their owners to login using their fingerprint as a password as opposed to typing in a password manually.

According to the Grand View Research firm, the biometrics field will have job growth of nearly 20% by 2025.

Individuals who get a degree in biometrics can work in the design of the different biometric systems that security agencies use, or become security intelligence analysts. Overall, they have access to some of the fastest-growing jobs available today.

7. Forensic Science

Forensic scientists will always be needed, especially when it comes to using some of the modern technology that has been designed to investigate crimes. Forensic scientists use technology as a way to help them better examine and better understand evidence that is produced in cases.

Students who choose to study forensic science spend a good portion of their university time learning math and science, and the criminal justice system.

Forensic science is also becoming an increasingly digital field involving many technological advancements. There’s more need for skill sets in computer science and information systems. These professionals can provide software platforms for processing forensic evidence.

8. Computer Game Design

Computer video game design is a field that is expected to continue to expand over the next few decades.

Designers must understand:

complex mathematics
animation, audio
programming

Video game and computer game design is not just for entertainment. There’s also job opportunities in safety and military training game design. Software developers can create simulated, augmented reality, and virtual reality games. The teach firefighters, military personnel, and other first responders on how to react during an emergency.

It is estimated that by 2025, the video game market is going to reach $268.8 billion worldwide. This means that this is an area where the potential for growth is unlimited.

9. Petroleum Engineering

Engineer checking a machine in a factory

In recent years, advances in technology have made it possible for oil companies to retrieve oil from shale formations that just a decade ago could not be tapped. Because of this, petroleum engineers are in high demand. This growth rate of petroleum engineering is supported by the fact that more than half of the current petroleum engineers working plan to retire within 10 years.

Petroleum engineering brings with it salaries that start in excess of $100,000 annually. Individuals who graduate with a degree in petroleum engineering will be able to pursue a career path as:

drilling engineer
production engineer
reservoir engineer

Petroleum services managers oversee operations at different stations. This provides an opportunity for management in the field. With plentiful job openings, these are some of the best jobs for the future.

10. Cyber Security

Every single year there are new major attacks on computer systems around the world. For this reason, governments and large companies are aggressively doing what they can to protect their computer systems. This includes revamping their cyber security goals.

The Internet of Things has increased the number of people who work and communicate online in the digital world. This means that more cyber security professionals are needed. In addition to jobs with the government, individuals who understand cyber security will find jobs at:

healthcare firms
energy firms
any form of security firm

Students who work in cyber security must understand how to lift the hood of computer programs and understand how and why certain programs operate to understand potential weaknesses. The cyber security field holds some of the most promising jobs of the future.

FAQs: What are the Best Careers for the Future?

Are you eager to learn more about how to choose the best career for your future? If so, check out the related questions below. We answer some of the common questions prospective students have about how to plan their career.

1. What are the fastest-growing jobs in the U.S. over the next decade?

Among the fastest-growing occupations, wind turbine technicians and nurse practitioners stand out. Wind turbine technician roles are projected to grow by an impressive 60% from 2023 to 2033, with a median salary of around $61,770. Nurse practitioners are also expected to grow by 45%, adding 118,500 new jobs over the next decade, driven by an increased demand for healthcare services across the U.S. These roles highlight the rising emphasis on renewable energy and advanced healthcare as key job sectors for the future.

2. Which tech-related jobs are predicted to grow due to AI and automation?

With AI integration, data science and machine learning have seen major growth. Data scientists are expected to grow by 35%, with a median salary around $103,500, while roles for AI engineers and NLP (natural language processing) specialists are increasingly in demand, expected to add over a million jobs globally. This demand underscores a shift in tech careers toward specialized roles in AI, which require critical thinking, data-driven skills, and expertise in automated technologies.

3. How will green jobs impact the future job market?

Jobs in renewable energy are expanding rapidly, fueled by environmental priorities and governmental support, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar photovoltaic installers are projected to grow by 48%, with wind turbine technicians following closely. Green energy jobs rose by 3.9% in 2022, adding approximately 114,000 new roles. As more sectors aim for sustainability, the demand for professionals skilled in environmental science, renewable energy, and green tech is expected to rise sharply.

4. What unique skills will future jobs demand, especially in healthcare and tech?

In healthcare, clinical and analytical skills are paramount. Roles like medical and health services managers are predicted to grow by 28%, requiring knowledge in healthcare operations and data analysis, with median salaries around $104,830. In tech, skills like strategic problem-solving and understanding of emerging tech (e.g., cloud computing, cybersecurity) are increasingly valuable, especially for roles like information security analysts, projected to grow by 32%, and paying around $112,000.

5. How are career opportunities affected by social trends such as wellness and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)?

A focus on employee wellness and DEI initiatives has impacted job priorities for many. Over 64% of organizations plan to invest in employee wellness programs to attract and retain talent, while many workers prefer companies with strong DEI commitments. As companies cut DEI budgets, job seekers increasingly prioritize workplaces with inclusive practices. This trend may influence roles in HR, wellness consulting, and DEI-focused project management.

6. What are the most stable career fields for students looking for long-term security?

Healthcare and data-related fields offer notable job stability and growth. Registered nurses, with a projected 6% growth and median pay of $81,220, are in consistent demand. Additionally, fields like epidemiology and physical therapy offer stability, with projected growth rates of 27% and 26%, respectively. Data science roles, such as statisticians and actuaries, also offer security, given their high demand across industries and a strong job growth outlook.