The job market is different than it was just a few decades ago, and it’s only poised to transform into the foreseeable future. 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 are the 10 best careers for the future.
1. Sustainability
Our environment faces significant challenges. A degree program in sustainability or environmental science opens up a range of careers in advocacy, policy, communications, and public service. People who graduate with an environmental degree enter the workforce with the knowledge needed to protect the environment.
Individuals who get a degree in sustainability will take courses on business, science, and the law. 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 poised to grow in the coming years.
2. Robotics
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), about 74,800 new jobs are expected to be added in the architecture and engineering space between 2019 and 2029, which includes careers in robotics.
Every aspect of modern life is being influenced by robotics, including healthcare, civil development, and business processes. In healthcare, for example, anesthesia bots powered by artificial intelligence are being used to assist with surgery.
Oceanographers are also using robotics to allow them to map the watery depths where humans currently cannot travel. As space travel continues to become more and more important, robotics are being included in things such as 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 things like mechanical, electrical, and software engineering.
3. Healthcare
Healthcare will always be an in-demand field, because we will constantly need well-trained doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and 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. They can work in a lab and study public health as a research analyst, for example. They can also work in an athletic setting as a physical therapist or team health services aide.
Healthcare professionals can work with hospitals and directly interact with patients. Or, they can work in conjunction with nonprofit organizations providing low-cost and free healthcare to individuals in their community and around the world.
4. Business Analytics
As long as there are businesses, business analytics will be an important 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. Individuals who pursue business analytics will study things like computer software, math, and statistics. Students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business or entrepreneurship will also need strong communication skills in order to deliver information to business stakeholders.
Students may also decide to pursue a master’s degree in business analytics through receiving an MBA, which can lead to additional roles in business management and operations.
5. Biomedical Engineering
This is a field of study that is of interest to individuals who want to learn about the correlation between life that exists on the planet and cutting-edge engineering. Biomedical engineers study living organisms, and then they see how some of the principles behind their movement and their existence can be enhanced through innovation.
They are at the forefront of creating lifesaving apparatuses such as artificial organs. A good example of this is the artificial kidney, which since its creation has improved the lives of more than 2 million individuals.
It’s easy to find a full time job in this field after graduation with a bachelor’s degree, simply because there’s a high demand for it. The BLS says this industry is expected to experience a growth rate of 5% (faster than average) until 2029.
6. 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. It is believed that 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 grow by nearly 20% by 2025. Individuals who get a degree in biometrics can work in the design of the different biometric systems that are used by security agencies, 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 would expect to spend a good portion of their university time learning math and science, and also understanding how the criminal justice system works.
Forensic science is also becoming an increasingly digital field, and there’s more need for skill sets in computer science and information systems, as 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, and programming. Video game and computer game design is not just for entertainment. There’s also job opportunities in safety and military training game design. These software developers can create simulated games that teach firefighters, military personnel, and other first responders on how to react during an emergency.
It is estimated by 2023, the video game market is going to reach $200.8 billion worldwide. This means that this is an area where the potential for growth is unlimited.
9. Petroleum Engineering
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 a drilling engineer, production engineer, or reservoir engineer.
Petroleum services managers oversee operations at different stations, which provides an opportunity for management in the field. With plentiful job openings, these are some of the best careers for the future.
10. Cyber Security
Every single year there is a new major attack on the computer systems around the world. For this reason, governments and large companies are aggressively doing whatever they can to protect their computer systems, including revamping their cyber security goals.
The Internet of Things has increased the number of people who work and communicate online, which 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, and any form of security firm.
Students who work in cyber security are required to understand how to lift the hood of computer programs and understand how and why certain programs operate in order to understand potential weaknesses. The cyber security field holds some of the most promising jobs of the future.
Choose the Best Careers for the Future
It’s important to consider the future outlook of a career path when you’re deciding on a major. The best jobs for the future boast not only long-term job security, but also innovation in the job sector and potential for high earnings.
When you have a clear idea of which jobs will be in demand in the future, you can make a more informed decision that’ll help you as a new college grad later. For more information and support on preparing for college and the future beyond, visit CollegeRank.