5 Great Career Fields For The Future
by Mark Riddix
Filed under Careers, Personal Development
I was reading a report on CNN Money on The Best Jobs In America. The report looks at jobs with the best potential for job growth over the next 10 years. The study looked at job growth, pay, stress, and other factors. While there are dozens of great careers to choose, CNN usually gets it right in terms of careers with the best opportunity for growth. However, they often do not take into account the level of satisfaction that people experience in these fields. I thought it would be most helpful to look at these jobs by their broader career field. So now, let’s take a look at five of the best career fields to work in over the next 10 years based on potential for growth:
1. Medical Field
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants
The medical field is ripe with growth potential. As everyone probably knows, nurses are in demand. The average nurse practitioner makes $85,200 per year, and the demand is expected to increase 23 percent. Nurse practitioners can perform many of the same functions as doctors such as prescribing medicine and treating illnesses. Becoming a nurse practitioner requires a master’s degree in nursing and certification. With an aging population, the demand for health care is expected to double over the next decade. Physician assistants conduct physical exams, prescribe medicine, and treat illnesses. What does a physician assistant make? A physician assistant averages $90,900 per year and job growth is expected to rise a remarkable 27 percent.
One career that you may not have heard much about is a nurse anesthetist. Certified nurse anesthetists are in demand and make more money than many family physicians. According to CNN Money, the average base salary of a CRNA is $189,000, whereas the average salary for a primary care physician is $173,000. So, what does it take to become a nursing anesthetist? A CRNA must be a registered nurse and have at least one year of full time nursing experience. Most CRNA’s obtain a master’s degree in anesthesia and pass a national certification exam.
2. Technology Sector
Systems Engineers, Software Engineers, IT Analysts
How would you like to work in the fast-growing tech sector? Information technology is the #1 field in terms of expected job growth over the next decade, which makes systems engineers among the most highly sought after professionals today. The average salary for a systems engineer is $87,100, and the career field is expected to grow 45 percent over the next 10 years. To become a systems engineer, you need a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
The engineering field is not the only IT field experiencing growth. Entry-level information technology analysts make $60,000 and above. Experienced IT analysts make over $82,600 per field and job growth for the next decade is expected to be about 30 percent.
3. Financial Services
Accountants, Actuaries, Financial Advisers
Are you good with numbers? You could find a rewarding career in the financial services industry. Certified Public Accountants make an average of $74,200 and ten year job growth is expected to be 18 percent. As more companies are doing away with pension plans, employees will need help with retirement planning. Job growth for financial advisers is expected to be 41 percent over the next decade. The average financial adviser makes $101,000 per year.
Actuaries measure the statistical probability of certain events occurring. The actuarial field has a projected growth rate of 24 percent and an average salary of $129,000. Actuaries can make as much as $300,000 per year. All of these finance related fields typically require an undergraduate business degree.
4. Education Arena
College Professors, Elementary School Teachers, High School Teachers
A bad economy means increased enrollment in colleges and universities. As students return to school, there is an increased need for college professors. The average salary for a college professor is $70,400 and the 10 year growth rate is projected at 23 percent. College professors enjoy great flexibility in their work schedules, freeing them to do a variety of other tasks. Do you love working with kids? You could become a school teacher. Elementary, middle, and high school teachers make an average of $50,200 annually and future job growth is 18 percent. Teaching at the collegiate level normally requires a graduate degree in a related field.
5. Technical Jobs
Physical Therapist Assistants, Dental Hygienists, Veterinary Technicians
Many technical jobs require certifications but do not require that applicants obtain a college degree. Physical therapist assistants earn approximately $42,000 and the physical therapy field is booming. The 10 year growth rate is 42 percent. Physical therapist assistants are responsible for developing treatment plans, documenting treatments, and modifying specific treatments to the needs of the patient. Dental hygienists clean teeth, take X-rays, and perform routine oral procedures. Hygienists make $68,152, and the field is growing at a rate of 43 percent. Veterinary techs perform medical tests, prepare vaccines and tissue samples, and take blood samples. The average salary is $30,000, and the 10 year growth rate is 35 percent.
What do you think are the best jobs to have over the next 10 years? Are you pursuing or currently working in any of these fields? We want to hear from you! Do you like what you do?
(Photo credit: The Cleveland Kid)
I am a special education teacher at an alternative school and work with all levels from elementary to high school. I do enjoy the flexibility of the school environment and I am looking to further my career in this field. That is certainly a compelling list of careers to closely follow and I know a few people in most of those fields so I guess we are well on the way to success.
Wow…wish I had gone into the medical field. Wouldn’t mind being a Certified Nurse Anesthetist with the money they’re making. All I have to do is take the pain away from patients. Not bad.
Surprised that anything in education made the list. My wife couldn’t find a job to save her life last fall and she’s got a master’s in special ed. And there is little money to pay public school teachers these days. And with the aging population, won’t there be less kids rather than more?
Mac,
I had no idea that CRNA’s made that kind of money. I think that less people are expected to go into the education field in the future.
Regarding college professors, it takes awhile to get a Ph.D, especially in science disciplines. Spending 6-8 years on top of your undergraduate degree is not uncommon. The starting salary for an assistant professor can be as low as 40K in smaller schools…this is for a person who is obtaining his first job at say 28. Thus, financially it is not very lucrative in the beginning and turns many people away from teaching at the college level.
Which is terribly sad. Education is such an important field and good teachers are paid quite low in relative to less-important professions. What’s more important than teaching the future workforce valuable skills? Wish the public school sector could better compete with private professions!
Very true. Teachers are way underpaid.
The salary numbers I saw in the financial sector make me want to go back to school.
Never knew those salaries were that high
I believe some of the numbers are a bit too high. Based on what I had read before, the average salary for a CPA is more like $55,000 rather than $74,000. And the average salary of a financial advisor is no way in the range of $101,000. That number is more likely reserved for the the top 10 percent.
Winston,
These numbers com from a CNN Money study which is based on nationwide averages.
Unclear what salaries will be like for the medical field with healthcare reform–I doubt it will be as lucrative in years to come.
In the medical field I’ve also heard that male Occupational Therapists are in high demand with good job security and decent salaries.
I too question most of the education arena paragraph. My roommate just received a pink slip for the third year in a row. At her school everyone with 9 years of experience and less received one- a lot of them will be rehired, but worst case scenario, they’ll all lose their jobs. My other friend teaches high school and two-thirds of his school received pink slips. He’s safe because he’s bilingual and that’s hard to find. Another friend teaches special ed and she’s safe too- though both of them are facing larger classroom sizes and less funding. The health benefits are good though. I can’t see schools hiring new teachers for at least a few years, depending on how the economy goes. It’s also incredibly hard to get tenured academic posts at universities and a lot of JC professors are hired for just one or two classes- so the school doesn’t have to pay benefits.
Even though there is a shortage of teachers everywhere, they still get laid off because the government is so broke that they have to drastically cut educational fundings. In some cases, they have to close several schools.
You can easily earn 6 figures selling crack. No education required