5 Lucrative Careers of the Future to Consider Pursuing

What are the careers that will prove to be in high demand and pay great salaries in the future? Nobody can say for sure, but we can make some educated guesses based on the economic, environmental, technological and social changes that we can foresee happening in the next few years.

According to a 2019 study by the World Economic Forum, almost 66% of today’s kindergarten students will end up having jobs that currently don’t exist. It’s safe to say that there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the topic.

So, while we can imagine future careers such as virtual reality designer, synthetic biology engineer and brain implant specialist taking off, perhaps a better approach would be to take a look at the careers that you can rely on being lucrative and stable both now and for as long as you’re around.

This way, the time and money you invest into studying for that career won’t go to waste due to some unforeseen change of circumstances. Read on to find out about 5 careers that’ll serve you just as well today as they will tomorrow.

Software Developer

Switchboard operator, bowling alley pinsetter, film projectionist, bridge toll collector, lift operator… these jobs all have one thing in common: They’ve been replaced by robots. For certain people, such as factory workers, this is a disconcerting possibility.

But, while robots are slowly replacing many human jobs, someone still needs to make them. More specifically, someone needs to write the software that gives them the ability to serve their purpose. This job won’t be replaced any time soon. That’s why growth in the software development sector is one of the highest of any career, with an expected increase of 24% by 2026.

Of course, this doesn’t only apply to software for robots. Building apps is just one example of what you can do as a developer. There are plenty of opportunities here – you just need to learn how to code.

Registered Nurse

According to an article on Business Insider, registered nurses are set to be in one of the most in-demand careers of the future. This is largely due to the fact that older generations who were the driving force of the healthcare industry are now retiring, leaving many vacancies that urgently need to be filled.

In fact, there’s a serious shortage of nurses in the US, and salaries are rising to push more educated professionals to enter the field. Demand and salary aside, there are many other reasons to choose a career in nursing.

This includes high levels of job satisfaction, travel and advancement opportunities, flexibility, dynamic work environments and the opportunity to make a real difference in society.

Accountant

If you prefer the idea of crunching numbers over putting babies to sleep, being an accountant might be a great option for you. There are plenty of reasons to become one. The most obvious would include high salaries, job security, above-average job growth and being in a respected position.

But, what you’ll learn as an accountant will also serve as valuable knowledge that you can use to master your personal finances or even become an entrepreneur later down the line. Another great benefit is that, if another economic recession ever hits, your job will be one of few that’ll stay lucrative.

Those in sales and marketing might take a pretty hard knock, but when businesses have money troubles, it’s the skills of an accountant that they’ll be looking for. The more educated you are, the more employable you’ll be, so be sure to check out this online course for a master’s degree in finance to get an idea of what to expect.

Nutritionist

Let’s face it, most of us don’t eat that healthy. It has become cheaper and easier to opt for calorie-dense, nutrient-deficient foods, and the statistics paint a shocking picture. The Oregon State University and the University of Mississippi recently conducted a study finding that a measly 2.7% of Americans follow a healthy lifestyle.

It was also found that less than 50% of us get enough exercise, only 38% eat a proper diet and, despite growing stigma, 29% still smoke cigarettes. So, if you’d prefer to avoid seeing a future where we’re all floating around on mobile beds like in WALL-E, becoming a nutritionist would be a great idea.

After obtaining the necessary qualifications, your job will be to assess your patients’ current diets, recommend a new meal plan and evaluate the results. Job growth outlook is at 14% for nutritionists, which it twice as high as the overall average. Additionally, you can choose to work for a care center or become self-employed.

Mental Health Therapist

Just like physical health, our mental health seems to be going nowhere but down. Almost half of adults in the US will experience a mental illness at some stage, and around 16.1 million Americans suffer from major depressive disorder. Maybe it’s because we aren’t eating healthy. Perhaps the internet is to blame. Or, is it all the bad news we’re exposed to?

Regardless, this makes the career of a mental health therapist a very important one and one that’ll be in high demand for years to come. Once you’ve picked up a bachelor’s or master’s in counseling, your job will be to assist patients with overcoming mental and emotional challenges in order to improve their lives.

The projected job growth for mental health therapists between 2014 and 2024 is 20%, putting it well above-average. If you’re passionate about making a difference, this might be the way to go.

Conclusion

Some other in-demand and high-paying careers to consider pursuing include teaching, physical therapy, sales, computer systems analytics, construction management and manual labor jobs, such as plumber, steamfitter, welder and pipefitter.

The best thing you can do is find a career where your efforts can make a meaningful change in the world around you. If that’s what your career accomplishes, chances are that it’s what you should be doing.