When we’re desperate to be employed, any job will do. But sometimes it pays to be a bit more discerning. LinkedIn recently released a report on the most promising positions for next year—all with good pay and good upward mobility. If you qualify for any of these, you’re in great shape to get scooped up.
And if not, if you’re still deciding what you want to be when you grow up, consider getting trained in one of these fields ASAP. They’re on the rise, and don’t look like they’re going anywhere.
1. Hospitalist
This is a doctor who works exclusively in a hospital. The median salary is well over $200k per year, and there are currently more than 1,000 open positions for this role. That’s an 87% annual increase. And this job scores a 6 out of 10 for career advancement. Hospitalist is ranked #1 on LinkedIn’s report.
2. Pharmacist
Pharmacists make a median salary of about $123k, but there are something like 3,300 openings out there (a 45% increase over last year). With a 5 out of 10 career advancement score, this is pretty sweet. This career is ranked #3 on LinkedIn’s report.
3. Sales Engineer
No medical training? No problem! Sales engineers sell particularly complex products like machinery, and must be knowledgeable about the things they sell. The median salary is about $80k per year, with 3,000 openings—a whopping 159% increase from last year. This job also scores 6 out of 10 for career advancement. Ranked #3 on LinkedIn’s report.
4. Teacher
Teachers are in supreme demand—there simply aren’t enough of them to go around. While the salary isn’t the best on the block, if you can teach math or science, you’re likely to get scooped up in a second. The state of California alone reported 75% of their school districts in dire need of teachers. Hopefully demand will lead to better salary growth in years to come.
5. Dental Hygienist
Dental hygienists are a key part of the dental team. With over 68,000 open positions, this job is only going to grow—in both salary and in duties. You’ll see a lot of potential for growth of all kinds if you choose this career path, with positions available nationwide.
6. Market Analyst
If you have a head for numbers, you can examine trends and provide analysis and vital information to marketing teams for developing their strategies. And prospects look great: there are more than 100k analyst positions expected to open up in the coming years.
7. Translator
Global business continues to be more important than ever, and it’s very important to make sure nothing gets “lost in translation.” Expect there to be steady openings for translator positions in coming years.
8. Nurse Practitioner
APRNs and NPs are in high demand, with more patients seeing nurse practitioners, nurse anesthesiologists, and nurse midwives in place of doctors. This field has a lot of potential for growth, as nurses take over more and more duties traditionally ascribed to doctors. And salaries are already bursting through the $100k mark.
9. Physical Therapist and Therapist Assistant
These positions are set to enjoy massive growth, particularly with the equally massive spike in patients suffering from chronic pain. Demand is high and the scope of where you’re able to work is wide.
10. Statistician
It’s all about the numbers. If you’re a data whiz, you could work in government, business, health care, or engineering. Demand is high, and salaries are up near $80k per year—and that number was determined by… you guessed it: statisticians.
