The 21 best jobs of the future
To focus on high-paying jobs, we've restricted our list to those with salaries higher than the 2014 median annual wage
Healthcare and tech are among the fastest-growing sectors of the US economy, and several well-paying jobs in those industries are primed to expand dramatically in the next decade.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its biennialprojections for job growth across hundreds of occupations between 2014 and 2024.
We took those projections and combined them with BLSestimates of the 2014 median annual earnings of those jobs — using the geometric mean of the two numbers — to come up with a ranking of the best jobs of the next decade. To focus on good, high-paying jobs, we restricted our list to those with salaries higher than the 2014 median annual wage of $35,540.
Read on to learn about the best jobs of the future, including the typical level of education required and what people do on a daily basis, according to O*NET descriptions of the jobs.
21. Elementary school teachers, except special education
Projected new positions by 2024: 78,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $54,120
What they do: Teach young children basic skills in schools
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
20. Nurse practitioners
Projected new positions by 2024: 44,700
Median annual earnings in 2014: $95,350
What they do: Treat and diagnose patients' illnesses
Typical educational requirements: Master's degree
19. Financial managers
Projected new positions by 2024: 37,700
Median annual earnings in 2014: $115,320
What they do: Direct financial activities at organisations
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
18. Electricians
Projected new positions by 2024: 85,900
Median annual earnings in 2014: $51,110
What they do: Install, maintain, and repair electrical equipment
Typical educational requirements: High-school diploma
17. Licensed practical and vocational nurses
Projected new positions by 2024: 117,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $42,490
What they do: Care for patients in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and similar institutions
Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary non-degree award
16. Lawyers
Projected new positions by 2024: 43,800
Median annual earnings in 2014: $114,970
What they do: Represent clients in legal situations
Typical educational requirements: Professional degree
15. Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives
Projected new positions by 2024: 93,400
Median annual earnings in 2014: $55,020
What they do: Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma
14. Medical and health services managers
Projected new positions by 2024: 56,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $92,810
What they do: Plan, direct, or coordinate health services
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
13. Software systems developers
Projected new positions by 2024: 51,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $102,880
What they do: Develop operating systems, compilers, and network software
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
12. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
Projected new positions by 2024: 92,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $61,290
What they do: Research market conditions and create marketing campaigns
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
11. Physical therapists
Projected new positions by 2024: 71,800
Median annual earnings in 2014: $82,390
What they do: Help patients recover from illnesses and injuries
Typical educational requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
10. Personal financial advisers
Projected new positions by 2024: 73,900
Median annual earnings in 2014: $81,060
What they do: Advise clients on their finances
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
9. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
Projected new positions by 2024: 121,200
Median annual earnings in 2014: $50,780
What they do: Supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative-support workers
Typical educational requirements: High-school diploma
8. Computer and information systems managers
Projected new positions by 2024: 53,700
Median annual earnings in 2014: $127,640
What they do: Plan, direct, and coordinate computer systems
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
7. Management analysts
Projected new positions by 2024: 103,400
Median annual earnings in 2014: $80,880
What they do: Conduct research and develop procedures to allow organisations to run more efficiently
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
6. Accountants and auditors
Projected new positions by 2024: 142,400
Median annual earnings in 2014: $65,940
What they do: Examine, analyse, and interpret accounting records
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
5. Physicians and surgeons, all other
Projected new positions by 2024: 51,700
Median annual earnings in 2014: At least $187,200*
What they do: Treat patients in a variety of specialised fields
Typical educational requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
* BLS median annual earnings estimates for 2014 are capped at $187,200, and earnings for this occupational group fell at or above that cap
4. Computer systems analysts
Projected new positions by 2024: 118,600
Median annual earnings in 2014: $82,710
What they do: Analyse data processing problems to develop and improve computer systems
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
3. Software applications developers
Projected new positions by 2024: 135,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $95,510
What they do: Develop front-end user-oriented computer applications and programs
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
2. General and operations managers
Projected new positions by 2024: 151,100
Median annual earnings in 2014: $97,270
What they do: Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of organisations
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
1. Registered nurses
Projected new positions by 2024: 439,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $66,640
What they do: Assess patient health needs and care for patients
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
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