Looking ahead to 2020, you may be contemplating a career switch. If so, it’s probably best to consider moving into a path where growth is on the uptick and jobs are likely to be more plentiful.
LinkedIn’s latest report on emerging job trends points out those most promising positions, and there are a few surprises. Engineering jobs—particularly in AI—are perennially popular and dominate the list. However, the awareness around mental health and employers’ subsequent boost in insurance coverage for it has created a demand for more behavioral health professionals—even without a four-year degree. “Since 2015, hiring growth for behavioral health technicians has grown 32% on average year over year,” the report states.
Growth is also evident in the field of online education. LinkedIn’s analysis reveals that the industry is demanding more talent in both sales and tech. And employers across industries are seeking customer service personnel. Regardless of the position, the top 10 emerging jobs all pay exceedingly well. Most offer six-figure paychecks and aren’t necessarily based in cities where the cost of living will drain every last penny on housing expenses.
Here are the top 10:
- Artificial intelligence specialist: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 74%. Average pay: $136,000 per year.
- Robotics engineer: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 40%. Average pay: $85,000 per year.
- Data scientist: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 37%. Average pay: $143,000 per year.
- Full-stack engineer: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 35%. Average pay: $82,000 per year.
- Site reliability engineer: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 34%. Average pay: $130,000 per year.
- Customer success specialist: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 34%. Average pay: $90,000 per year.
- Sales development representative: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 34%. Average pay: $60,000 per year.
- Data engineer: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 33%. Average pay: $100,000 per year.
- Behavioral health technician: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 32%. Average pay: $33,000 per year.
- Cybersecurity specialist: Average annual growth rate since 2015: 30%. Average pay: $103,000 per year.
LinkedIn’s analysts examined data from all LinkedIn members with a public profile who have held a full-time position within the U.S. during the past five years. Then they calculated “the share of hiring and compound annual growth rate for each occupation between 2015 and 2019 to identify the roles with the largest rate of hiring growth,” according to the report.
You can see the full list here, as well as see which cities and industries are creating the most demand for these jobs.
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