The 10 Best Careers for the Future and Onward

Wondering what career paths will make the best jobs this year has to offer? We all know the very few jobs which are almost a guarantee for success no matter the age and time. But the selection of the best career choices for the future can vary a bit with each coming year, depending on how the economic climate the market’s needs evolve. Just in case you have any doubts on what type of license you should strive to achieve in the near future, here are the best careers this year will bring. Some of these best careers for the future are, of course, already in the top list of high-paying jobs as it is. But, a little confirmation and some hard facts about financial figures will provide you with a better overview.

So, without further ado, this is the list of the top 10 best careers for the future and beyond. Some require a lot of years of study put into them before having a right to practice, others not that many. Browse through the options presented here and based on your current skills or interests, perhaps you can get a better idea or two about some possible outlines for the future.

1. Nursing (Registered Nurses)

The nursing field is the backbone of the entire medical system, and the need for nurses is already high and expected to rise even further in the future. The healthcare services sector will overall provide some of the best career choices for the future, as you’ll notice as you move further down the list. In order to become a registered nurse, one would need an associate degree. According to the BLS (Bureau for Labor Statistics), there will be about 526,800 new job openings for registered nurses by 2022, and the median salary in 2012 was $65,470.

2. Operations Manager and General Manager

Each company and organization needs at least a few managers to overview and coordinate the activity of the other departments. The educational requirements are pretty relaxed on this job, since only a bachelor’s degree is required without a specific field as mandatory. Of course, an MBA or any related master’s degree would help. To get this job, you would also need plenty of experience in a related position, or as they say, working your way up within the company. The median annual salary for this position was $95,440 in 2012 and there are 244,100 new positions expected from 2012 until 2022.

3. Software Developer and App Developer

The world of IT is moving at hyper-speed and it is engaging every other sector along with it. The software application development industry will need a lot of talented individuals for fueling its creativity and productivity. The BLS estimates that 139,900 new positions will be created up to 2022 for software applications developers, and the average salary for this job was $90,060 in 2012 (even better than some of the highest paying engineering jobs). If you have some technical skills and you think you could try your hand at programming, this is definitely one of the best career choices going forward in the future.

4. Specialist Surgery (Specialist Physicians and Surgeons)

A professional degree in a specialized surgery field is earned through years of hard work and study, but it’s definitely worth it. The world won’t cease needing specialized surgeons and physicians any time soon, as more and more focus and demand go into the healthcare sector of the economy. The average salary for these professionals was $187,200 in 2012, and the growth of the jobs is looking optimistic as well: 65,300 predicted job openings by 2022.

5. Accounting and Auditing

As businesses expand, each company and organization will need to rely on the activity of accountants and economic auditors more and more, especially after the tighter regulations which were issued post the 2008 crisis. As aspiring candidate for any of these two positions would need a bachelor’s degree in a related field and as much experience as they can gather. An MBA or Master’s degree in a related field could provide an extra competitive advantage, of course. The median wage in 2012 for these jobs, according to the BLS, was $63,550, and there will probably be 166,700 new positions added in the economy by 2022.

6. Management Analysis

The army of managers required by the economy of the future will also need analysts to overview their activity and find solutions of improving it. Being a management analyst is definitely among the best jobs this year will bring, and one of the best career choices for the future, more broadly speaking. A bachelor’s degree in the field is the entry-level education required, and the median salary for this job in 2012 was $78,600, with 133,800 new jobs expected to be created by 2022.

7. Computer Systems Analyst

An analyst of computer systems is a highly-paid specialist that will be in great demand in the future of the economy, with the IT industry expanding as it is. A bachelor’s degree and plenty of experience in the field are key assets to landing a job like this. A computer analyst made, by average, $79,680 in 2012, and there will be 127,700 new computer analyst positions added to the economy from 2012 to 2022, according to the BLS.

8. Elementary School Teacher

While this position isn’t particularly well-paid compared to some of the other entries on our list, the job is among the best careers for the future because there’s a shortage of teachers, and they will be in high demand as the number of children in need of education continues to grow. The entry-level educational requirement for the job is having a bachelor degree, and the median annual salary in 2012 was $53,400 according to the BLS. The number of new jobs in the field which the BLS expects to be created from 2012 to 2022 are 167,900.

9. Carpenter (within the construction industry)

Even though this isn’t a particularly skilled position, carpenters will be in high demand in the near future, as the industry of construction work keeps expanding and the need for carpentry products (from furniture to fixtures and frames) along with it. There is only a high school diploma or equivalent required in order to enter the trade. The average salary of a carpenter in 2012 was $39,940, and there will be 218,200 new positions added by 2022.

10. Lawyer and Paralegal

The fact that being a lawyer is one of the best careers choices surely comes as no surprise to anyone. Lawyering is by far one of the most profitable professional activities you have do nowadays, as long as you’re successful at it. The entry-level education required is a professional degree and admittance to the bar, and median annual salary in 2012 for this career was $113,500. There will also be about 74,800 new lawyer positions created from 2012 to 2022, according to the BLS.

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