What are 2017’s Hottest Careers?

Not surprisingly, this year’s hottest careers reflect our society’s growing reliance on information, technology, math, engineering, and cyberspace. Below, we highlight five of the hottest career fields out there with links to more information about salary, educational requirements, and potential growth.

Information Security: In a world in which we are increasingly reliant on technology to pay bills, manage money, create social and professional profiles, and store personal information, we all fear identity theft. This very real concern has created a broad-scale need for professionals who understand how to secure our personal information and our “virtual” lives. With an incredible projected growth of nearly 20%, this field should stay hot for the foreseeable future, particularly as individuals, corporations, and governments face continuous threats to internet privacy and security. An information security analyst will be on the frontlines of cybersecurity, fulfilling an essential role in our globalized and technology-dependent society.

Engineering: In a country of aging infrastructure and concerns about large-scale operating systems, we are more and more in need of qualified individuals who can assess and repair our bridges, roads, airports, dams, tunnels, transit systems, water systems, and other necessary civil infrastructures. Civil engineers, in particular, are involved in overseeing vital construction projects and working to maintain and improve infrastructure in order to ensure safety. We can expect to see steady growth of nearly 10% between now and 2024 in this field.

Web Development: From scheduling appointments to shipping items to moving large sums of money, we take care of pretty much all of our logistics online these days. If you know how to design, code, and modify websites, you will most likely have little trouble finding a job. Web developers carry out a multitude of tasks, from developing new technology to working with graphic design to essentially acting as website “architects.” Our reliance on the web, from e-commerce to e-billing to, well, e-everything, isn’t going anywhere, so knowing about web development looks like a field that will be continually seeking talented professionals.

Healthcare: Due to an aging population and uncertainties within the healthcare industry, it is expected that 3 of every 10 job openings this year will fall somewhere within the field of healthcare. Under that umbrella, pharmacy, physical therapy, and dental health are three specific fields that are in great need of qualified professionals. In fact, dental hygienists, pharmacy assistant technicians, and physical therapy assistants are in high demand, providing the opportunity to enter this lucrative field without taking on an overwhelming amount of debt or adding four-plus more years of school to your recently-completed college education. In addition to these fields, we see an increasing need for mental health professionals as well, making courses of study like psychology and social work ever more valuable. Indeed, a job in the field of healthcare can offer endless possibilities.

STEM-Related Fields: Recently, the STEM-related fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) have seen incredible growth and demand. As listed above, careers in healthcare and tech are perennial winners, as are those in medical science and all manner of engineering, including electrical, environmental, nuclear, etc. In fact, STEM fields make up the largest cross-section of jobs that employers find hard to fill, thus reminding us of their value and the great opportunities for those who are qualified. Even better, according to CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson, “there’s going to be lifelong growth in wages in these areas.”

It’s important to stay attuned to societal trends, as these often directly influence what careers have the greatest potential for growth. Today, as we experience increasing challenges regarding healthcare, infrastructure, and internet security, we see the hottest career fields following these social needs. Being well-versed about what careers are in demand can help you to choose an educational and career path that will give you the best opportunity to succeed and work in a valuable, viable, and enriching field.

Written by Phil Lane

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