The 15 Best Jobs For The Next 10 Years - Zippia (2024)

Wind Turbine Technician

Projected Job Growth: 56%
Average Annual Salary: $41,456
Current Jobs Available: 91,526

Wind turbine technicians and other renewable energy professions are some of the most needed jobs in the next ten years. As the name might suggest, wind turbine technicians maintain and operate wind turbines. This assures the stable and optimal production of wind-powered electricity.

Requirements to become a wind turbine technician: For the most part, this job is relatively easy to get into. 38.5% of those who work as wind turbine technicians have an associate’s degree, while 18.5% simply have a high school diploma.

Some of the most important qualities to have as a wind turbine technician include: being detail-oriented and unafraid of heights, as well as having mechanical skills, physical stamina, physical strength, and troubleshooting skills.

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Information Security Analyst

Projected Job Growth: 32%
Average Annual Salary: $86,656
Current Jobs Available: 109,030

Over the next ten years, cyber security will only become more important for companies. That means that the projected growth for information security analysts is reliable, and the job market will likely stay flooded with jobs.

Information security analysts create security systems that keep a company’s networks and stored information protected from cyberattacks. These individuals make over $40 per hour on average, and there are over 100,000 jobs available in the U.S. — a number that is expected to grow by 32% over the next decade.

Requirements to become an information security analyst: When it comes to landing a job as an information security analyst, 61.8% of employees have a bachelor’s degree. Some of the most important qualities for this position are analytical skills, attention to detail, ingenuity, and problem-solving skills.

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Physician Assistant

Projected Job Growth: 31%
Average Annual Salary: $126,450
Current Jobs Available: 34,033

Healthcare jobs have some of the best job outlooks of the next 10 years, and physician assistants are included in that.

Physician assistants (PAs) examine, diagnose, and treat patients while working with other healthcare providers. This work comes with an impressive $60 per hour pay rate, and the number of jobs available is expected to increase by 31% over the next ten years.

Requirements to become a physician assistant: On top of needing a bachelor’s or master’s degree, physician assistants often need two years of full-time postgraduate study.

Overall, this job will be a great pick for anyone with experience in healthcare and great interpersonal skills.

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Occupational Therapy Assistant

Projected Job Growth: 31%
Average Annual Salary: $47,000
Current Jobs Available: 22,877

As a hybrid between receptionist and healthcare work, working as an occupational therapy assistant is one of the best jobs for the next ten years that doesn’t require an expensive education.

If you don’t mind answering the telephone, replying to emails, scheduling appointments, or working with patients, becoming an occupational therapy assistant could be a great choice for you. This job pays a healthy average of $23.04 per hour and is expected to grow at a consistent 31%.

Requirements to become an occupational therapy assistant: 68.8% of occupational therapy assistants simply have an associate’s degree. Keep in mind that most states will require you to obtain certain licenses or registrations.

Regardless, this line of work will be promising over the next ten years for anyone compassionate, organized, and physically fit.

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Statistician

Projected Job Growth: 30%
Average Annual Salary: $80,235
Current Jobs Available: 37,288

Perfect for any mathematical and analytical thinkers, a career as a statistician is one of the best choices for the future. These professionals source, collect, and organize data for company leaders to use to predict trends and create business plans.

Over the next ten years, statistician jobs are expected to increase by 30%. The increased demand for statisticians is fueled by growth in corporate technology and globalization, and this demand equates to a respectable hourly wage of $38.57, on average.

Requirements to become a statistician: 63.5% of statisticians have a bachelor’s degree, while 23.5% have a master’s degree.

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Assistant Speech-Language Pathologist

Projected Job Growth: 27%
Average Annual Salary: $60,020
Current Jobs Available: 18,624

Assistant speech-language pathologists are one of the most needed jobs in the next ten years, as they help clients overcome various speech problems. These professionals work in schools, hospitals, and a variety of other settings, which means there is plenty of job variety.

In addition to high demand, one of the main benefits of choosing this line of work is upward mobility. As an assistant speech-language pathologist, you have the opportunity to move up in your career, whether that’s simply earning a higher salary and more responsibility or opening your own practice.

Requirements to become an assistant speech-language pathologist: 67.3% of assistant speech-language pathologists have bachelor’s degrees, while 24.8% have master’s degrees. You’ll also need strong communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills to be successful in this role.

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Nurse Practitioner

Projected Job Growth: 26%
Average Annual Salary: $94,386
Current Jobs Available: 19,478

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are skilled, versatile healthcare professionals, making this one of the best jobs for the next ten years. NPs are able to diagnose illnesses and prescribe medication, and they often oversee nurse workflow and provide treatments to patients.

Many NPs work in small clinics as well as in hospitals and other large facilities. Like many other jobs in the healthcare industry, NPs will experience significant job growth within the next ten years (26%).

Requirements to become a nurse practitioner: The exact licenses, registrations, and certifications NPs need to work vary based on the state they work in. Across the board, though, nurse practitioners need to be registered nurses, have a bachelor of science in nursing, and obtain a master’s or doctoral nursing degree.

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Operations Research Analyst

Projected Job Growth: 26%
Average Annual Salary: $74,227
Current Jobs Available: 110,124

With over 110,000 jobs currently available across the U.S. — a number expected to grow by 26% in the next ten years — becoming an operations research analyst can be a reliable way to earn a substantial income.

These professionals solve complex organizational problems through advanced mathematical and analytical methods. This can include anything from sales data to customer feedback histories, of which the conclusions are incredibly valuable to businesses.

Requirements to become an operations research analyst: To become an operations research analyst, you should have strong math, statistics, and other analytical skills. Overall, 67.1% of operations research analysts have a bachelor’s degree, while 21.6% have a master’s degree.

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Physical Therapist Assistant

Projected Job Growth: 26%
Average Annual Salary: $52,470
Current Jobs Available: 61,131

Physical therapist assistants have some of the most in-demand jobs for the next ten years, with over 60,000 listings currently available and a projected growth rate of 26%. Helping others improve or overcome their physical disabilities can also be an incredibly rewarding line of work, especially when it pays a respectable $25.23 per hour.

Requirements to become a physical therapist assistant: Luckily, this field is relatively easy to get into, with 67.4% of current physical therapist assistants only having a two-year associate’s degree. Therefore, you can start a career as a physical therapist assistant without spending several years in college first.

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Software Developer

Projected Job Growth: 21%
Average Annual Salary: $80,437
Current Jobs Available: 217,097

Software developers have been in high demand for a while now, and there’s no sign of the trend slowing down during the next ten years. There are currently 217,097 jobs available in the field, and that number is expected to rise by 21% over the next decade.

The average software developer spends most of their time analyzing customer needs and developing software for businesses. This includes a wide variety of computer programs we use every day.

Requirements to become a software developer: The vast majority of software developers only need a bachelor’s degree to get into the industry — 71.6% of those currently working have bachelor’s degrees. You’ll also likely need hard skills such as ASP.NET, JavaScript, C#, and Python, to name a few.

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Animal Care Supervisor

Projected Job Growth: 19%
Average Annual Salary: $45,000
Current Jobs Available: 2,851

One of the more out-of-the-box jobs on this list, the animal caretaker supervisor role is perfect for anyone who loves working with pets — and it has one of the best job outlooks for the next ten years. These professionals have a leadership position in animal care facilities, where they develop and modify policies, procedures, and practices.

Unlike some animal caretaking jobs, this job pays a respectable $28.72 per hour on average. Plus, a 19% growth rate means that this niche line of work will see a significant number of jobs added within the next decade.

Requirements to become an animal care supervisor: Many can also get into this job with only a high school diploma or associate’s degree, as long as they have relevant experience. Overall, a considerable 27.3% of those that work in this field only have a high school diploma.

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Health Services Manager

Projected Job Growth: 18%
Average Annual Salary: $87,339
Current Jobs Available: 103,626

Also commonly referred to as healthcare administrators or healthcare executives, these professionals manage entire medical facilities and hold some of the most needed jobs in the next ten years.

Due to the construction and expansion of new medical facilities, there’s always a need for more health services managers. There are over 100,000 jobs currently available in the U.S., and that number is only expected to grow by 18% in the coming years.

Requirements to become a health services manager: Interestingly, most individuals with this job have a less intensive education than others in the healthcare industry. While 20.2% have a master’s degree, the majority (53.5%) only have a bachelor’s. However, it’s worth noting that some positions in this field do require certain licenses, certifications, and registrations, depending on the state.

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Finance Manager

Projected Job Growth: 16%
Average Annual Salary: $105,468
Current Jobs Available: 89,744

Finance managers manage and track a company’s financial performance, making them invaluable to businesses’ growth and putting them on the list of top jobs for the next ten years. Finance managers produce reports, conduct research, and formulate beneficial financial strategies.

There are already 89,744 jobs in this field, but within the next ten years, that number is expected to grow to almost 105,000. After all, companies always need someone who can manage their finances.

Requirements to become a finance manager: 66.3% of finance managers have a bachelor’s degree, while 17.2% have a master’s degree. You’ll also need strong mathematical and analytical skills to succeed in this role.

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Data Scientist

Projected Job Growth: 16%
Average Annual Salary: $97,953
Current Jobs Available: 106,132

One of the best careers for the next ten years, data scientists gather, analyze, and interpret large data sets from company databases. This is to solve company challenges or improve things like revenue generation.

Companies will pay individuals big money for these skills, which is why the average data scientist makes $47.09 per hour.

There are currently 106,132 jobs in this field available in the U.S., with roughly 5,200 more expected to be added over the next decade. That means that if you have the technical skills to become a data scientist, you’ll likely have plenty of job opportunities.

Requirements to become a data scientist: A slight majority (50.7%) of current data scientists have a bachelor’s degree, while 34.1% have a master’s degree. You’ll also need strong problem-solving, analysis, and computer skills.

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