Let me guess – you’ve written about an innovative technology like artificial intelligence (AI) in your college essay, and now you want to explore cutting-edge careers.
Thing is, you’re not sure which futuristic careers are out there, let alone which one to choose. But fret not. You’ve come to the right place!
Here are ten futuristic career paths you can opt for:
1. Software Developer
A software developer is a professional that specializes in creating and editing computer programs.
Also referred to as programmers, coders, or software engineers, developers can specialize in a wide range of areas, including front-end, back-end, AI, mobile development, and so on.
Today, software developers are already crucial. But, with more and more industries adopting digitalization, it’s easy to see why this job will become even more important in the future.
The average wage of a developer varies from region to region. For instance:
- United States: Up to $180,000 per year;
- Canada: Up to $135,000 per year;
- Australia: Up to $150,000 per year.
2. Blockchain-Related Jobs
It’s estimated that blockchain technology will add a whopping 40 million jobs to the global market before the end of this decade.
This means that its positive economic impact will be somewhere close to 1.7 trillion US dollars.
As a young professional in the making, you can take up this career now and work hard to become a blockchain engineer or similar specialist.
This will give you a chance to reap these rewards and enjoy continued stability in the next few years.
3. Virtual Reality Careers
The virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) industries will likely experience exponential growth over the next few years.
But what does this mean for young adults seeking a new career path?
In simple terms, both VR and AR careers present a great opportunity for young professionals to earn a great living working in an innovative field.
In the US, for instance, it’s possible to earn up to $140,000 as an experienced VR engineer.
4. Ethical Hacker
Ethical hackers focus on testing cybersecurity systems, highlighting weaknesses, and making recommendations for digital safety. It’s easy to see why this field will only grow in the next few years.
As an ethical hacker, you can make up to $130,000 yearly in places like Canada.
Nevertheless, the reason why it’s made it to our list is that cybersecurity will remain a must as long as digital platforms exist.
This means that, as a professional, ethical hacker is among the most stable jobs you’ll ever get.
5. Big Data Analyst
Big data is a term used to describe the massive amounts of information that companies and organizations can collect, organize, analyze, and learn from.
For example, if you own an international retail store, collecting big data can help you determine the best sellers, most profitable areas, and more.
The professional that is responsible for analyzing, assessing, and drawing conclusions from this information is known as a data analyst.
This is an innovative career choice because more industries are adopting the use of big data every year.
In areas like Australia, this type of data analyst can earn up to $110,000 per year, and demand is only growing.
Thus, new opportunities will continue to emerge and these will allow new big data analysts to work in fields that don’t traditionally revolve around statistics.
6. AI Specialist
Machine learning (ML) and other types of AI are used in an array of fields, including healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics.
AI developers specialize in creating ML solutions as well as other pieces of software that feature artificial intelligence.
These professionals will play a crucial role in implementing AI and ushering most industries into yet another new era of technology.
In addition to working in an exciting field, US-based AI engineers and similar specialists can earn around $150,000 on an annual basis by working in this profession.
7. Cybersecurity Expert
We’ve covered one career path that revolves around digital security already, but it wasn’t the biggest and best-paid alternative.
That stop is reserved for cybersecurity experts.
In short, cybersecurity experts help companies unveil and address potential risks in their IT infrastructure.
These professionals can earn up to $165,000 in the US, depending on the region. This makes this futuristic specialty one of the best paid on our list.
8. Robotics Engineer
With a wage of almost $165,000, robotics engineers are also among the highest-paid professionals on our list. Yet, this profession made it to our list for entirely other reasons.
From delivering parcels to performing surgery and exploring outer space, robots already play a huge role in a range of specialties.
So, if you want to help people, become an explorer, and take up the new-age version of your favorite profession, robotics will certainly lead you down that path.
9. Drone Pilot
Whether it’s in search and rescue, climate monitoring, videography, photography, or traffic monitoring, drones are already an essential tool in many specialties.
Likewise, this also means that drone pilots are in demand across all of these industries and many more.
Top drone pilots can make more than $100,000 per year, which is great for a profession that only became mainstream a few years ago.
How to Find the Best Jobs
Partaking in community or extracurricular activities is a great way to boost your college applications and build a better career path.
But how do you access these futuristic jobs?
Most of these innovative professions are based in the US, Australia, Canada, and similar countries. So, if you don’t live in these regions, search for these jobs while connected to VPN servers in the US.
If you use a VPN US connection, it will look like you’re located in North America. This may unlock jobs and open up interview opportunities that were otherwise limited due to your location.
Conclusion
It may have sounded like science fiction just a few decades ago, but jobs like virtual reality developer and ethical hacker are now real alternatives you can specialize in.
Just take the time to analyze each profession, understand what a regular day in the job looks like, and make a choice based on the career that best suits you.
