Courtney Grace
The job market has been entirely turned on its head since March 2020.
We’re enduring years of a pandemic that’s upended the traditional workplace and sheltered people — and their jobs — at home.
As a result, you’re likely hearing the term “Great Resignation” thrown around; not only are people leaving their jobs in droves, they’re also looking for career advancements and to jump industries to find career tracks that are more sustainable and financially lucrative.
At the rate technology is advancing, you have to think ahead about what you want from your career. The job market is shifting at a rapid pace, and these are the six best careers worth pursuing if you’re looking for a better job outlook and high-paying jobs for financial stability in the new year.
The 6 best jobs of 2022
Software developers, software engineers, or data scientists.
Sure, we might have a tiny bit of bias here, but there’s a reason Business Insider named software engineers, developers, and related tech jobs as the fastest growing, highest paying jobs in the world.
With the massive role software plays in our lives, be it on our mobile phones, our TVs, or the computers we work and play from, the developers behind it are in seriously high demand — and companies are ready to pay. Same goes for the information technology professionals that make sure all of that technology keeps working, as well as cybersecurity experts who are paying especially close attention to updates from big data.
Not only does it have one of the highest projected employment growth rates of any industry over the next decade, it’s also one of the highest paying, with BI reporting an annual median pay of ~$110,140. The word has only recently gone out about how lucrative software engineering roles can be, so the talent pool is still relatively small. This gives those in the industry a lot of flexibility in finding the company that matches their values and work-life balance choices.
Software engineering or development is also efficient to learn because there are a number of different ways to pick it up and move into a role (some of which are free!), and most of which do not require a college degree in computer science.
At App Academy, we have a number of different coding bootcamp tracks that fit your lifestyle and goals. Coding bootcamps condense the most relevant information and coding languages you need to know to become a full-fledged software engineer into a few immersive months of studying alongside world-class instructors and peers all working towards the same goal.
Healthcare professionals.
If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need fully staffed medical teams more than ever. It’s predicted that we’ll see a number of registered nurses retire from practice post-pandemic, leaving a significant gap that will require filling. This includes nurse practitioners, who are able to prescribe medications and adapt more of a physician-like role. The average salary for a nurse practitioner in 2020 was around $111,680 a year, according to Yahoo.
Physical therapists, physician assistants, and specialized RNs also top the list of the most sought after healthcare roles as the industry continues to see strains from the pandemic and a higher demand for post-COVID care. The amount of open roles makes it one of the best jobs in 2022.
Source: https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2013/article/pdf/occupational-employment-projections-to-2022.pdf
Healthcare doesn’t end there, though; we’re seeing more emphasis on mental health services than ever, meaning psychiatrists are also in high demand. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that healthcare practitioners and technical occupations, healthcare support occupations, and personal care and service occupations have all seen at least a 20% growth in the last decade, largely due to the pandemic and ongoing omicron variant presence.
Life insurance adjusters.
Who hasn’t considered their life insurance policy in the midst of a deadly global pandemic? In fact, more younger demographics than ever sought out life insurance during the last few years than in recent history, citing the pandemic as the reason why. Plus, startup culture has been able to help insurance companies make the traditionally unsexy topic of life insurance a little more palatable, so there’s a greater opportunity for professionals who know the industry and the policies best.
Marketing managers.
Folks in marketing have been tested over the course of the pandemic. Imagine trying to market for a travel company during lockdowns or convincing people they need the latest lipstick shade to wear underneath a mask! It hasn’t been easy for marketing managers, but as the world reopens, travel picks back up, and folks are ready to spend their money, companies are looking for expert marketers to spread the word about their products or services.
As with aspiring software engineers and coding bootcamps, there are crash courses and ways to learn marketing principles without having to get a master’s degree or go back to traditional schooling. It pays well, too, with salary.com listing the 2021 median salary for a marketing manager at nearly $110,000.
Market research analysts and statisticians.
When you live through an “unprecedented time”, there’s a lot of new data floating around that affects… well, pretty much everything. Making sense of that data takes a number of professionals who love sifting through numbers and applying that data to real-world problems to find solutions. Plus, market research informs everything other professionals do, including must of the ones on this list!
Human resource managers.
2022 is going to pose a challenge — nay, an opportunity — for HR managers, both in hiring new talent and keeping current talent satisfied. The previous few years took a toll on the workforce, and the hiring game is now in the hands of the employees rather than the employers. It’s leaving roles unfilled, so companies (and their respective human resources teams) are having to completely change their culture and policies. They’re also rethinking benefits, particularly those around healthcare.
Source: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/fall2021/pages/pandemic-expands-role-of-hr.aspx
With additional hiring needs ramping up so quickly and focuses shifting to the more “human” aspects of human resources, the role is expanding drastically, needing fresh talent and perspectives.
2022’s best jobs all have one thing in common:
No matter what industry you wind up in, there will be an increased emphasis on tech acumen and knowing how to build something, create a solution, or work as a team. Coding is a great practice to pick up to help solidify those practices and add one of the most in-demand skills to your resume.
Start learning to code for free today with App Academy Open.
