As we look out the next 10 years for career fields that are projected to be in high demand and also pay at least $100,000 per year, here is a list from the data on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website of 10 fields that are expected to grow at above-average or faster-than-average pace.
10 High Demand Career Fields with Six-Figure Salaries
As expected, most are either in healthcare or tech fields.
1. Nurse Practitioner (NP)
NPs work with patients in a variety of healthcare environments, including hospitals, clinics, and physician’s offices. They may provide primary care or specialize in various areas, such as pediatrics, geriatrics, or orthopedics. The requirement for NPs is projected at 29,200 each year through 2032.
Education Requirement: Master’s degree in one of the ARPM roles
Projected Growth: 38%
Median Pay (2022): $125,900
2. Data Scientist
People in this field use analytical tools to analyze data and identify trends and insights into the data. The projection for openings is 17,700 each year through 2032.
Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or related field.
Projected Growth: 35%
Median Pay (2022): $103,500
3. Information Security Analyst
As cyber-attacks keep growing, so will the demand for trained people in this field – projected to be 16,800 per year over the next decade. Analysts work for computer companies, consulting firms, businesses, or financial companies planning and implementing security measures to protect their company’s computer networks and systems.
Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Projected Growth:32%
Median Pay (2022): $112,000
4. Medical and Health Service Manager
These managers work in an office in a healthcare setting, usually a hospital, nursing home, or group medical-type setting. They function as the business manager and while trained in business, they must also know medical terms and possess basic healthcare knowledge. The projection is for 54,700 managers per year out through 2032.
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree with experience in administrative or clinical role
Projected Growth:28%
Median Pay (2022): $104,830
5. Physician Assistant (PA)
PAs function much like NPs only they do not have the nursing experience that NPs have. They too can specialize in a particular healthcare field and typically work in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other healthcare settings. As the population continues to get older, the need for PAs will also continue to grow with 12,200 openings projected out this coming decade.
Education Requirement: Master’s degree from an accredited program.
Projected Growth: 27%
Median Pay (2022): $126,010
6. Software Developer
On the surface, as their title suggests, people trained in this field develop software applications and programs. But those in the field can also branch out into quality assurance or computer systems design. The projection in this field is set at 153,900 openings per year over the next decade to not only fill new positions but to backfill openings created by those retiring or switching to new career fields.
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree minimum; master’s degree preferred.
Projected Growth:25%
Median Pay (2022): $124,200
7. Actuary
Actuaries work with numbers … period. They typically work for businesses that calculate risk, such as insurance companies, manufacturing, and other types of industries that need to know how much economic risk they are assuming for a certain scenario. To work in this career requires a strong background in mathematics, statistics, and business. The projected outlook is 2,300 hires per year over the next decade.
Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Projected Growth: 23%
Median Pay (2022): $113,990
8. Computer and Information Research Scientist
This is one of the higher-paying careers on this list. This type of scientist designs new and innovative ways to use existing and new computer technology. The employment outlook is smaller than most others on this list at 3,400 each year for the next 10 years.
Education requirement: Master’s degree
Projected Growth: 23%
Median Pay (2022): $136,620
9. Veterinarian
These are the healthcare workers for the animal population, both domestic and wild. Most small animal veterinarians work in an animal-type clinic, but large animal vets work on farms taking care of the health needs of livestock. Some wild animal vets work in zoos or animal rehab centers. The projected outlook is around 5,000 openings per year over the next 10 years.
Education requirement: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Projected Growth:20%
Median Pay (2022): $103,260
10. Database Architect
Trained people in this field work to create systems that not only store data, but also organize it. They typically work for companies that have large amounts of data, such as insurance companies, healthcare, educational institutions, or other large data-heavy businesses. The projected opening over the next decade is not large at 10,200 per year. But the field is important as cyber-attacks keep happening and businesses try to keep their data safe.
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Projected Growth:8%
Median Pay (2022): $112,120
If you are looking to get out of the military in the next couple of years, and if any of these fields spark an interest, start training now using your military branch’s Tuition Assistance, Tuition Top-Up, or your GI Bill so that you can get in the field as soon as possible after separating from the military.
Any of these fields can yield a rewarding (and profitable) career post-military.
