25+ Great Careers for 2024 & Beyond

A quick peek at online job listings will give you the impression there must be tens of millions of jobs out there. Only a fraction are related to your qualifications as a candidate or the jobs you’re filling as a hiring manager, of course. But whether you’re offering or seeking employment, it’s a good idea to be familiar with what’s going on in the job market.

As we head into 2024, certain trends are driving demand for certain careers and specific skills employers look for. So let’s go over a list of jobs predicted to have the highest rates of growth and jobs with a good chance of launching or supporting long, thriving, in-demand careers. But first, we’ll go over some general employment trends to keep in mind heading into next year.

Employment Trends in 2024

In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expected employment in the United States to grow by about 4.7 million over the next decade—or, about 0.8% average growth each year.

The nature of the most in-demand jobs pushing this growth forward is influenced by a rising demand for healthcare, the speed of technological advancement, an increasing availability and use of detailed data, an aging American population, environmental concerns, and the post-pandemic realities of life and work.

The Pandemic Effect

As the pandemic forced most of us into lockdown, we found ways to live our lives remotely. We became more reliant on rapidly advancing technology to stay in touch with one another, and many became accustomed to working from home. Some employers are now trying to balance work at home and in the office.

Some sectors experienced a mini-boom in business after the pandemic. Leisure and hospitality companies, for example, created new and revived old jobs to handle the additional business as people returned to bars, restaurants, hotels, and other venues.

Technology Continues Leading the Way

Artificial intelligence (AI) has captured our attention lately. It’s swiftly embedding itself into our lives and making a place for itself in our work. It’s here to st ay, and it can be a great business asset.

There are also technologies, such as virtual reality, robotics, gaming, business productivity and social media platforms, and technology affecting products and services, that need to be developed, updated, and maintained.

Employers need people who can manage all this technology and put it to work for the benefit of their organizations. They must balance the technological advantages with the humanity—empathy and emotion—essential for success.

Doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are increasingly able to augment their skills with AI tools. But human qualities like emotional intelligence and empathy will always be critical to their roles.

Read: Jobs AI Won’t Replace in the Near Future

Big Data is Getting Bigger

Technology gives us wider access to vast amounts of valuable data that decades ago would have been unimaginable.

Data and analysis of it enable organizations to monitor patient health and identify problems earlier, understand consumer behavior, improve products and services, and focus attention on activities that lead to a higher bottom line. Employers need people who can decipher large batches of data and turn it into information the organization can act upon.

Our Aging Population

Baby Boomers are in their 60s and 70s. They’re creating a retirement boom and leaving vacancies in their wake.

And while, yes, many higher rates of 65-plus workers are either not retiring or re-entering the workforce, the sheer number of this demographic leaving the workforce naturally leave behind openings in skilled, necessary positions. For some of this demographic, that means returning for part-time work. But in any case, employers eager to regain retirees’ vast expertise need to consider flexible alternatives to the traditional work schedule.

Healthcare

Jobs across the healthcare industry, from doctors to administrators, are in high demand. The aging population is contributing to the healthcare industry’s steady, extraordinary growth rate. The older generations, more vulnerable to injury and chronic illnesses, seek more frequent and complicated treatments.

Technological advances in medical care are producing more data, treatment options, and conveniences for both patients and providers. There’s a workforce needed to support this side of the industry, too, and employers have reported skills gaps for patient-facing and non-patient-facing roles.

Environment and Sustainability

Energy companies—both newer and legacy status—are leading the way in developing technologies and processes around renewable energies. As we’ll get into, many of the best careers in 2024 and beyond will be supporting and maintaining these technologies.

And on an individual company, employers are adopting programs, processes, and equipment involving the use of energy, recycling, and more. They need people to develop, implement, maintain, and monitor the effectiveness of these initiatives.

The Work Environment

The pandemic accelerated what, years ago, was a slow adoption of the work-at-home concept. A much larger portion of the population worked from home out of necessity. Many employers and employees discovered the advantages and disadvantages of this arrangement, and a lot of employees became accustomed to its advantages.

Post-pandemic, employers began requiring employees to return to the office, with mixed results. The outcome may be more flexibility with a varying number of days at home and even the number of workdays per week.

Skills in Demand in 2024

The best careers in 2024 will require the most in-demand skills, many of which are influenced by trends such as those listed above.

These skills include:

Technology and data (programming, analysis, coding, etc.)
Writing and content creation
Sustainability and environment-specific skills
Business soft skills, like strategic thinking and problem solving
Communication
Clinical healthcare skills

The Best In-Demand Jobs in 2024

Great careers are often built on the most in-demand jobs. These jobs follow current trends and address employers’ most pressing needs.

The following is a list that the Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies as some of the best jobs and careers in 2024 and over the next decade:

Top 5 Occupations in Predicted Percentage Growth

1. Wind turbine service technician

Predicted growth rate: 45%
Predicted new jobs: 5,000
Median annual salary: $57,320

2. Nurse practitioner

Predicted growth rate: 45%
Predicted new jobs: 118,500
Median annual salary: $121,610

3. Data scientist

Predicted growth rate: 35%
Predicted new jobs: 59,400
Median annual salary: $103,500

4. Statistician (Data science, data analyst, etc.)

Predicted growth rate: 32%
Predicted new jobs: 10,500
Median annual salary: $98,920

5. Information Security Analyst

Predicted growth rate: 32%
Predicted new jobs: 53,200
Median annual salary: $112,000

Top 3 Occupations in Predicted Total New Jobs

1. Home health aides & personal care aides

Predicted growth rate: 22%
Predicted new jobs: 804,600
Median annual salary: $30,180

2. Software developers

Predicted growth rate: 26%
Predicted new jobs: 410,600
Median annual salary: $127,260

3. Cooks (restaurant)

Predicted growth rate: 20%
Predicted new jobs: 277,600
Median annual salary: $34,110

Other Careers With Expected Growth in 2024 & Beyond

Here is a categorized list of jobs that are growing and that are a part of promising careers.

The list includes jobs the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook says will be the fastest growing jobs between 2022 and 2032, plus additional jobs with high growth potential.

Healthcare

Registered nurse: 6% growth, $81,220 median pay
Medical & Health services manager: 28%, $104,830
Epidemiologist: 27%, $78,520
Physician assistant: 27%, $126,010
Physical therapist assistant: 26%, $62,770
Occupational therapy assistant: 24%. $64,250
Home health & Personal care aide: 22%, $30,180
Personal care & service worker: 21%, $34,670

Animal Healthcare

Veterinary technologists & technicians: 21% growth, $38,240 median pay
Veterinary assistants & Laboratory animal caretakers: 20%, $34,740

Data

Data scientist: 35% growth, $103,500 median pay
Statistician: 32%, $98,920
Information security analyst: 32%, $112,000
Logistician: 18%, $77,520
Actuary: 23%, $113,990
Operations research analyst: 23%, $85,720

Technology

Software developers: 26% growth, $127,260 median pay
Computer & Information research scientist: 23%, $136,620
Computer & Information systems manager: 15%, $164,100
Web developers & Digital designers: 16%, $80,730
IT manager: 15%, $159,000
AI/Machine learning engineer: 19%, $130,000

The growth of AI technologies over the next half decade will impact the need for AI jobs, too.

Business

Financial manager: 16% growth, $81,220, median pay
Market research analysts & Marketing specialist: 13%, $68,230
Project management specialist: 6%, $95,370
Sales manager: 4%, $130,600
Lawyer: 8%, $135,740

Environmental

Wind turbine service technician: 45% growth, $57,320 median pay
Solar photovoltaic installers: 22%, $45,230

The Right Jobs Build Successful Careers

While we’ve gone over a couple of dozens jobs and careers, these are just expected to be the fast growing—both by rate and total numbers. These only go over the types of roles we know of and need right now. A couple of years ago, we couldn’t have predicted exponential growth of AI careers! Some of the best careers in 2024 might be building blocks for other great jobs and careers down the road.

If you’re just starting a job search or in the middle of one, check out the Insight Global job board!