7 Best Careers for the Future

Choosing the right career would be so much easier if you could tell the future. Seriously, you could just look into your crystal ball, see what the highest-paying jobs would be around the time you graduate, and boom — a successful career path is yours.

But since no one can predict the future, we’re forced to rely on job forecasts and good old-fashioned research to guide our career choices. Sound boring? Don’t worry, we did some digging for you. Here are seven of the best careers for the future that promise a great wage, a stable living and — most importantly — a fulfilling career path.

1. Applications Software Developer

• Median Annual Pay: $103,620 per year
• Job Growth: 21% by 2028
• Education Needed: Bachelor’s in Computer Science

Found in nearly every sector, applications software developers will continue to be in high demand for the foreseeable future. These professionals are the creative minds behind some of your favorite word processors and games, such as Google Docs and the oh-so-addictive Candy Crush. As a software applications developer, you’ll use your out-of-the-box thinking and technical skills to design, develop, and test computer software to ensure that it meets both client and end user expectations. Start brushing up on those math skills now — you’re gonna need them!

2. Wind Turbine Service Technician 

• Median Annual Pay: $52,910 per year
• Job Growth: 57% by 2028
• Education Needed: Technical School

You’re not scared of heights, are you? If the answer is no, consider a rewarding career as a wind turbine service technician. The wind energy industry is booming thanks to a combination of government incentives for wind energy and technological advances making wind turbines cheaper. As a wind turbine tech, you’ll scale upwards of 300 feet to maintain and fix wind turbines to keep them running. Of course, you’ll be wearing a safety harness to keep you safe, but let’s just say that you’ll have plenty of content to submit to Reddit’s r/SweatyPalms. 

3. Accountant

• Median Annual Pay: $71,550 per year
• Job Growth: 6% by 2028
• Education Needed: Bachelor’s Degree 

If crunching numbers and poring over Excel spreadsheets is your jam, a career in accounting could be your calling. Accountants have high earning potential (hello, six-figure salary) and can go into a variety of different career paths, from auditing and valuation to hedge fund management and beyond. The job outlook for accounting is also steady, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting an increase of 90,700 accounting jobs between 2018 and 2028. 

4. Registered Nurse

• Median Annual Pay: $73,300 per year
• Job Growth: 12% by 2028
• Education Needed: Bachelor’s Degree 

Want a job that makes a difference? Consider becoming a registered nurse (RN). With the U.S. nursing shortage expected to increase as Baby Boomers get older, we need RNs more than ever. As a RN, you’ll earn a high salary while affecting — and perhaps even saving — people’s lives. Of course, one of the best careers for the future also happens to be one of the hardest. While nursing can be an extremely rewarding career, you should definitely consider job shadowing to help you determine whether nursing is the right career path for you.

5. Biomedical Engineer

• Median Annual Pay: $91,410 per year
• Job Growth: 4% by 2028
• Education Needed: Bachelor’s Degree

Biomedical engineering is a relatively new field that is rife with exciting career opportunities. A hybrid career involving both engineering and medical sciences, biomedical engineers create 

life-changing medical innovations for hospitals, universities, research facilities, and other institutions. 

6. HVAC Technician 

• Median Annual Pay: $48,730 per year
• Job Growth: 13% by 2028
• Education Needed: Technical Training School

As the world becomes more advanced, we need talented people who can install the innovative technologies of the future. Workers in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry have long enjoyed a steady income and a stable living. But now, with new developments in HVAC such as home automation, HVAC techs are seeing a surge in demand. The best part is that you don’t need much schooling to score a job as a HVAC tech. Just enroll in a one-year accelerated program and you’re ready to launch a hot career in a cool industry.  

7. Human Resources Manager

• Median Annual Pay: $116,720 per year
• Job Growth: 7% by 2028
• Education Needed: Bachelor’s Degree

If you want to score a high-paying job, become a human resources manager. They get paid the big bucks because they basically listen to people’s problems all day (we’re only half joking). In all seriousness, human resources managers contribute to the daily success of a business by coordinating the organizational factors of the business (i.e., interviewing, hiring, and handling staff issues). They mingle with the top execs while also serving as a liaison between management and staff.

Position Yourself for Career Success

We all want to score a stable job with a good salary. But the best careers of the future offer more than a paycheck and stability — they also provide a sense of fulfillment. If you can land a job with this winning trifecta, you can set yourself up for long-term success.