30 of the Best Jobs for the Future

Choosing the right career path, one that will keep you employed for decades to come, takes some calculated thought. A crystal ball wouldn't hurt, either.

Job candidates wait to be interviewed.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The U.S. job market is looking good. Unemployment is near a 50-year low, and wages are even starting to rise after remaining stubbornly stagnant for years. But some career tracks lead to a more prosperous future than others.

To help identify which path is best for you—and your net worth—we made it our job to crunch the numbers. Starting with a list of 773 popular occupations, we narrowed the choices to 30 of the most promising professions by focusing on fields that are collecting generous paychecks now and are projected to expand greatly over the next decade. Also, though we favored jobs that don't necessarily call for a huge investment in education to get started, certain career paths prove lucrative enough to be worth the extra time and money.

Just remember to be honest with yourself before you commit to a career path, regardless of its promise. Don’t pursue a tech job if you hate math or a health-care position if you’re squeamish about blood and germs. Luckily, this list offers ideas in a variety of fields with a range of educational and training requirements. Take a look at 30 of the best jobs for the future to see which might suit you best.

Disclaimer

Unless otherwise noted, all employment data was provided by Emsi, a labor-market research firm owned by Strada Education. Emsi collects data from dozens of federal, state and private sources, including reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and surveys from the U.S. Census Bureau. The total number of jobs listed for each occupation is for 2017. Projected 10-year job growth figures represent the percentage change in the total number of jobs in an occupation between 2017 and 2027. Annual earnings were calculated by multiplying median hourly earnings by 2,080, the standard number of hours worked in a year by a full-time employee.

Stacy Rapacon
Online Editor, Kiplinger.com

Rapacon joined Kiplinger in October 2007 as a reporter with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and became an online editor for Kiplinger.com in June 2010. She previously served as editor of the "Starting Out" column, focusing on personal finance advice for people in their twenties and thirties.

Before joining Kiplinger, Rapacon worked as a senior research associate at b2b publishing house Judy Diamond Associates. She holds a B.A. degree in English from the George Washington University.