What Careers Are in Demand?

As people spend more time online, jobs that facilitate the online experience or relate to online sales are certainly in demand. Retail stores are struggling to stay afloat in many areas, and they are losing out in large part to the online market, which often allows for less overhead cost and greater profits.

We know that in the United States education in mathematics and sciences can open up doors for a wide range of careers. Having experience with coding or possessing other technology-related skills can make you more marketable. Also, with the baby boomer population aging, there is a greater need now for home healthcare aides, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals.

Despite some basic trends nationally or even internationally with regards to career demand, what is most sought in your area may be highly influenced by your location. For example, if you live in a small town, is there a shortage of electricians or plumbers? If the population is increasing rapidly in your area, there may be a need for construction workers who can help with building additional roads. If your location is a tourist attraction, maybe jobs within the tourism sector, especially during peak times of the year, maybe most needed. If a major corporation moves to your area, what services will be sought by those entering the area to fill the company’s positions? A simple tool that can help with determining what careers are in demand is looking at online postings for positions in your area. How many positions are available, and how does the salary compare to that in other cities? The more demand that there is for a career or service, oftentimes the more competitive the pay will be. 

What careers are in demand can be changing too? We may not know exactly what will be needed a couple of decades from now, as it seems that even education is changing considerably, that the finance sector continues to become more virtual, etc. A couple of decades ago most people probably would not have guessed that cell phones would be as important as they are to us today, that so many people would be working from home, that so many students would choose community colleges and online colleges as opposed to traditional colleges, and that the price of airfare would become much less expensive, making travel more accessible. We know will make some current positions obsolete, so looking at what careers cannot be replaced by machines can also be helpful. Regardless, what is in demand right now will likely change, and we become more valuable workers when we are able to adapt and learn new skills to be prepared for the changing demand.