Hot Careers in 2024: Top Professions for Future Success

"We're hiring." "You're promoted." "Your salary is being increased." These are three phrases that beleaguered job hunters and mid-career professionals will be longing to hear during 2024. As the US economy begins to see the first signs of a tentative recovery, leading global recruitment specialists and HR providers, Randstad, are predicting that more and more employees, and those new to the job market, will be searching for employment opportunities. So which sectors are offering the best chances of gaining leverage in securing a well paid job that offers the growth potential for a long-term and sustainable career?

The Healthcare Sector

With President Obama's healthcare reforms still featuring widely on the nation's 'To Do' list, roles such as emergency care physicians are expected to be increasingly in demand. Healthcare providers, hospitals and physicians are anxious to ensure that they are prepared for the imminent influx of patients, many of whom have never before accessed or requested medical attention.

The new generation of physicians who will be meeting these challenges will not only be in possession of the requisite medical and professional qualifications; they will also be expected to have excellent 'soft skills' and be capable of billing and coding as processes switch from the decades old system of ICD-9 to ICD-10. New rules of practice will also mean that the provision of customer service will be ranked in a patient survey scheme for which providers and physicians will receive a penalty should scores fall below 75% satisfaction.

Average annual salaries of 183,700 dollars may help to 'sweeten the pill' for this career at Number 1 in our Hot Career Guide.

With the profession forecast to grow by 21.1% by 2020, positioned at Number 2 in our list of careers is the dentist. The need for the provision of oral healthcare is never going to diminish and, with consumers becoming ever more aware of the importance of personal presentation in the workplace, the services of the dentist show no sign of slowing. 25,000 new jobs are predicted to be introduced in the next 8 years, so perhaps the current high school intakes should start focusing their studies on the sciences such as physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics and anatomy in the anticipation that they may, one day, be enjoying that average annual salary of 142,740 dollars!

Number 3 in our list is physical therapists. As the population continues to age, there will be a growing demand for the services of those professionals who can devise and implement rehabilitation and mobility programs designed to help individuals remain capable of independent living. This demand is being fueled by the older baby boomers and it is predicted that 77,400 new jobs, a rise of 39%, will have to be implemented by 2020 to meet the growing needs. With an average annual salary of 78,270 dollars, this would offer a lucrative and very worthwhile career.

Creative Outlets

For those who are not particularly science-minded, there are opportunities for careers that require creativity, flair and innovation. Number 4 on our list is one of these, the PR specialist. With an average salary of 53,190 dollars annually, this is a role which calls for the ability of generating positive publicity about your client whether that is as Head of Communications for the President or spokesperson for your local charity. The need for opinion formers in our society sees no sign of waning and job creation in the sector is forecast to rise 23% by 2020 with the formation of 58,200 new positions.

At Number 5 is a career for those who prefer to demonstrate their artistic and creative skills through bricks and mortar, i.e. the role of architect. Once again the demand for new housing, office buildings and healthcare facilities has been triggered by the retiring baby boomers and the industry is predicted to need 27,900 more practitioners by the close of the decade and shows every sign of remaining buoyant for the long term.

No longer considered as a one-dimensional role, artistic directors (Number 6) are now expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the Web, print media, tablets and social media to deliver their inspirational and groundbreaking conceptual ideas for a diverse range of applications; magazines, television, websites and physical products and services. In return for a Fine Arts or Bachelor of Arts degree and 3-5 years of appropriate work experience, an experienced artistic director can expect to achieve an average annual salary of 81,260 dollars.

Here Come the Techies!

Well, there was no way that they wouldn't appear on our Hot List for 2024! Listed at Number 7 in our ratings is the software developer, with the web developer hard on his heels at Number 8.

We simply couldn't do our online shopping, banking or gaming without the services of a software developer and, with no end in sight to the mobile technology revolution, growth in the industry is expected to rise by 27.6% by 2020, generating, in the words of Bryan Cantrill of cloud company Joyent, an "absolute explosive demand" which will need 143,800 new developers to meet. Average salary expectations are 89,280 dollars annually.

As for the web developer; responsible for the design, layout, functionality, and ease of navigation of our websites, this sector will enjoy a growth of 21.7% by 2020 and see 65,700 new developers joining the ranks. This highly flexible career offers full or part-time, contract and freelance roles and rewards with an annual average salary of 77,900 dollars."

This content was created by AI