15 Best Future Jobs (With Primary Duties and Salaries)

When selecting a career path, it's important to consider many factors, including pay, requirements, and potential growth. If you're looking for a new role, you might be interested in jobs that are in demand and pay well. Learning more about the best jobs for the future could help you find the right role for your goals and interests. In this article, we discuss some of the best future jobs in the health care, technology, and service industries, and we provide the national average salary and primary duties for each role.

Best future jobs in health care

Below are several of the best future jobs in health care based on the potential for job growth and the current national average salaries:

1. Physical therapist

National average salary: $66,003 per year

Primary duties: a physical therapist works with individuals to assess, treat, and improve physical movement and function after injury, surgery, or illness. Some of their primary duties include assessing patients through physical examination, functional testing, and evaluation procedures. They also design treatment plans to assist with physical functioning and improved quality of life, monitor the effectiveness of treatment plans, and work with other health care professionals to encourage healthy living in their community.

Related: Analytical Skills: Essential for Every Job

2. Nurse practitioner

National average salary: $68,239 per year

Primary duties: a nurse practitioner collaborates with medical doctors to provide primary health care services and treatment to patients. They perform patient assessments and evaluations of physical and mental health, order laboratory and diagnostic tests, and provide patient education and training. Focusing on disease management and illness prevention, nurse practitioners work hands-on with patients and families to promote physical and mental wellbeing.

3. Registered nurse

National average salary: $79,997 per year

Primary duties: a registered nurse provides health care services to patients, delivers education and training to communities or groups, and offers consultation with other health care professionals. They assess health care patients to identify effective medical intervention methods and administer medications and treatments as prescribed by a medical physician. A registered nurse may assist during surgery and other medical procedures.

Related: How to Write a Nursing Resume (With Tips and Example)

4. Dental hygienist

National average salary: $82,136 per year

Primary duties: a dental hygienist works alongside dentists to provide dental care to patients. They conduct oral health assessments and perform dental cleaning, scaling, fluoride, and sealant applications. A dental hygienist also educates patients on proper oral care and assists the dentist in performing dental procedures. They may also take impressions and x-rays and perform screening for oral diseases, such as gum disease and oral cancer.

5. Optometrist

National average salary: $105,344 per year

Primary duties: an optometrist, or doctor of optometry, is a medical health care professional that assesses, diagnoses, and treats eye-related disorders and visual acuity through glasses and contact lenses and promoting ocular health. They identify eye-related diseases and disorders and provide referrals to ophthalmologists for treatment. An optometrist also educates patients on proper eye health and risk factors for conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma.

Read more: How to Become an Optometrist in 5 Steps

Best jobs of the future in technology

Technology is a growing industry with many high-paying opportunities and room for growth. Below are several of the best technology jobs of the future:

1. Database administrator

National average salary: $55,557 per year

Primary duties: a database administrator handles the administration and management of a company's information database. Using analytical skills, they identify potential issues within the database and take corrective action to prevent any errors. They manage user permissions, accessibility, and security of the database. A database administrator manages and updates technical documentation for both front-end and back-end usage. They also deal with database backup and recovery of critical information.

2. Web developer

National average salary: $66,841 per year

Primary duties: a web developer is a technology professional who creates, builds, and manages the development of a website. Taking a client's website requirements, they build out a website to provide a positive front-end experience for the customer, focusing on ease of use and functionality. They can also work on the back-end of a website, where they may write computer code, add plug-ins, and create applications to house the website and database information.

3. Software engineer

National average salary: $74,945 per year

Primary duties: a software engineer researches, designs, creates, tests, and improves computer software programs and systems. They assess the customer's software and technical requirements and needs and then develop and test software programs or IT systems according to customer specifications. A software engineer also researches and evaluates the implementation and integration of software programs and applications while troubleshooting issues and creating user documentation.

Related: How to Become a Software Engineer

4. IT manager

National average salary: $79,234 per year

Primary duties: an IT manager or information technology manager ensures that an IT department works efficiently and productively. Managing a team of IT professionals, they focus on daily operations and supporting the company or customer they work for. An IT manager identifies key performance indicators for their team and manages computer-related projects to achieve departmental and company objectives.

5. Data scientist

National average salary: $82,670 per year

Primary duties: a data scientist works with large amounts of information to identify trends and develop data models. They use computer programming and other technology to pull relevant data from various sources and analyze the information for qualitative and quantitative evaluation. A data scientist also works to bring together extensive data sets into easy-to-understand reports for company management.

Best jobs for the future in services

The service industry is a broad field with a variety of unique jobs. Here are some of the best jobs for the future that pay well and have growth potential:

1. Early childhood educator

National average salary: $49,529 per year

Primary duties: an early childhood educator provides educational programs and care to children from infancy to age 12 typically. Some of their primary duties include developing and implementing educational programs for children. They also assist and teach children in daily activities and behaviours, such as dressing, eating, and toilet habits. An early childhood educator provides an enriching and stimulating environment with arts, science, music, and physical activities and assesses children for signs of developmental or learning difficulties.

Related: Top 9 Daycare Educator Interview Questions (With Example Answers and Tips)

2. Freelance writer

National average salary: $54,278 per year

Primary duties: a freelance writer works on behalf of their clients to create original written content for articles, newspapers, blogs, and other media sources. Based on the style and tone required, they research topics of interest and information to provide accurate details in their writing. A freelance writer may also edit and format their work, depending on the client's requirements.

3. Transport truck driver

National average salary: $69,590 per year

Primary duties: a transport truck driver moves cargo, inventory, and supplies from one location to another. They can work short or long-haul trips within a small local vicinity or across the continent. A transport truck driver performs pre-trip, en route, and post-trip inspections on their truck and trailer and ensures their cargo is securely and safely contained. They often need to get special permits to transport goods across borders or through city limits. Keeping accurate and consistent records, such as bills of lading, manifests, maintenance, and driving hours is also a vital responsibility.

Related: 14 High-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs (With Requirements)

4. Veterinarian

National average salary: $95,680 per year

Primary duties: a veterinarian is the primary health care provider for animals and pets. They treat sick or injured animals with medication, surgery, and medical procedures. A veterinarian also provides preventative care with owner education and medical intervention such as spay and neutering, vaccination shots, and flea and tick management. Offering education to pet owners and the community, they focus on animal welfare and wellbeing from birth to death. Depending on their position, they may also focus on disease control and food production inspections for government animal or animal food processing regulations.

5. Speech-language pathologist

National average salary: $119,993 per year

Primary duties: a speech-language pathologist works with adults or children who have speech or language conditions. They assess, diagnose, and treat a wide variety of conditions, including motor speech disorders and swallowing problems due to brain injury, trauma, or stroke. A speech-language pathologist also works with cognitive-communicative issues, such as reasoning, problem-solving, and social communication skills.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing.