A lot of factors play into picking a career for yourself. Elements can include interest, job availability, salary, and plenty more. However, one often overlooked part is projected job growth rate—or how in-demand a job will be in the future. After all, it’d be frustrating to study up, earn a degree, graduate, and then realize your field isn’t highly sought after.
Using College Raptor’s Career Center, you can discover job growth rates for hundreds of careers! Additionally, you can also learn about median salary, relevant majors, and even the best colleges to prepare you for that career.
Let’s check out the top 10 careers with the highest projected job growth rate at the master’s degree level.
10. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
Job Summary: Health specialties teachers are highly skilled professionals who teach courses in various health specialties. Depending on their skill area, they may teach medicine, laboratory technology, therapy, dentistry, public health or pharmacy. They are also called Adjunct Professors or Associate Professors. Health specialties teachers are responsible for developing instructional materials, assessing student work, supervising student research, and also maintaining student records.
Projected Job Growth: 26%
Median Annual Salary: $ 97,370
Degrees: You will need a master’s degree in your area of specialization to qualify as a health specialties teacher. Possible majors include Biostatistics, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Health Occupations Teacher Education, Hematology Technology/Technician, or Health Policy Analysis.
Necessary Skills: Health specialties teachers must have thorough knowledge of their specific area of specialization. Additionally, they must also understand the principles and methods involved in designing the course curriculum.
9. Operations Research Analysts
Job Summary: Operations research analysts provide much-needed support to management with various managerial functions, including policy formulation and decision making. They do this by analyzing data to identify problems and formulating and applying various optimizing methods including mathematical modeling.
Projected Job Growth: 28%
Median Annual Salary: $83,390
Degrees: You need a master’s degree in Operations Research or Management Science to qualify for this role.
Necessary Skills: Operations research analysts must have a good grasp of the theory and applications of arithmetic, calculus, algebra, statistics, and also geometry.
8. Physical Therapists
Job Summary: Physical therapists develop, implement, and assess rehabilitative programs to help improve mobility, increase strength, or correct disabling medical conditions. They also often work one-on-one with patients, customize rehabilitation programs to suit each patient’s requirements and monitor their patients’ progress.
Projected Job Growth: 28%
Median Annual Salary: $87,390
Degrees: Physical Therapists have a master’s degree in Physical Therapy or Kinesiotherapy.
Necessary Skills: Physical Therapists have extensive knowledge of anatomy, specifically related to hones, muscles, and tissue.
7. Information Security Analysts
Job Summary: Information security analysts are also known as cyber security specialists or computer security specialists. These professionals develop, implement and monitor security measures for computer or information systems.
Projected Job Growth: 29%
Median Annual Salary: $ 98,350
Degrees: There are several masters degree programs that you can choose from to get started in this career. Possible majors include Computer Science, Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications, Computer and Information Systems Security / Information Assurance, and also Information Technology.
Necessary Skills: Information security analysts have extensive knowledge of electronic equipment, circuit boards, processors, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
6. Genetic Counselors
Job Summary: Genetic counselors assess clients to determine their risk for various inherited conditions such as birth defects or genetic disorders. They may do this for individuals or families. Additionally, counselors communicate their findings with the patient to help them make informed decisions. They also liaise between at-risk patients and their healthcare providers.
Projected Job Growth: 29%
Median Annual Salary: $ 80,370
Degrees: Genetic counselors have a master’s degree in Genetic Counseling.
Necessary Skills: Extensive knowledge of medicine, genetics, psychology, therapy, and counseling are essential requirements in this role. Good communication skills and empathy are necessary for providing patients with much-needed emotional support.
5. Mathematicians
Job Summary: Mathematicians are experts in applying mathematical principles or statistical approaches to solve problems related to science, management, and other fields. They conduct research in fundamental mathematics, determine appropriate data analysis methods, and design computer modeling programs to resolve problems.
Projected Job Growth: 29%
Median Annual Salary: $101,900
Degrees: Mathematicians may have a master’s degree in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Computational Mathematics, Topology and Foundations, or Analysis and Functional Analysis.
Necessary Skills: Mathematicians have extensive knowledge of the theory and application of arithmetic, calculus, algebra, statistics, calculus, geometry, computers, and also electronics.
4. Software Developers, Systems Software
Job Summary: Software developers perform a variety of tasks related to software development and implementation. They modify software programs to boost performance, develop testing procedures, and provide technical support for software maintenance. They also formulate and analyze software requirements, design embedded systems software and oversee computer system performance.
Projected Job Growth: 31%
Median Annual Salary: $103,620
Degrees: Software developers have a master’s degree in Information Technology, General, Informatics, Computer Programming, Artificial Intelligence, or Computer Software Engineering.
Necessary Skills: Software developers have expert knowledge of computers, electronics, engineering, telecommunications, mathematics, technology, and design.
3. Statisticians
Job Summary: Statisticians are responsible for gathering, organizing, interpreting, and summarizing numerical data to provide usable information. They often specialize in niche fields such as business statistics, bio-statistics, economic statistics, or agricultural statistics.
Projected Job Growth: 34%
Median Annual Salary: $87,870
Degree: There are several masters’ degree programs that may qualify you for a career as a statistician. Possible majors include Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or Biostatistics, among others.
Necessary Skills: Extensive knowledge of the theory and application of statistics, arithmetic, calculus, algebra and geometry are essential in this role. Statisticians also have in-depth knowledge of all aspects of computer and electronics including hardware and software programming and applications.
2. Nurse Practitioners
Job Summary: Nurse practitioners are advanced healthcare professionals. They are qualified to diagnose and treat various medical conditions and may also prescribe medication. Additionally, nurse practitioners may work independently or as part of a team in a wide range of healthcare settings.
Projected Job Growth: 36%
Median Annual Salary: $107,030
Degree: Nurse practitioners may have a master’s degree in Family Practice Nursing, Nursing Practice, or Adult Health Nursing. Those who wish to work with children typically have a master’s degree in Pediatric Nursing or Maternal / Child Health and Neonatal Nursing.
Necessary Skills: Nurse practitioners must have expert knowledge of medicine, physiology, and also psychology in order to diagnose and treat medical conditions.
1. Physician Assistants
Job Summary: Physician assistants work under the direct supervision of a qualified physician. Although the services they provide are similar to that of a qualified physician, their work is more supportive in nature.
Projected Job Growth: 37%
Median Annual Salary: $108,610
Degree: Physician assistants have a master’s degree in Physician Assistant.
Necessary Skills: In addition to extensive knowledge of medicine, physician assistants must also have good communication and interpersonal skills.
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