An analysis by LinkedIn highlights 15 job categories that will be a good bet in the coming year, based on demand and growth.
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According to analysis of their millions of job postings, LinkedIn’s data scientists have identified 15 job categories it believes will provide ample employment opportunities for people looking for work in 2021.
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“Fields like aviation and hospitality were hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, while areas like health care, education, and finance had to ramp up hiring to meet increased demand,” wrote Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn’s senior editor for Job Search and Careers, in a blog post. “To help connect people with available opportunities, we analyzed the data to find which jobs are in demand now—uncovering the fastest-growing job areas over the past year and ranking them based on a combination of growth in demand and raw number of jobs available.”
To figure out which jobs are hot and which are not, LinkedIn examined the roles experiencing the highest year-over-year growth between April and October 2020. It then grouped that data into 15 job categories and a range of specific job titles within each. While we only report the salary ranges and job titles here, the report also details the education level and skills needed to get these jobs, as well as the teleworking availability for each.
1. Fulfilment
As retailers and logistics companies worked to meet the massive increase in demand for online shopping and touchless delivery of products, they hired thousands of workers. Hiring for e-commerce-related jobs grew 73% year-over-year. With more than 400,000 open jobs right now, the demand for these positions is still strong.
Some of the job titles in this category include driver, supply chain associate, package handler, and personal shopper. The salary for these hands-on jobs ranges between $42,000 and $56,000 per year.
2. Loans and mortgages
Low interest rates combined with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) kept loan experts busy in 2020. Hiring for loan- and mortgage-related positions in 2020 increased nearly 59% year-over-year from 2019.
Some of the job titles in this category include underwriter, mortgage loan officer, escrow officer, and loan closer. The salary for these jobs ranges between $43,700 and $60,000 per year.
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3. Healthcare
The coronavirus pandemic increased the need for healthcare support professionals to usher patients through the healthcare system, keep records, and much more. In 2020, hiring for these positions has increased more than 34%.
Some of the job titles in this category include healthcare assistant, pharmacy technician, dental assistant, and home health aide. The salary for these jobs ranges between $65,300 and $106,000 per year.
4. Business development and sales
While many jobs were lost during the pandemic, other jobs, focused on improving bottom lines and helping businesses navigate the new normal, increased. Hiring for these roles grew more than 45% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include sales consultant, sales operations assistant, inbound sales specialist and strategic advisor. The salary for these jobs ranges between $43,300 and $105,000 per year.
5. Workplace diversity
The Black Lives Matter protests led some organizations to examine diversity in positions of power. Many companies turned to experts to help them increase diversity within their organizations. Hiring for these roles increased more than 90% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include diversity manager, diversity officer, head of diversity, and diversity coordinator. The salary for these jobs ranges between $72,900 and $97,000 per year.
6. Digital marketing
The massive increase in online shopping caused a big spike in demand for marketers well versed in reaching people online. Hiring for digital marketing roles grew nearly 33% in 2020 compared with 2019.
Some of the job titles in this category include digital marketing specialist, social media manager, marketing representative, and search engine optimization specialist. The salary for these jobs ranges between $48,000 and $96,000 per year.
7. Nursing
Already in high demand, the pandemic drove the need for nurses even higher. Demand for nurses grew nearly 30% year-over-year in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include registered nurse, certified nursing assistant, nurse practitioner, and intensive care nurse. The salary for these jobs ranges between $73,000 and $111,000 per year.
SEE: Gartner’s top tech predictions for 2021 (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
8. Education
While demand for traditional primary and secondary teachers grew in 2020, so did the need for support staff and personnel. Hiring for these roles grew more than 20% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include teaching assistant, elementary school teacher, math tutor, and curriculum developer. The salary for these jobs ranges between $46,500 and$63,200 per year.
9. Digital content
Because the demand for online entertainment exploded in 2020, the demand for digital content creators grew 49% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include content coordinator, writing consultant, podcaster, and blogger. The salary for these jobs ranges between $46,000 and $62,400 per year.
10. Coaching
To help navigate the personal and professional upheaval of 2020, many people turned to coaches to help them chart a new course for themselves, their careers, and their businesses. Hiring for these roles increased more than 51% since in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include career coordinator, life coach, fitness coach, and business coach. The salary for these jobs ranges between $44,300 and $50,000 per year.
11. Software
Because of the massive shift to online everything in 2020, the need for specialized people to keep the online world up and running grew nearly 25% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include web developer, full-stack engineer, front-end developer, and game developer. The salary for these jobs ranges between $77,500 and $104,000 per year.
12. Mental health
The events of 2020 caused many to experience mental health crises and distress. To get through it all, many turned to counselors, therapists, and other mental health specialists. Hiring for these jobs grew nearly 24% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include behavior therapist, mental health specialist, psychotherapist, and mental health technician. The salary for these jobs ranges between $41,600 and $65,000 per year.
13. User experience
The move to online everything in 2020 increased the demand for people who specialize in how people interact with the digital world. Hiring for these user experience specialists grew 20% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include user experience designer, product design consultant, user interface designer, and user experience researcher. The salary for these jobs ranges between $41,600 and $65,000 per year.
14. Data science
A world awash in data needs experts to make sense of it all. Hiring for data science positions grew nearly 46% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include data scientist, data science specialist, and data management analyst. The salary for these jobs ranges between $100,000 and $130,000 per year.
15. Artificial intelligence
Given the massive, pandemic-induced employment shifts, layoffs, and business disruptions in 2020, many companies looked to artificial intelligence (AI) as a way to keep up with increased demand, while safeguarding their businesses from future disruptions. AI hiring grew 32% in 2020.
Some of the job titles in this category include machine learning engineer, artificial intelligence specialist, and machine learning researcher. The salary for these jobs ranges between $124,000 and $150,000 per year.
Study methodology
LinkedIn’s Economic Graph data scientists define Jobs on the Rise as “the career categories that have seen the highest year-on-year growth rates in hiring” between April and October 2020 timeframe across 15,000 job titles. They compare the results to 2019 levels. The results were ranked using a combination of year-over-year growth rate combined with the demand for those jobs. The salary ranges represent the 25th percentile and 75th percentile levels within that career category based on LinkedIn Salary data.
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