10 High-Paying Jobs That Are Future-Proof and Will Remain in Demand Over the Next Decade
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues its relentless march into various industries, concerns about job displacement have become a prominent topic of discussion.
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However, amidst the transformative changes brought about by AI, there remain certain roles that not only resist automation — but even thrive in its presence.
Here are some of the jobs experts believe will be resilient in the face of the AI revolution.
Accountant
Crunching numbers might sound like the sort of work most at risk of being replaced by AI, but for those who understand the profession, it’s actually far less cut and dry than you might think.
“While AI may replace mundane accounting operations, many aspects of the profession will remain in demand due to the requirement for judgment, interpretation, strategic thinking, and human touch. The effectiveness of this will be determined by how well future accountants understand and apply AI, particularly their ability to recognize its limitations,” said Martin Mulyadi, PhD and Professor of Accounting at Shenandoah University.
The national median wage for Accountants and Auditors is $78,000 per year.
Editor
There are many examples of AI already replacing writers, especially at the entry level of copywriting and other marketing content. There are also many examples of AI getting the details incredibly wrong — so someone has to be around to check their work for the foreseeable future.
“Because of the AI boom, careers have steered further from made-from-scratch creation to prompt engineering and editing what tools like ChatGPT have already written — making editors at all levels a more prominent fixture on the content scene,” said Maggie McCombs, managing editor at Rent.
The national median wage for Editors is $73,080 per year.
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Healthcare Professional
Healthcare is a great example of a field that may actually benefit from advances in AI. Breakthroughs in robotics have been incorporated into intensive procedures like surgery, but they certainly haven’t replaced surgeons.
“Jobs like doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers involve complex decision-making, empathy, and patient care, which are difficult for AI to replicate fully. AI can assist healthcare professionals but it is unlikely to replace them,” said Jeff Hughes, founder and CEO of Skills Samurai.
The national median wage for Healthcare Practitioners is $77,760 per year.
Creative Professional
The arts, which to be fair covers a very broad range of professions, is nevertheless perhaps uniquely suited to resist being taken over by AI. Inspiration, storytelling and connection are features that AI is far from being able to produce authentically.
“Careers in art, music, writing, and design involve creativity, emotion, and unique human perspectives that AI cannot replicate in the same way,” said Hughes.
The national median wage for Arts, Design, Entertainment, and Media Occupations is $58,030 per year.
Social Worker
Social work addresses a wide spectrum of human needs. Social workers provide services and assistance to children, families and individuals in all manner of contexts — physical health, mental health, substance abuse and more.
“Social workers deal with complex human situations and provide emotional support and guidance to individuals and families facing difficulties,” said Hughes.
The national median wage for Social Workers is $61,420 per year.
Trade Worker
For a while now, the trades have been somewhat looked down upon by white-collar workers, perhaps because of the hands-on, sometimes dirty nature of the work, or maybe because a college degree isn’t really a requirement. In recent years that’s been changing, for good reason. It may be harder than office work, but until artificial intelligence can fix a leak or lay brick, these jobs are safe.
“Professions like electricians, plumbers, and mechanics require a combination of technical skills and on-the-job problem-solving that is difficult for AI to replicate in unpredictable environments,” Hughes continued.
The national median wage for Construction and Extraction Occupations is $50,570 a year.
Human Resources
This profession can cover a number of duties, such as recruiting and placing new hires within an organization or resolving disputes and grievances between labor and management. It’s right there in the name, but the focus on people makes this a field that AI won’t be able to touch for some time, if ever.
“HR specialists handle employee relations, conflict resolution, and nuanced interpersonal issues that often require human judgment and understanding,” said Hughes.
The national median wage for Human Resources Specialists is $64,240 per year.
Teacher
Teaching people effectively requires qualities like adaptability, empathy and the ability to cater your approach to each person’s unique style of learning — all areas where AI falls far short. This human touch is a recurring theme on this list, and something to take note of.
“There will always be a need for human educators and trainers. As the job market continues to evolve, workers will need to continuously update their skills and knowledge, thus creating new opportunities for educators in a variety of fields,” said Brianna Rooney, founder and CEO of TalentPerch.
The national median wage for Education Instruction Occupations is $57,490 per year.
Cybersecurity Professional
As with many other occupations on this list, at first glance you might think those working in cybersecurity are primed to be replaced by AI. But this is once again a field where the human touch is critical. While many experts think that AI will be widely used to spot anomalous activity that indicates a threat, few believe that it will ever fully replace humans.
“Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent, and businesses and organizations need skilled professionals to help protect their networks and data,” Rooney continued.
The national median wage for Information Security Analysts is $112,000 per year.
Project Manager
This is one of those job titles that often makes people wonder what exactly that person does. The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines a project manager as a professional who analyzes and coordinates the staffing, timeline and budget of a product or service on a single project basis.
“[We] found that the global economy needs 25 million new project professionals by 2030. This is because projects are truly everywhere — whether it be the development of software for an improved business process, the construction of a building, the relief effort after a natural disaster, or the expansion of sales into a new geographic market,” said Karla Eidem, North America Operations Manager at the Project Management Institute.
The national median wage for Project Management Specialists is $95,730 per year.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 High-Paying Jobs That Are Future-Proof and Will Remain in Demand Over the Next Decade
