8 High-Paying Jobs That Are Not Future-Proof and May Be at Risk
Many lucrative careers that require years of higher education and specialized skills could undergo major changes or even become obsolete in the next 10 to15 years. Advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and other technologies are automating an ever-wider range of human tasks and jobs. While the benefits of technological progress are enormous, the transition for many workers whose jobs disappear will be difficult.
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Here are eight careers that may be significantly impacted or altogether replaced by new technologies in the not-too-distant future.
Tax Preparers
As tax software and artificial intelligence continue to develop and improve, the need for human tax preparation will decline sharply. Most run-of-the-mill tax returns could easily be prepared without any human tax experts by 2030.
To counter this, displaced tax preparers will need to find work in more complex specialty areas of tax preparation for small businesses and individuals with higher net worth. Doing taxes for these clients requires expertise and judgment that will be difficult to fully automate anytime soon.
Computer Programmers
Advances in no-code tools, robotic process automation and artificial intelligence are reducing the need for human coders across many industries. Code generation AI can translate requirements documents or mockups directly into production-ready software code. Further, tools like ChatGPT can, in many cases, write code that is acceptable for general purposes.
Some programmers may find work maintaining legacy systems. However, most will need to transition into positions focused on creatively applying automation and AI rather than implementing the solutions themselves. Roles in domains like machine learning operations, algorithm bias auditing, AI regulation and cybersecurity will also see strong demand in the years ahead.
Translators
Machine translation services like Google Translate and DeepL already outperform humans for many language pairs and text formats. As capabilities continue to advance, AI will automate more aspects of translation work. Literary and creative translation are harder to automate but will also face increasing AI competition.
Linguists and translators shouldn’t be too scared just yet: Fluency in multiple languages will still be valuable. Translators can shift into multilingual roles focused on tasks like content strategy, cross-cultural marketing and linguistic analysis. Being actively involved in the improvement of automated translation systems is another option.
Investment Bankers
Developments in big data analytics, intelligent financial modeling and conversational AI are rapidly automating large parts of the complex work traditionally performed by investment bankers. Junior to mid-level investment bankers focused on financial modeling, company and industry research, due diligence and creating client presentations are especially vulnerable to these technology advances.
However, veteran investment bankers who lead deals and engagement directly with clients due to years of experience and relationship building are likely to remain invaluable for the foreseeable future. Their strategy and vision for complex transactions and ability to negotiate terms stemming from their senior-level experience will be difficult to fully replicate through AI.
Financial Advisors
The rise of robo-advisors — algorithm-driven investment management and financial planning services — poses a major threat to traditional financial advisors. Robo-advisors can deliver personalized portfolio construction, tax optimization, retirement planning and other wealth management guidance at a fraction of the cost of their human competitors.
Over the next decade, robo-advisors are likely to be competitive with (or even superior to) mid-tier traditional financial advisors who handle most balanced portfolios and standard retirement planning. Top-tier personal financial advisors who serve very high net worth clientele with incredibly complex finances may still justify their high fees, but for most investors lacking high net worth, robo-advisors may soon be the better bet.
Data Scientists
As analytics platforms, business intelligence tools and big data processing become more advanced, they are able to automate a substantial portion of the routine data preparation that data scientists have normally provided in the past.
More experienced data scientists will remain very valuable for creatively framing advanced analytics solutions and advising business leaders on findings from large initiatives. However, many intermediate data scientists are likely to have their more mundane responsibilities automated away to a substantial degree in the coming decade.
Technical Writers
Language generation tools now create well-structured user manuals, system guides and help documentation with greater precision than ever before. These AI writing assistants can generate technically accurate materials faster than any human technical writer by leveraging immense databases of product and domain knowledge.
That said, creatively framing core concepts and tutorials for complex products seems likely to remain a skill requiring human experts for the foreseeable future. While the most routine documentation writing jobs will substantially decline over the next decade as natural language algorithms improve, opportunities are likely to remain strong for exceptional technical writers who can both educate and inspire.
Editors
Intelligent algorithms are capable of editing written pieces for tightened concision, correct grammar and logical flow. For many publishers focused on consistency and accuracy, AI revision suggestions may soon dominate over manual edits.
Meanwhile, editors with a passion for creative vision, emotional resonance and other more esoteric considerations are likely to remain essential. Nuanced human creative judgment still significantly outperforms even the most advanced AI for such tasks.
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As the advancement of AI technology continues to evolve, so too will job markets and requirements shift as they incorporate these ever-growing technological developments. Those who find themselves with a position at risk to AI encroachment would be well-served to hone their skills and tradecraft to a level of complexity and nuanced specificity outside the reach of easy automation.
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