15 Future-Proof Jobs

On the hunt for a job you can call a career? One key to long-term employment is to find a future-proof job — one that will still be around and thriving as the years wear on. But in today’s employment climate, it can be hard to land that perfect career that will last you through retirement.

Which jobs are the best ones for those looking to future-proof their careers? Here are 15 jobs, according to the Cognizant Jobs of the Future Index. Of course, nobody can see the future for certain, but these jobs show strong signs of sustained future growth. Median pay figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2017 median pay: $77,480

First, what in the heck is a genetic counselor? A person who’s trained to read human genetics and inform people when they are genetically more likely to contract certain diseases and conditions. While this may sound morbid, it can be helpful in prevention and early detection through lifestyle changes and frequent checkups. For example, someone more genetically susceptible to liver disease may think twice when they consume alcohol, and their doctors will know to check their liver condition more frequently.

While the genetic counselor role saw a 19.4 percent drop in Q3 2018, according to the CJFI, 2018 was a net job gain of 222.2 percent thanks to a surge in Q2. Plus, the BLS backs up this data with its 29 percent job growth projection through 2026.

So why the sudden spike in growth? This is a super-high-tech field with evolving technology, giving experts new insight into the human genetic structure.

Average pay (via Glassdoor): $73,182

With steady popularity and incredible innovation in recent years, like the commercialization of augmented and virtual reality, it’s no shock this is one of the hottest future jobs on the CJFI. In 2018, video game design saw 101.6 percent job growth, and Q3 2018 saw a 36.5 percent growth itself.

The BLS doesn’t track the video game designer job specifically, as this can branch into many areas, like programming, development, graphic design, writing and more, but some key roles, like software development and multimedia artists, show strong growth at 24 and 8 percent, respectively.

The BLS notes the gaming-console industry’s newfound focus on fewer games and higher quality may lead to rough waters for entry-level workers. However, internet- and cellphone-based games crop up daily and are great places to start.

Average pay (via Glassdoor): $54,261

Moving people and things in mass quantities requires someone skilled behind the scenes setting up routes, pickup points and drop-off points to ensure everything and everyone gets to their destinations on time and efficiently. This is where a transportation supervisor comes in.

Whether they’re at a school assigning bus routes and drivers or with Amazon coordinating its millions of deliveries across the nation, transportation supervisors must see the whole logistics puzzle. With the boom in at-home shopping, coordinating deliveries is becoming increasingly important.

According to the CJFI, the year-over-year job growth in 2018 was 204 percent, and there is no reason to expect this to slow down. The BLS does not directly track this job.

2017 median pay: $67,420

Fashion design once involved pen, paper and an imagination, but with new technology, it has become more like graphic design and computer aided design. This technological shift and the constant release of new tech that makes it easier for anyone with a great imagination makes it a great job for the future.

While the BLS’s 3 percent job growth projection through 2026 doesn’t give this position a great outlook, this is only part of the picture. According to the CJFI, the fashion designer position saw a huge 147.7 percent year-over-year growth in 2018 and a 114.4 percent growth in Q3 2018 alone.

One area that could see significant growth is costume design. With so many new streaming services now producing hundreds of new TV shows and movies, it should shock no one that the actual growth in the fashion designer position is crushing its BLS projections.