Simone Del Rosario:

America is still hiring! We’re used to seeing job gains in traditional sectors like hospitality and construction, but what will be the jobs of the future? And how can you prepare now? Here are 5 jobs that will be most in-demand in the next decade in this week’s Five For Friday.

The energy transition is happening one way or another. And renewable energy engineers, mostly solar and wind, will be in high demand in the coming years. These are the ones that research and develop green solutions. ZipRecruiter says you’ll need an engineering degree but with a median income of $116,000, at least you can pay back your loans. Alternatively, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says wind turbine service technicians and solar installers will see growth rates of 45% and 22% over the next decade, but get about half the pay.

Ransomware and cyber attacks have been kinda wild in recent years and that’s where information security and cyber security analysts come in. Overall both of these roles focus on mitigating risk to company data. But cyber analysts protect a company’s hardware, software and networks, with a median salary of $112K per year. You likely need a degree for this one, but surely there are some basement dwellers with the right, ahem, experience to get around it.

Every workplace needs a data nerd to make those spreadsheets make sense. Business intelligence analysts dig through the numbers and turn them into tables and reports so us regular people can understand. That info’s then used to drive profits and efficiency. A degree in data science or finance doesn’t hurt, but you can get your foot in the door by collecting certifications. A BI analyst brings home an average $88 grand per year, according to Glassdoor. You’ll also want some glasses held together by tape and a pocket protector.

Two computer geeks down and we’re back to going green. Sustainability specialists work with corporations and universities to reduce their employer’s environmental impact. Your green heart will net you a median income of $68,000, according to Glassdoor. To get in the door, you need a bachelor’s in something like environmental studies or sustainability…who woulda thought? To stand out from the pack, experts suggest you goose your resume with volunteer work in the space.

No surprise here, AI and machine learning specialists top the list of fastest-growing jobs. The World Economic Forum sees a 40% jump in the field by 2027. Generative AI is playing a big role. LinkedIn’s Future of Jobs report says mentions of GPT are up 21-fold since last November. And AI engineer job postings on LinkedIn doubled from Q1 to Q2 this year. Median income is around $140K but you’re gonna need a degree in computer science…A speciality in AI wouldn’t hurt. Just don’t end up creating the tech behind Skynet like Miles Dyson in Terminator. It doesn’t end well.

Back to the present, LinkedIn says the most in-demand jobs this year are for foodies. Bakers, junior cooks and meat cutters are hot commodities. That’s Five For Friday, I’m Simone Del Rosario. It’s Just Business.