Great Jobs for Millennials

Nancy Anderson
Posted by in Career Advice


Millennials, the generation born between 1981 and 2000, have an entirely different job outlook when it comes to overall employment compared to previous generations. Many of the best jobs for millennials tend to revolve around science, technology, engineering and math. Millennials who love the latest technology, computers, problem-solving and math have a bright career path ahead.

A new report from CareerCast culls a top 10 list of best jobs for millennials from its annual list of the 200 best jobs in the United States. These evaluations take into account careers' stress levels and risk factors before their comparison to median salary and 10-year job outlook listings. CareerCast then overlaid data that showed which professions had the largest millennial participation from 2010 to 2015, including the fastest-growing jobs for the generation of younger workers.

Not surprisingly, a few relatively new careers that did not exist five years ago appear on the list. Three of the best jobs for millennials are social media manager, advertising account executive and data scientist. These careers depend highly on the technology, analysis and metrics required to help companies earn higher profits, retain more business and bring in new customers. Data scientist careers could have a 15 percent growth rate until 2022 with a median salary of nearly $125,000. Advertising account executives earn a median salary of approximately $115,000 per year and may experience 12 percent growth in coming years. These career types have undergone a major overhaul since the advent of social media and Internet advertising.

Eight of the 10 best jobs for millennials require an emphasis on STEM education. A computer systems engineer and civil engineer both require math and science skills. A software engineer can expect to earn around $93,000 for a median salary with explosive job growth of 22 percent. Computer systems analysts may earn close to $80,000.

One non-STEM position involves the health care industry. A physical therapist sees an amazing growth potential of 36 percent until 2022, with a median salary hovering near $80,000. Many other good jobs for millennials have a health care track, but none measure up to a physical therapist's salary and outlook for younger Americans.

Statisticians crunch numbers, interpret data and use specialized computer programs for many industries. This career path has a 27 percent growth potential until 2022, with a median annual salary of $75,600. Similarly, a market research analyst could earn around $60,000 or more per year over the same time period.

Despite previous statistics on and perceptions to the contrary, more millennials keep their jobs longer than in previous years. According to the latest numbers from 2012, younger people maintain their current job tenure for 3.2 years, the longest time span since 1983. The Bureau of Labor Statistics in analyzing jobs for millennials states the average job tenure was 4.6 years in January 2014, the highest figure in 10 years. Job hopping became a problem after the economic downturn improved, so some companies increased salaries of entry-level positions. These numbers become important as millennials start their post-graduate careers and move up the corporate ladder.

The best jobs for millennials combine aspects of newer technology and traditional settings. Younger people who love to use connected smartphones, laptops and tablets have an edge when it comes to exciting, high-paying careers with great job growth.


Photo courtesy of Kiva Dang at Flickr.com

 

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  • Jason C.
    Jason C.

    Very wise!

  • Bradley S.
    Bradley S.

    I think this is a great idea.

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