These Will Be The Fastest Growing Jobs in 2020, According to LinkedIn
Technology changes our lives every day, and it’s changing the workforce too. Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape the future of work, and many of the fastest-growing jobs will be around AI.
According to LinkedIn’s 2020 Emerging Jobs Report, “Artificial intelligence will require the entire workforce to learn new skills, whether it’s to keep up to date with an existing role, or pursuing a new career as a result of automation.” So not only is automation creating new jobs, but it’s also changing the way certain jobs function and making some workers in higher demand.
That’s why it should come as no surprise that many of the fastest-growing jobs in the country are linked to AI. The report makes it clear, for instance, that this year should be a good year to be an engineer and here are the top emerging jobs of 2020 and their growth rates.
15. Product Owner
Annual Growth Rate: 24%
Necessary Skills: Agile Methodologies, Scrum, Product Management, Software Development, JIRA
Product owners generally have to wear a lot of hats. Their main goal is helping drive product development, but that includes big-picture planning like creating a product roadmap and more personal interactions with clients. There’s no one definition for a product owner role, but it requires a deep understanding of the particular market.
14. JavaScript Developer
Annual Growth Rate: 25%
Necessary Skills: React.js, Node.js, AngularJS, JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
Since Java was introduced in the 1990s, it has consistently been the most popular programming language in the country. It’s no surprise then that JavaScript developers remain in high demand today. Learning JavaScript is a great way to make yourself an attractive candidate for a wide variety of jobs.
13. Cloud Engineer
Annual Growth Rate: 27%
Necessary Skills: Amazon Web Services, Cloud Computing, Docker Products, Ansible, Jenkins
Cloud computing has become more prominent in recent years, so cloud engineers are naturally in high demand. Cloud computing is very technical work that is vital for many companies, so it’s unlikely that engineer jobs can go out of style anytime soon.
12. Chief Revenue Officer
Annual Growth Rate: 28%
Necessary Skills: Strategic Partnerships, Start-ups, Software as a Service (SaaS), Go-to-Market Strategy, Executive Management
It may be odd to see an upper-level executive role on this list, but CROs are really a product of Silicon Valley and start-ups. The position is still relatively new, but vital in handling all of a company’s revenue streams. The LinkedIn report says that hiring CROs is likely a trend that will continue into the future.
11. Back-End Developer
Annual Growth Rate: 30%
Necessary Skills: Node.js, JavaScript, Amazon Web Services, Git, MongoDB
Every company in the country has an online presence today, meaning every company needs back-end developers. These programmers are vital for keeping software and websites operational, and many back-end developers can work remotely. No matter where you want to work, there will almost always be a need for back-end developers.
10. Cybersecurity Specialist
Annual Growth Rate: 30%
Necessary Skills: Cybersecurity, Information Security, Network Security, Vulnerability Assessment
Cybersecurity is another field that went from non-existent to being on everyone’s mind in only a few years. Data breaches were major news stories in 2019, from the Equifax breach to Russian interference in politics. As companies become more data-conscious, cybersecurity specialists will continue to play important roles.
9. Behavioral Health Technician
Annual Growth Rate: 32%
Necessary Skills: Applied Behavior Analysis, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Behavioral Health, Mental Health
Behavioral health technicians assist doctors and nurses in caring for patients with behavioral disorders such as substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As mental health awareness has increased in the country, so too has the need for behavioral health technicians.
8. Data Engineer
Annual Growth Rate: 33%
Necessary Skills: Apache Spark, Hadoop, Python, Extract/Transform/Load (ETL), Amazon Web Services
Data is arguably the most important asset any company can collect in the 21st century. That’s why data engineer jobs are vital and rapidly growing. Data engineers focus on collecting and analyzing data, paving the way for data scientists to apply the data practically.
7. Sales Development Representative
Annual Growth Rate: 34%
Necessary Skills: Salesforce, Cold-Calling, Software as a Service (SaaS), Lead Generation, Sales
Sales development representative jobs don’t require the same level of technical skills as most of the jobs on this list, but they’re still important to keeping companies ticking. SDRs focus on generating new leads, not closing deals. In many ways, SDRs are the backbone of any sales staff and need great research and communication skills to attract new business.
6. Customer Success Specialist
Annual Growth Rate: 34%
Necessary Skills: Software as a Service (SaaS), Salesforce, Customer Relationship Management, Account Management, Customer Retention
Customer success specialists operate exactly how you think they would: optimizing the experience for clients. The role not only requires communication skills to work directly with clients, but operational skills to help them work through any issues they encounter. According to the LinkedIn report, 72% of customer success specialist jobs are in the Software & IT industry.
5. Site Reliability Engineer
Annual Growth Rate: 34%
Necessary Skills: Amazon Web Services, Ansible, Kubernetes, Docker Products, Terraform
Site reliability engineering is another relatively new field, having emerged in 2003. The position was first created at Google, and some Google SREs published a book that’s free online explaining the principles and importance of their job. In short, SREs are responsible for making sure online processes are always running.
4. Full-Stack Engineer
Annual Growth Rate: 35%
Necessary Skills: React.js, Node.js, JavaScript, AngularJS, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
Full-stack engineers are unique because they work on the front and back-end of any given website or system. Full-stack engineers are attractive and in high demand, because they can work on all parts of a system, hence the term “full-stack.”
3. Data Scientist
Annual Growth Rate: 37%
Necessary Skills: Machine Learning, Data Science, Python, R, Apache Spark
As mentioned above, data is paving the way for a 21st-century gold rush, and data scientists are at the heart of it all. Data science is a blend of computer science, math skills, and business knowledge and Data scientists will need all three skills to approach and solve problems in the most effective way possible.
2. Robotics Engineer
Annual Growth Rate: 40%
Necessary Skills: Robotic Process Automation, UiPath, Blue Prism, Automation Anywhere, Robotics
Overall, robotics is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that robotics engineers are becoming more popular. Robotics engineers help design and create robotic systems, often with the goal of automating or solving a problem that humans would not be able to. Building robots is a difficult and technical task, meaning skilled engineers are valuable assets.
1. Artificial Intelligence Specialist
Annual Growth Rate: 74%
Necessary Skills: Machine Learning, Deep Learning, TensorFlow, Python, Natural Language Processing
Of course, artificial intelligence is at the center of technological innovation, meaning AI specialist roles are growing more than any other by a wide margin. There’s no concrete definition for AI specialists, but they need a background in computer science and strong programming skills.
Interested in learning more and expanding your knowledge? The three most popular courses on Coursera.org currently are Machine Learning, Python, and Data Science. If you’re not familiar with the site, they provide both free and paid learning materials from leading universities where you can learn at your own pace, since it’s all online. Just make sure to select the “Audit” option so you can view the course materials for free. For certification and select courses, they are clear with how much it would cost.
You never know, 2020 could be your year for a new career!
