Top 5 Careers of 2015
With the current unemployment rate in the United States sitting at a concerning 5.5%, many members of the up and coming generation are thinking long and hard about their career choices. A college education does not mean a job, and if a job is attained, how can one be sure it will be a quality job which will sustain you throughout your life?
Don’t lose hope yet — there are many options which are thriving in the economy, providing crucial services to our society as well as an exceptional income to those who choose them as their career. Additionally, there are many position openings, and they still allow workers to have a personal life outside of work. Sound too good to be true? It isn’t.
Here are the top five careers of 2015, which have risen to the top of the charts due to their income, the unemployment rate, the positions available, as well as the additional benefits surrounding them.
1. Physician
This career has been a necessity since the beginning of time, and certainly earns its place on the list with a general salary of $186,850. If you were to choose this career path, when you’re not cruising in your Ferrari with your custom-built cyborg-superhero family, you could enjoy the safety of a 0.7 percent unemployment rate and over 123,300 potential job openings in 2015. These professionals have a wide range of skills depending on their chosen specialty, but this typically includes diagnosing and administering treatment to patients, prescribing medicine, and educating patients in methods to avoid disease, improve hygiene, and engage in a healthier diet.
2. Dentist
We all hate going to the dentist, but let’s face it; we need dentists. You might be able to limp around with that twisted ankle for a week, but what about that chipped tooth? The pain will get you eventually, and society’s need for their services is clearly shown in the numbers, as a dentist can earn upwards of $142,750 a year. This makes it a most appealing career to decide on if you have your eye on a fancy yacht. Their services in preventing harmful oral diseases, relieving tooth pain, and repairing smiles have made them a necessity where home remedies fail. There are expected to be 27,600 available jobs in 2015 and the unemployment rate for this career is a current 0.9%.
The schooling to earn a position like this entails a rigorous set of technical training, as well as hands-on learning under a supervisor. The dental program is notoriously difficult, creating a group of highly skilled professionals to match the annual profits.
3. Nurse Practitioner
This career choice sits as number three due to the reduced salary of $92,670 a year, but it also boasts of a 0.7 percent unemployment rate and over 37,100 expected job openings for 2015. Nurse practitioners have a wide range of duties and abilities. Since there is a current deficit in doctors in the United States, these professionals are credited with picking up the slack to make sure hospitals don’t look bad and patients don’t suffer. These tasks extend beyond the duties of an RN and to things such as ordering diagnostic testing, prescribing medication, and diagnosing a range of chronic conditions.
The schooling required to become a nurse practitioner is, at minimum, a master’s degree, although many in the field pursue higher schooling. This advanced knowledge makes them ideal for handling the many needs within a hospital when primary physicians are in short supply.
4. Pharmacist
While you’re sure to imagine silver chains and gold teeth at the word “drug pusher,” this professional variant makes the same money with a lot more morality – and far more regulations. This career is placed at number four in the list due to its higher wages but also its increased unemployment rate of 3.2%. The average pharmacist earns an income of $113,410 a year, and there are expected to be over 69,740 job openings in 2015. The details of the position have many technical responsibilities, such as ensuring the quality, legality, and integrity of the medicines they provide to patients, as well as educating these patients on the proper use of these medicines. Additionally, these professionals offer consultation to a range of customers seeking anything from Advil to cough medicine, diagnosing symptoms and suggesting over-the-counter solutions.
The schooling for this position has a minimum requirement of a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. After being accepted into this program, there is a two-year pre-professional course students must take, which includes chemistry, anatomy, biology, physics, and physiology.
5. Computer Systems Analyst
In this tech-enhanced age, it’s no surprise to find this positon on the top-five list out of all the jobs available in the good ol’ US of A. Though it’s a lesser known career path, it has fingerprints all over businesses and the market; even if you haven’t heard of them before, you’ve seen their work. Simply put, a computer systems analyst is in charge of bridging the gap between the IT department of a business and the rest of the business. No company in the modern age — no matter their field — can function without the use of the latest technology, and the computer systems analyst ensures the IT department functions properly while ultimately serving the greater needs of the company.
This entails a great deal of knowledge in many fields, not just computers, and their daily tasks can include analyzing data processing problems, enhancing system compatibility, calculating memory and speed requirements, and consulting higher-level businesspeople to focus the purpose of the IT department. This jack-of-all-trades skill earns them $83,800 a year with 120,440 expected job openings in 2015, though staying low on the list with a 2.5% unemployment rate.
These have been five of the top careers of 2015. If you’re looking for a position that will offer great wages, many responsibilities, and an admirable amount of esteem, then these fives choices should be the first on your list to consider.
