The time is of change. The world is changing at a speed that is unprecedented and difficult to keep pace with. 2020 is almost here and most of us would be looking to make a fresh start in the new year professionally and personally. The students, graduates, and young professionals would be very keen on making rapid advancements in their careers. With the world becoming more and more technology-centric and new methodologies springing up everywhere, there are many new job roles out there in the market ready to be grabbed by the students and working professionals. If you are looking for a career change or an industry shift or even simply looking to advance in your professional life, it is important to know which job roles will be in most demand in the upcoming year.

After analyzing the market trends, we have tried to list out the top 20 careers that will probably boom in 2020.

1. Blockchain Developer

Blockchain Developer will surely be one of the most-in-demand of jobs of the next year. The currency of Bitcoin will undergo its third halving on May 20, 2020. Therefore, every ten minutes, half the number of Bitcoins will be created from mining. In the year 2016, the same procedure had led to a surge in the market demand for Bitcoin and had also impacted the price. Thus, observing this trend, it safe to say that the same impact will be seen in 2020 and will create a massive need for blockchain legislators and developers in the market. The cryptocurrency did not even exist a few years ago but now, it is bound to rise in terms of infrastructure. This rise will surely require an investment in talent.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Machine Learning (ML) Engineer

It is no secret anymore that technology is the way of the world now. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have changed the world around us in no time. AI is perhaps the biggest tool that the world has received because of technology. It is redefining the world every other day. The AI/ML Engineers have been in extremely high demand since the field focuses on automation. From the year 2015 to 2018, the job role of AI-ML Engineer saw a more than 300% increase in the market. The demand for this job role has been rising phenomenally and is likely to continue in 2020.

3. Software Developer

According to estimates, there are bound to be as many as 1.2 million job openings in this area by the year 2026. And it is only natural because almost all the businesses are running on computers. Even our financial and industrial operations are running on computers now. Therefore, there is a huge need for more software developers to create exciting and innovative programs. Every business today is looking to incorporate some innovative software program in its business process. This need is only bound to increase in the future and it is one of the best career choices or job roles for the year 2020.

4. Nurse Practitioner

The world population is aging day by day. With this aging and longer-living population, the world bound to see an increase in the influx of patients. The reckless lifestyle that people lead today will also contribute to this. Therefore, many regions of the world will experience a shortage in the number of doctors. This would lead to a rise in the requirement of Nurse Practitioners. Even today, the market requires Nurse Practitioners who are trained and can diagnose or treat patients with various chronic conditions. Thus, it is a good job role heading into the year 2020.

5. Physical therapists

The year 2019 saw a steep increase in the demand for physical therapists. According to trends, the demand will go exponentially higher in the year 2020 as well. A decade ago, the way the world used to function was a lot different than it is today. The technology was only a fraction of what it is today and therefore, people used to do most of their tasks manually. This would help them keep their joints, muscles, and bones fit. Today, physical activities are no more an integral part of daily lives. Therefore, the role of the Physical therapist is not going away anytime soon. In fact, it’s on the rise.

6. Financial Tech Professional

According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the jobs in the financial services will grow by as much as 11 percent by the year 2026. In fact, the sector of financial technology is estimated to witness higher growth than other industries. The financial sector has been infused with technology and there are more and more innovative ways coming up in which technology is being implemented in the sector. There is a demand for professionals who have knowledge of both finance and technology. Since that is a rare combination, the qualified professionals enjoy good leverage going into 2020.

7. In-house caretaker

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, if someone turns 65 today, he has a huge chance of needing some long-term care services in the future years of his life. There is a growing trend in the world of getting care at home instead of going to a nursing home or a hospital. Moreover, when someone turns 70, it becomes difficult for him to visit a doctor every now and then. Therefore, the demand for home-care workers is going to increase in the future. In fact, by 2026, the world will require as many as 4.2 million home-care workers.

8. Data Scientist

The world is going through a digital revolution and a heap of data is being created with each passing minute. In fact, with AI and ML coming in, 90 percent of the data that exists in the world right now has been created in the past few years. In such times, organizations and companies are collecting more and more data every day. But to encode or to extract relevant information from this data, the companies require data scientists.  The number of jobs for this role has been increasing across almost every industry and there are no signs of this demand coming down anytime soon.

9. IT Manager

As already mentioned, almost all the companies these days are already functioning on technology or trying to incorporate technology into its business process. Thus, there is a high demand for professionals who can manage this department of the company. The IT managers are supposed to solely focus on the information technology department and run it as efficiently as possible. Since so much of a company’s business process these days runs on technology, the job of an IT Manager is really important for the organizations. As technology grows, the demand is also bound to grow in the future.

10. Market Research Analyst

With the industries growing rapidly, the market across industries is becoming more and more competitive. There is a critical need for businesses to be one step ahead of their competitors. This is where the Market Research Analysts come into play. The best part about this job role is that it won’t go away. With such cut-throat competition or even without it, the need to analyze the market trends is never going to disappear. A Marketing research analyst forecasts marketing and sales trends and thus, this job role is an integral part of an organization.

11. Personal Brand Advisor

Hiring freelancers is a new trend that has taken place in the market. Even among the large, well-established organizations, hiring freelance professionals on a contract basis for small scale projects has become normal. Many experts believe that in the future, most of the jobs will be done on a temporary contract basis. Therefore, professionals today need to develop an attractive personal brand. Personal Brand Advisors help the professionals establish and maintain their public personas and professional image. Going into the year 2020, the job role of a Personal Brand Advisor is going to see a huge rise in terms of demand.

12. Digital Content Specialist

The need for digital content or digital marketing specialists is increasing every second. Just like people need to maintain their professional image, companies and organizations need to maintain their image on social media and the digital space since that is where most of the communication happens today. The digital world is expanding rapidly. There is a huge scope in the digital world and the companies and organizations are failing to keep pace with it. Thus, in the year 2020, the job role will witness immense growth. The job role is expected to open up across a plethora of industries.

13. 3D Printing Technician

In recent years, 3D Printing technology has become quite common. With each passing year, people are finding different areas where this technology can be used. Today, 3D Printing Technology is being used to create products, showpieces, and prototypes for commercial purposes and sale. According to the forecast, this area will witness a rise in terms of a number of jobs. There are many industries that are projected to be using this technology, like aviation, biomedical industry, automotive industry, and many more. Thus, it’s a great job role going ahead into the year 2020.

14. Commercial Drone Pilot

In the last decade, commercial drones have infused into a lot of industries, in terms of application. The drones are used across a lot of industries for various functions these days. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States, the demand for commercial drone pilots is going to quadruple by the year 2020 in the country. The same trend is expected to be witnessed around the world. In the U.S. itself, as many as 300,000 new pilots are needed to meet the future demand. Thus, the world is bound to see a surge in the demand for this job role.

15. Web Developer

If you have a business in the 21st century, you have got to have an online presence. In order to have that, you have to build a website to engage with people. The internet is not going anywhere in the near future. And for this reason, the need for web developers will continue to grow at a steady rate in the near future. Web developers earn great salaries and enjoy decent career graphs. Behind every website that you see on the internet, there is some web developer putting in his hours. Going into 2020, the job role is expected to rise.

16. Health Services Manager

The healthcare sector is changing. The basic function of the sector is still the same but the processes are changing rapidly because of the new methodologies springing up. With new tools, technology coming into play, every healthcare organization is looking for qualified professionals and knowledgeable leaders and managers. These managers help the organizations to accommodate the legal, technological, and regulatory changes and still work to maintain or improve the quality of the services. The job role is expanding quite a bit. As the world continues to change and evolve, the demand for Health Services Managers will also increase.

17. Digital Rehab Counselor

In the age of social media, almost everyone who uses it is addicted to their phones. It has become quite usual for people to be overwhelmed by the information they consume in one day. Most of the attraction that one has with other people these days is limited to social media. Therefore, there is a growing need for the role of digital rehab counselors. The role is not expected to see an as high rise as the other roles in this list, but for someone who is looking at the long run, this job role is a great bet. For people who are qualified with counseling training, the role is a smart fit.

18. Biomedical Engineer

Biomedical engineering has been a driving force in the revolution of the healthcare industry lately. Professionals of this field have had a huge impact on the betterment of this sector. The engineers are involved in important research and development that happens majorly in the healthcare sector. From biological implants, bionic body parts, artificial organs to a lot more, Biomedical Engineers are required across industries. It is one of the best jobs going into 2020 for people who are looking to making a positive impact on society and leading a long and sustaining career.

19. Aerospace Engineering

The aerospace industry is one of those that is booming and expanding quite quickly. The industry has seen a rapid surge in the demand for skilled workers and professionals in this industry. With the advancement in technology, the number of job openings in this industry is also bound to increase. There are limited employers in this industry but the number of opportunities and potential for growth is huge. With a variety of job roles and potential for unlimited advancement, the Aerospace industry is one of the best options for any qualified person going into the year 2020.

20. Auditors and accountants

Businesses are rising both in terms of size and revenue. No matter what the business is, be it eCommerce or even a small-scale personal venture, financial accounting is one of the most integral and critical parts of a business. The job advertisements for these roles have seen an increase of 22 percent in recent times. With 2020 coming up, this demand is expected to grow even further. The professionals who are qualified in this discipline can surely leverage this situation into grabbing a good job. Moreover, these job roles are some of the roles that are expected to stay around forever and keep rising as long as businesses keep spring up.

So, what are you waiting for? If you are a student about to graduate or a professional who wishes to progress and rise up the ladder in his career in the upcoming year, then these are the job opportunities that you should look out for and prepare yourself accordingly.