While the job market as a whole is going through a bit of a rough patch, many of the careers that are still hiring and are in great need of qualified professionals are STEM-related. These fields not only offer new grads a better chance at finding work right out of college, but also provide ample opportunities for careers that are rewarding both financially and professionally. Of course, not all STEM careers are created equal and some are experiencing especially promising booms that can make them a solid choice for years to come. Here, we list some of these hot STEM fields, all of which should be seeing some serious growth in the coming year and beyond.
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Information Technology.
One of the hottest tech fields right now is IT, though all computer technology and systems fields are experiencing steady growth. By 2020, the BLS expects IT jobs to grow by 22%, which means a whopping 758,800 new jobs. This increase is being driven by the need for software, security, and better network infrastructure at nearly every company big and small. One rapidly expanding area of IT is in healthcare, where professionals are needed to build and maintain new digital systems for patient data management.
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Biomedical Engineering
If you have an interest in biology, medicine, and research, then this is probably one of your best bets for finding rewarding and steady employment. Biomedical engineering is one of the fastest growing careers not only in STEM but in the U.S. as a whole. By 2012, the BLS expects it to grow by a jaw-dropping 62%, which means about 9,700 more jobs nationwide. What’s causing the exponential rise? An aging population, greater demand for medical research, and increased public awareness of biomedical engineering advances.
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Data Management.
In our information-driven society, data is king. That’s why any data-centric job, from data mining to database administrator to data scientist, will see steady growth in the coming years. Need some numbers to put that into perspective? Database administrators can expect to see a 36% increase in jobs and data scientists are expected to have a shortfall of somewhere between 140,000 and 190,000 candidates by 2018. The demand is driven by the exponential rise in data that companies are now dealing with, a rate that rose by 30% just between 1999 and 2002, and continues to rise today. Those who are numbers focused, detail-oriented, and have a wide range of tech skills will find ample opportunities available in organizing, protecting, and understanding all kinds of data.
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Software Publishing and Development.
A solid choice for a post-college career in a tech field is software publishing and development. The BLS projects growth of 35% in software publishing over the next decade, a rate of growth that outpaces that of many others on this list, even healthcare. The growth is spurred on by a variety of factors, including the need for specialized software for corporate needs, updating computer systems, and even the demands of increasingly popular mobile devices. Because there is such a wide range of opportunities, computer science majors and programming enthusiasts should see little difficulty in finding secure employment throughout the U.S.
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Medicine and Healthcare.
From doctors to lab techs to medical scientists, there will be enormous growth in the healthcare field over the next few years. How much? The BLS projects growth of 29% by 2020, which amounts to thousands of new jobs across the U.S. Some of the biggest gains will be seen in nursing, medical assistants, laboratory technicians, paramedics, and in all aspects of medical research, especially those that require specialized knowledge in fields like biotechnology and biochemistry. No matter what aspect of medicine or healthcare you’re interested in, jobs should be fairly plentiful nationwide.
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Computer Systems.
If you love computers then you’re in luck! Jobs for computer systems engineers and analysts will be booming throughout the next decade. Take computer systems analysts, for example. The BLS expects this field to have a growth of 22% by 2020, a much faster than average rate of growth, and other computer systems fields like computer systems administrators are also seeing rapid growth (28%). This fast-growing field often requires students to learn about more than just the technical aspects of building and maintaining a computer system, and those who hope to pursue this field as a career should also take care to learn about a wide range of business practices and requirements.
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Pharmaceuticals.
There’s big money to be made in the pharmaceuticals industry, and that may be part of what’s driving the demand for new researchers into diseases, vaccines, and drug treatments. Researchers in this field can expect job growth of about 36%, much faster than average. Of course, there is also plenty of job opportunity at the tail end of the process as well, distributing drugs as a pharmacist. The BLS expects jobs in pharmacies to grow by 25% in the coming years, making just about any career with drug development or distribution a solid choice.
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Environmental Science.
These days consumers and businesses alike are much more conscious when it comes to sustainability and that’s good for environmental scientists. These professionals use their expertise to help protect the environment in a variety of ways, and it’s currently a field that’s seeing some pretty steady growth. By 2020, environmental science jobs are expected to grow about 19%, meaning there will be about 16,700 new jobs opening up in the coming eight years. That’s not too shabby, and better than many other industries. Of course, environmental scientists get the additional benefit of being able to brag about quite literally saving the world.
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Biochemistry and Biophysics.
The life sciences are projected to see a huge rise in employment opportunities over the coming decade, with some of the hottest fields being biochem and biophysics. The research done by these intrepid STEM experts will play a big role in extending and improving the quality of human life. In both the public and private sectors, work for biochemists and biophysicists is projected to increase by 30%, meaning more than 7,700 new jobs will be opening up in the coming years.
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Business and Financial Analysis.
While the recession may have taken a toll on many financial and business-related careers, those that make use of mathematics for analysis aren’t projected to see much job loss in the coming years. In fact, a strong trend of growth is expected in all math-related occupations, which the BLS expects to expand by 17%. Much of this growth comes from analyst positions driven by the need of businesses to make sense and use of raw data, and both business and financial analysts can expect an increase of around 22% by 2020. While this might not seem like an especially STEM-focused field, it often requires a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and technological systems.
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Commodities Engineering.
These degrees aren’t just in demand; they also pay exceptionally well and offer some of the highest post-college salaries of any STEM careers (petroleum engineers make an average of $86,220 starting salary). While greener, cleaner energy has seen a surge in recent years, there isn’t going to be any shortage of demand for traditional energy sources over the next decade, driving the demand for these positions. Expect growth in these engineering fields to be about 17%, with much of the growth being focused on petroleum rather than on mining and geological engineering.
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Forensic Science.
Those who want to figure out the mysteries behind murders and come up with their own snappy CSI-worthy one-liners may just be in luck. Forensics is a growing field, though it’s still highly competitive. More schools are adding forensics programs and job growth is expected to be good, about a 19% growth in coming years. Yet students in this hot field should be aware that while growth is expected, it’s a small field that amounts to only 2,400 new jobs over the next decade. Of course, that fact is unlikely to sway many from this ever more popular field that blends police work with science.
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