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Remember when AI companies sounded the alarm and told us AI would be taking all of our jobs in the future? Well, they’ve since changed their tune. Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, was recently quoted in TIME after speaking at a banking conference in May 2026 saying, “I don't think we're going to have the kind of jobs apocalypse that some of the companies in our space advocate or talk about.” He stated that’s an area where his intuitions were “just off”.
How convenient of him to double back after he got all the investors he needed to propel the company’s success. Regardless, AI is still changing the way we work, both now and in the very near future. But instead of eliminating jobs, it will be powering many of the top careers for the future.
The Future of Jobs Report put out through the World Economic Forum (WEF) indicates that AI is more likely to improve human work through workers collaborating with AI tools in fields like information technology and healthcare services, both of which offer the highest-paying jobs with the most growth over the next 10 years.
In short, your job is safe as long as you learn how to work with emerging technologies and adapt as the job market changes. That’s the secret to landing a high-paying job in the future!
Key points:
- The highest-paying jobs for the future based on median salaries from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are computer research scientists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.
- The top future careers with highest salaries in our Salary Database include big data specialists and nurse practitioners.
- The fastest-growing jobs are big data specialists with a 110% projected growth over the next 5 years, AI and machine learning specialists with an 80% projected growth over the next 5 years, and nurse practitioners with a 35% projected growth over the next 9 years.
- Roles with the most decline over the next decade include cashiers, ticket clerks, and administrative assistants.
- A bachelor’s degree (or above) is required for most of these roles, with a few information technology roles that may require associate’s degrees or certifications to help break in.
- Browse thousands of more publicly shared salaries in our Salary Database.
7 Top-Paying Careers for The Future
We’ve ranked the highest-paying jobs for the future using the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, job data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook’s Fastest Growing Occupations Report, our Salary Database of thousands of individually reported salaries, and interviews with workers in high-demand fields. The results are sorted by highest to lowest median salaries, as reported by the BLS.
You can find more salary data by searching for any of the below positions in our Salary Database. Don’t forget to join and add your salary, too!
1. Computer and Information Research Scientists
BLS median annual salary: $140,910 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $150,000 per year
Projected growth rate through 2034: 20%
Computer research scientists are the highest-paid workers on the BLS’s Fastest Growing Occupations list and are a part of the 4th fastest growing job area on the WEF Future of Jobs Report (software development). As technology continues to evolve over the next decade, they’ll be the ones leading the way in their research and studies in areas like algorithm design, system analysis, and software development.
There are tons of different routes a research scientist can take. Some may work with other scientists and engineers to integrate solutions in different sectors, and share their findings through published academic papers, while others may teach courses at universities or work in research departments at large corporations or in government.
A few alternative job titles to look up to get into this top-paying tech job include software engineer/developer with a focus on research, AI research scientist, and research and development (R&D) engineer.
Education needed: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science or a related field.
Learn the skills for this role: Operations Research (1): Models and Applications
2. Physician Assistant
BLS median annual salary: $133,260 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $220,000 per year
Projected growth rate through 2034: 20%
Physician assistants are licensed medical professionals who work with a physician to provide medical care. They perform many of the same duties physicians do, like basic patient care, diagnosis, treatment, and even performing procedures, but their role doesn’t duplicate the doctor’s work. They’re there to help handle the load of patients and expand access to medical services and get paid pretty well for it too. They’re listed as the 2nd highest-paying occupation on the BLS with a ton of job security due to growing patient numbers.
We interviewed a physician assistant in the video below with 10 years of experience that makes $130,000 a year. Her advice for pursuing this career is to do a lot of shadowing to make sure it’s truly what you want to do.
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree in healthcare or a related field, like biology, and a Master’s degree from an accredited educational program.
Learn the skills for this role: Human Anatomy & Physiology I
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3. Nurse Practitioner
BLS median annual salary: $132,050 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $225,000 per year
Projected growth rate through 2034: 35%
Nurse practitioners are listed as the 3rd highest-paying and 3rd fastest growing occupation on the BLS, which situates them perfectly at number 3 on our list. These registered nurses provide advanced nursing care depending on what they specialize in, such as geriatric or pediatric health, and may work in hospitals, clinics, or private practices.
We interviewed a nurse practitioner in the video below who makes over $200,000 a year (base salary $144,000) with 8 years of experience, and was a labor and delivery nurse for 6 years before that. She took the traditional education route of a 4 year Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree, became a nurse, then went back to school for her Master’s to become a nurse practitioner.
Her advice is that she recommends exploring all of the different opportunities in nursing before deciding what’s right for you.
Education needed: Master’s degree in an advanced practice nursing field.
Learn the skills for this role: The Nurse’s Toolkit
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4. AI Engineer and Machine Learning (ML) Specialist
BLS median annual salary: $131,450 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $140,000 per year
Projected growth rate through 2030: 80% (taken from the Future of Jobs Report)
AI and ML specialists have the 2nd highest projected growth rate up to year 2030 on the WEF Future of Jobs Report (80%), which is no surprise. AI technology is progressing quickly and it needs workers to continue to foster that growth and build new models to solve complex problems (and improve existing models). Many of the apps you come in contact with every day have AI and ML specialists behind them that are making your user experience better by the day.
For example, when looking at an app like your bank app that automated budgets and financial reporting, the machine learning algorithms and models behind it were built by a team of AI and ML specialists to provide you with those automated values.
Alternative job titles for this role may include machine learning engineer, AI engineer, and AI solutions architect.
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, mathematics, or related field.
Learn the skills for this role: IBM Introduction to Machine Learning
5. Cybersecurity/Information Security Analyst
BLS median annual salary: $124,910 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $180,000 per year
Projected growth rate through 2034: 29%
Many of us know what happens when our credit card or social security numbers are leaked, and it isn’t pretty. Cybersecurity analysts help make sure that doesn’t happen by protecting an organization’s computer systems and networks from cyber threats. With the rate AI technology is expected to grow, cybersecurity will need to keep up to catch new threats, and is projected to grow in demand by 29% by 2034.
We interviewed two cybersecurity analysts in the video below that made over $100,000 a year: $135,000 a year and $150,000 a year. One of those engineers shared that he doesn’t think a college degree is absolutely necessary, but has a bachelor’s degree in information technology and thinks it helped him get in the door. He also recommends that certifications may also help you get ahead in this field.
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Education needed: Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science, or information technology, but an Associate’s degree can also help you break in.
Learn the skills for this role: Foundations of Cybersecurity
6. Medical and Health Services Manager
BLS median annual salary: $117,960 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $98,000 per year
Projected growth rate through 2034: 23%
Following the trend of the growing demand in the healthcare field, medical and health services managers are the third highest-paying healthcare jobs on this list and ranked the 6th highest salary and fastest growing job by the BLS. These are your healthcare administrators at hospitals, surgery centers, and other healthcare facilities who oversee the operations and ensure everything runs smoothly and complies with healthcare laws and regulations.
A typical path to get into this field is a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration or a mix of education in both healthcare and business. Many healthcare administrators may also pursue a master’s degree.
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration.
Learn the skills for this role: Johns Hopkins Medical Office Manager Professional Certificate
7. Data Scientist/Big Data Specialist
BLS median annual salary: $112,590 per year
Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $384,000 per year
Projected growth rate through 2030: 110% (taken from the Future of Jobs Report)
The Future of Jobs Report identified big data as a huge area for growth over the next 5 years with a projected growth of 110% by 2030. Big data specialists and data scientists fall within this area. Big data specialists build the systems that store and move massive amounts of data while data scientists take that data and build models to help businesses make decisions with it.
For example, the Future of Jobs Report used as a source for this article was something that wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for big data specialists that built the infrastructure to store jobs data and data scientists to make sense of that same data. Alternative job titles could be big data engineer, data engineer, and big data architect.
We interviewed a data engineer in the video below who’s worked in big data for 3 years and makes $160,000 a year with a stock package. They actually started their studies in chemical engineering, made their way into data science, and then decided that data engineering was more their speed.
Education needed: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, or related field.
Learn the skills for this role: Introduction to Big Data with Spark and Hadoop
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How to Embrace a Dynamic Job Market
Now that you know what jobs are growing the most in demand and pay, it’s important to know what jobs may be in jeopardy. Expected roles to decline over the next decade include cashiers, ticket clerks, administrative assistants, and executive secretaries, as reported by the WEF.
As you navigate the job market over the next few years, the most important skill you can have is the desire to never stop learning and upskilling. Staying on top of new technologies and how certain sectors are changing and adapting, while making sure your skills can keep up, will set you apart from those who won’t take the initiative to do the same.
We also have several career guides available to help you explore different possible future job options:
- How to Break Into Tech and IT (With Tips From Real Tech Workers)
- How to Get Into Healthcare (+ Tips From Real Healthcare Workers)
- How to Get Into a Trade (+ Advice From Real Trade Workers)
- How to Start a Creative Career (or Pivot to One) in 2026
- Free Market Research Guide
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the highest-paying jobs for the future?
Based on current salary data and 5- to 10-year WEF and BLS projections, the highest-paying future careers are computer and information research scientists ($140,910 median), physician assistants ($133,260), nurse practitioners ($132,050), and AI/ML specialists ($131,450). AI roles in particular are seeing rapid salary growth beyond median salary numbers.
Which careers will be most in demand in the next 10 years?
Big data specialists top the list with a 110% projected growth rate over 5 years. AI/ML specialists (80%), nurse practitioners (35%), data scientists (34%), cybersecurity analysts (29%), and medical health services managers (23%) follow. All of these outpace the average growth rate for all U.S. occupations, as reported by the BLS.
Do I need a degree for the highest-paying future jobs?
Most require at least a bachelor's degree, and healthcare roles (physician assistant, nurse practitioner) require a master's degree. Cybersecurity and some IT roles are notable exceptions in which an associate’s degree or certification can help entry-level workers get into the field.
That wraps it up for this week. I’m Daniella Flores, a former engineer who writes about tech, money, and careers, member of the CNET Money Expert Review Board, and career researcher that’s appeared in TIME, CNBC, and Investopedia (among many others). I’m extremely passionate about workers' rights and financial freedom, so it’s a pleasure to be able to bring you this type of content through the Resource Hub (thank you for the opportunity, Hannah!) You can also follow me on Linkedin. Chat soon!
If this guide helps you land a higher-paying job, let us know! Send us an email ➡️ hello@checksalaries.com
For more transparent resources:
- Want to join the movement? Explore thousands of individually reported salaries nationwide across all industries in our Salary Database!
- Do you know if you're being underpaid? Take our free quiz to find out!
- Need help determining your market rate? Download our free Market Research Guide to learn what you should be making.
- Need help negotiating your salary? Download our free Salary Negotiation Guide!
