STEM jobs have exploded. Between 2000 and 2010, STEM jobs increased at triple the rate of other fields, according to the US Department of Commerce. They’re still on the rise as we round out the ‘10s, anticipated to grow by 8.8% in the next decade compared to 5.0% in other fields, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Not only do ample job prospects and a healthy salary (the annual median wage for a STEM job was $84,880 in 2018 compared to an overall median of $37,020, according to the BLS) make a compelling case to enter a STEM field, so does the sheer diversity of STEM jobs available.
Here, we outline some of the best STEM jobs and the top STEM degrees to earn to land one.
10 Stellar STEM Jobs
Just looking at US News & World Report’s Best STEM Jobs for 2019, it’s clear STEM professionals can look outside a lab and skip the PhD – if they want. Here, we take a look at 10 of the report’s top job jobs:
1. Software Developer
The gig: Whether they write code or fix bugs in existing code, it’s certain the job will demand innovation, technological savviness and creativity.
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
2. Statistician
The gig: Statistics inform decisions with the science of using data, and can be applied in nearly every field.
Education Required: Master’s degree
3. Computer Systems Analyst
The gig: These professionals design computer systems and processes for clients, blending information technology and business prowess.
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
4. IT Manager
The gig: Responsible for coordinating an organization’s computer-related activity, IT managers do everything from installing and maintaining computer hardware or software and recommending upgrade options to securing network and electronic documents. As businesses increasingly go digital, it’s like this role will continue to grow.
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
5. Information Security Analyst
The gig: These analysts are at the front lines of organizational preparedness for cybersecurity, preparing and executing security protocols to protect computer networks and systems.
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
6. Web Developer
The gig: If you’ve ever appreciated a website, you have a web developer to thank. Web developers create websites with code, driving everything from search function to the bells and whistles of special effects.
Education Required: Associate’s degree
7. Computer Network Architect
The gig: These professionals design, build, and maintain data communication networks that do everything from support massive cloud infrastructures to smaller-scale intranets.
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
8. Computer Systems Administrator
The gig: These professionals look after the computer systems, tackling everything from updating equipment and software to addressing network issues.
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
9. Environmental Engineer
The gig: To solve address or mitigate environmental problems, environmental engineers leverage their engineering, soil science, biology and chemistry knowledge and influence recycling, waste disposal, air pollution control, public health, and water pollution control.
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
10. Environmental Engineering Technician
The gig: Most often working in a team, technicians work with peers and engineers to cultivate plans and approaches that reduce environmental pollution.
Education Required: Associate’s degree
Technology and Science Degrees for STEM Jobs
The STEM field has a dire need for graduates, and even if graduates go on to work in a non-STEM field, they’re still likely to enjoy higher earnings, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. These in-demand degrees to equip students to launch a career in STEM.
Sustainable and Renewable Energy
As we collectively grapple with climate change, clean energy careers are likely to continue to grow, and students armed with degrees in sustainable and renewable energy can step into environmental fields to support sustainability, become a wind turbine technicians, engineer new cars, or install solar panels, to name a few options.
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
With climate change comes a shift in storms, and students with degrees in atmospheric sciences and meteorology are equipped to study climate, weather, and atmosphere and communicate back to the general population in an understandable way. Whether this is a forecast, climate change assessment, or inclement weather warning, these scientists strive to better activity on earth by studying data.
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a subset of Computer Science, but one that is increasingly critical as industry behemoths like Amazon (Alexa) and Apple (Siri) employ AI while other big players like Facebook and IBM leverage computer intelligence behind the scenes. AI has applications in nearly every industry.
Data Analytics and Business Intelligence
This degree equips students to enter an array of industries, given businesses’ voracious appetite for leveraging big data. Professionals adept at organizing, maintaining, and analyzing massive data sets and then converting the information into an actionable output can drive organizational agendas and deliver significant value to any organization.
App Development
Mobile devices are prolific – and so are the applications we run on them. Any business looking to stay competitive needs to stay on top of its application development, and students can learn to develop user-friendly, engaging apps.
IT Security and Cyber Security
This rapidly transforming field has skyrocketed demand as companies look to establish and maintaining a solid IT Security protocol.
STEM offers a diverse option of careers, and students can earn many different degrees to set them up well to step into a STEM career. But learning the soft skills and laying the foundation for these fields must start much earlier than college.
Learn how you can come alongside Education Unbound to support STEM in education today by visiting Education Unbound Programs.
Sources:
コメント