You never know what new lucrative job opportunities are hiding in plain sight. Emerging careers are popping up on a regular basis as the work world evolves. Some jobs are constantly going out of style while others are becoming the hottest fashion. As AI changes the workplace landscape, for example, many workers are looking to re-event themselves. A recent study reveals that laid-off tech workers are snagging six-figure jobs in surprising fields, making more money than in their original positions. Experts caution employees to be proactive and get ahead of the job market in order to stay marketable. A new analysis identifies ten emerging careers offering six-figure salaries the didn’t exist five years ago.
Emerging Careers Non-Existent Five Years Ago
To stay ahead of the changing job market, it’s important to know where high-paying, in-demand Jobs new jobs are growing. A recent study by Hostinger ranked emerging careers based on three key metrics: (1) monthly search volume (2) job vacancies and (3) annual salary. Analysts used these metrics to determine overall demand. They sourced data from job market repositories like job listing platforms and keyword search analytics tools to ensure accuracy and relevance. They ranked the careers based on a composite score of 0-100, the score reflecting the most in-demand jobs to shape the future of work in the U.S. You can access the full research here to get more detail on how analysts derived the top ten emerging careers.
1. Customer Success Engineer (98.79 composite score). The market shows consistently strong demand for this role, analysts say, with 36,623 active job postings–the highest vacancy count and a competitive annual salary of $133,859.
2. Digital Identity Manager (92.50 composite score) ranks second with 34,329 open roles, the second-highest number of vacancy offerings on the market and an annual average salary of $136,657.
3. RPA Developer (89.70 composite score) is third and shows a significant market presence with 4,620 monthly searches, 7,117 vacancies and an annual salary of $109,814.
4. AR Experience Manager (88.30 composite score) is in fourth place, attracting consistent interest with 5,640 monthly searches, 7,859 vacancies and an annual salary of $85,000.
5. Chief Remote Work Officer (86.10 composite score) takes fifth position, offering 3,618 current openings and the second-highest compensation package of $151,203 annually.
6. Renewable Energy Engineer (84.90 composite score) is in sixth place, generating 9,070 monthly searches–the second-highest search volume–along with 3,463 vacancies plus an annual salary of $111,552.
7. AI Market Research Analyst (83.50 composite score) falls in seventh place, showing 6,751 vacancies, 5,170 monthly searches and an annual salary of $100,058.
8. MLOps Engineer (82.10 composite score) ranks eighth with 606 modest vacancies and 940 monthly searches, it commands the highest annual salary of $165,000.
9. Remote Work Coordinator (80.70 composite score) takes the ninth spot, leading all roles with 29,710 monthly searches—the highest search volume on the list—1,023 vacancies and an annual salary of $59,915.
10. Digital Health Strategist (79.30 composite score) rounds out the top ten with 1,002 job opportunities, 280 monthly searches and an annual salary of $90,000.
A Final Takeaway On Emerging Careers
The top emerging jobs in the U.S. is Customer Success Engineer, with the highest number of job vacancies at 36,623. Chief AI Officer (CAIO) is the highest-paying emerging career, with an annual salary of $344,126. And AI Prompt Engineer generates the highest public interest, with 35,440 monthly searches.
If you’ve been laid-off, looking for a way to re-invent yourself or are rethinking your career path and want to pivot, Danny Veiga, AI strategist and founder of Chadix, has sage advice for you. “We’re seeing former software engineers building AI security systems, tech support specialists becoming electricians and laid-off SaaS employees moving into aerospace mechanics,” he says. “It’s a wild transformation, but one that presents huge opportunities for those willing to adapt.”
In these times of job uncertainty, a Monster study shows that instead of sticking with shrinking opportunities, emerging careers can help you get ahead of where the job market is going so you can avoid being left behind.