Data scientist is the toughest job to fill this year, according to new CareerCast report on in-demand jobs for 2017.
The challenge hiring managers face for many of the most in-demand professions is finding applicants with the necessary skills, according to the report. Because data scientist is a relatively new career, there isn’t an established workforce of trained professionals. Many universities do not offer data science degree programs, which means workers enter the field from other disciplines.
“The concept of not having enough candidates might have felt foreign at the height of the recession, when unemployment lingered around 10%,” said Kyle Kensing, CareerCast’s online content editor. “However, improvements in the job market have resulted in a different issue for some industries: Labor shortages.”
CareerCast’s most in-demand jobs for 2017, with annual median salary and projected hiring growth by 2024, are:
- Data scientist: $128,240; 16%
- Financial advisor: $89,160; 30%
- General and operations manager: $97,730; 7%
- Home health aide: $21,920; 38%
- Information security analyst: $90,120; 18%
- Medical services manager: $94,500; 17%
- Physical therapist: $84,020; 34%
- Registered nurse: $67,490; 16%
- Software engineer: $100,690; 17%
- Truck driver: $40,260: 5%
The report utilizes Bureau of Labor Statistics data on growth outlook, as well as industry and profession hiring trends over the last decade; trade statistics; university graduate employment data; and the CareerCast.com database of listings to determine the factors driving hiring needs.
