Jobs of the Future: Which Fields Will Grow by 2030

Lists of jobs of the future are everywhere, but many of them are guesses with no source behind them. One of the most quoted sources is the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025. It asked more than 1,000 employers in 55 economies how they expect their workforce to change by 2030. This guide explains which fields are growing, how to read any “future jobs” list critically, and what you can do in high school to prepare.

What the Future of Jobs Report 2025 says

The WEF published the report in January 2025, and the survey behind it ran in 2024. The employers who answered represent more than 14 million workers in 22 industry clusters. So the figures are employer expectations, not official forecasts. They show the direction of change rather than exact numbers.

According to the report, between 2025 and 2030:

• employers expect about 170 million new jobs, equal to 14% of today’s total employment;
• they also expect about 92 million current jobs to disappear, equal to 8%;
• that leaves net growth of about 78 million jobs, or 7%.

In other words, the total grows, but many people will move from shrinking roles to new ones, often in other sectors. You can read the full report on the World Economic Forum website.

Jobs of the future: five fields that keep growing

The report ranks roles in two ways: the fastest growth in percentage terms and the largest growth in absolute numbers. Together, the two rankings point to five broad fields.

Data, AI and digital security

Big data specialists, FinTech engineers, and AI and machine learning specialists top the list of fastest-growing roles. Software developers, security management specialists, data analysts and information security analysts also appear in the top 15. These roles need maths, logic and steady practice, not only a love of gadgets.

Green energy and the environment

Climate-change mitigation drives demand for renewable energy engineers, environmental engineers, and autonomous and electric vehicle specialists. For example, the report’s notes on Türkiye name robotics engineers, renewable energy engineers, and autonomous and electric vehicle specialists among the country’s fastest-growing roles.

Health and care

Aging populations drive growth in healthcare jobs such as nursing professionals. The care economy also grows strongly, including social work and counselling professionals and personal care aides. These jobs of the future rely on people, so they suit students who like helping others and can stay calm under pressure.

Education

Growing working-age populations push up demand for teachers. As a result, both university teachers and secondary school teachers appear among the roles that add the most jobs.

Skilled trades and frontline work

The largest growth in absolute numbers comes from frontline roles. Farmworkers, delivery drivers, building framers and finishers, food processing workers and shop salespersons lead that list. Many of these jobs need vocational training rather than a degree, so they suit practical learners who like to see real results at the end of the day.

Jobs that are shrinking

The same report expects the fastest decline, in percentage terms, among postal service clerks, bank tellers, data entry clerks, cashiers and ticket clerks, and administrative assistants. In absolute numbers, clerical and secretarial jobs shrink the most. The common thread is routine work with information, which is exactly what technology does well. Our guide to jobs AI cannot replace looks at this risk task by task.

How to read a “jobs of the future” list critically

Not every list deserves your trust. Before you plan around one, ask these questions:

1. Who made it? An employer survey, a projection by a statistics office and a viral post are very different things.
2. When and where? A list from 2019 or from another country may not match your market in 2030.
3. Percentages or numbers? A small role can grow fast in percentage terms, while a frontline job adds far more positions.
4. Titles or skills? Job titles change quickly, but skills such as analysis, communication and digital literacy move with you.
5. Does it fit you? A growing field is only a good choice if you can see yourself doing the work every day.

National sources help too. In Türkiye, for example, İŞKUR’s 2025 labour market survey asked employers which occupations will matter over the next ten years. Their answers pointed to AI specialists, software specialists and software engineers, but also to cooks and welders. So the future is not only digital.

What you can do in high school now

You do not need to pick a job title at 15 or 16. However, you can build a base that fits several jobs of the future at once:

• Keep maths and science open as long as you can, because many growing fields need them.
• Learn digital basics such as spreadsheets, simple coding and the careful use of AI tools.
• Try hands-on experiences: a summer job, volunteering, a workshop or a school project.
• Ask people in a growing field how their job has changed over the last five years.
• Explore vocational routes as well as university, especially for skilled trades and care work.

Then compare the fields that interest you with your own strengths. Our guide to skills for the future explains which skills employers rank highest, and best majors for the future links these fields to university degrees. For today’s hiring needs rather than 2030, read careers in demand.

How ILEAP helps you explore jobs of the future

In ILEAP partner schools, students meet experts from different fields, including business, media and marketing, medical, and science and technology. These professionals show what their work is really like. Young graduates also share their university and career experience, while career coaching sessions help each student connect interests with real options. Meet the fields and experts or explore the ILEAP program.

Frequently asked questions

Which jobs of the future grow fastest?

According to the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025, big data specialists, FinTech engineers, and AI and machine learning specialists grow fastest in percentage terms. In absolute numbers, frontline, care and education roles add the most jobs.

Will there be fewer jobs in the future?

Not according to the employers in the WEF survey. They expect more jobs to appear than to disappear by 2030, with net growth of about 78 million. However, many people will need to change roles or learn new skills.

Should I choose a career only because it is on a future jobs list?

No. Demand matters, but so do your interests, strengths and values. A career assessment and real conversations with professionals help you check whether a growing field also fits you.