The top 15 roles in demand across industries

There are a number of roles that are in high demand across the 20 major industries in the United States, and that demand is only projected to grow. 

For these positions, employers will find they are competing for the same talent both within their verticals nationally and across industry verticals regionally, which will make hiring for these roles increasingly difficult. Some employers are already seeing long hiring times—greater than six weeks, sometimes much greater—for critical roles.

To fill these in-demand positions in the future, companies cannot depend on recruiting alone. Organizations across every industry should consider upskilling and reskilling their existing workforce to keep up with talent demands. 

But first, business leaders need to know the roles that will be most difficult to find. To understand the challenge ahead, review the jobs data on the top 15 jobs that are in high demand across the majority of industries in the U.S. 

 

Business Operations Jobs

Every company has staff to manage their business operations, and many are getting smarter and more strategic about their development. This has led to an increased demand for workers that can help companies transform their business operations through activities like market research, smart logistics, and project management. 

Additionally, as business strategy and talent development become increasingly important, companies have increased their hiring for roles such as consultants and L&D specialists.

 

	Pre-COVID Job Postings	Projected Jobs 2020-2025	# of Sectors With Above-Average Projected Growth
Market Research Analysts	4% ↑	8% ↑	14
Logisticians	7% ↑	11% ↑	16
Project Managers	10% ↑	6% ↑	13
Business Analysts & Consultants	4% ↑	8% ↑	14
Learning & Development Specialists	15% ↑	7% ↑	13

 

Technology Jobs

Technology is at the center of every modern company’s operations infrastructure. Businesses need software developers at a large scale for customer-facing systems, as well as user support specialists. To be more strategic, companies need data analysts and business intelligence analysts, as well as cybersecurity specialists to prevent breaches and maintain system security. These all require different tech skills. 

It’s important to note that companies that were ahead on technology infrastructure were better able to adapt to the pandemic. For example, restaurant chains that had a jump start on integrating technology were able to switch to curbside pickup and delivery. Other businesses with processes already in the cloud were able to move to working from home quickly and seamlessly.

 

	Pre-COVID Job Postings	Projected Job Postings 2020-2025	# of Sectors With Above-Average Projected Growth
Software Developers	11% ↑	12% ↑	16
User Support Specialists	22% ↑	7% ↑	20
Database Administrators & Architects	10% ↑	7% ↑	12
Business Intelligence Analysts	2% ↑	14% ↑	13
Information Security Analysts	7% ↑	16% ↑	17

 

Other Jobs

There are a range of other in-demand jobs that don’t fall into business operations or technology, but are essential to a successful organization. Some elements of certain jobs—such as HR and finance—are being replaced by software, but still require talented professionals to manage that software. As media transforms, video content and PR teams are growing to play a bigger part in a company’s brand and marketing strategy. In addition, paralegals are growing as an efficient and cost-effective complement to lawyers in managing a company’s legal activities. 

 

	Pre-COVID Job Postings	Projected Job Postings 2020-2025	# of Sectors With Above-Average Projected Growth
Financial Managers	14% ↑	10% ↑	16
Human Resources Managers	19% ↑	6% ↑	18
Public Relations Specialists	17% ↑	6% ↑	13
Video Editors	19% ↑	11% ↑	14
Paralegals & Legal Assistants	36% ↑	6% ↑	16

 

All data is pulled from labor analytics firm Emsi. Projected jobs were stated pre-pandemic.