Highest paying jobs in ten years time

[2025willbemyyear]

DD has. Very sensible head. Currently thinking about a level choices and had a conversation about what vocational courses would be good at uni to end up with a high paying jposition job.

she isn’t materialistic, just influenced by us having low wage as a family (generations of this).

she is academically strong all round and prefers stem subjects. What advice can I give? School not very helpful here!

Do the A levels in the subjects she enjoys. She is likely to do better then.

AI and automation would be the obvious one.

There is still a shortage of cybersecurity and network engineers but they don't attract the same high wages they once did unless you specialise in niche areas (SD-WAN networks/Network automation/IOT etc).

I read somewhere once that girls are often advised to study the subjects they love rather than think further ahead about what might increase their earning potential, and that this links to the gender pay gap.

If your DD has aptitude for it, I would recommend maths as a sensible a-level choice that will link to lots of potentially higher earning career opportunities and keep doors open.

The graduate earning bonus applies mostly to those who study stem subjects.

A lot of high paying jobs will be automated by then. So I imagine the competition will be fierce.

I wouldn't necessarily think a vocational degree is the best way to get a well-paid job- why is this the angle you are going?
I also don't think aiming just for a well -paid job makes sense- she needs to work out what she enjoys and that should drive the decision.
I had a very similar back ground and was driven by a need for financial security- this really meant getting a profession in my mind - i still did a degree that matched my interests as most jobs look at the quality of degree/grade rather than demanding a vocational degree (assuming you are in the UK) - so accountancy and law (both of which can be/are well paid) don't demand a relevant degree.
The only vocational degree that is required is medicine i think (that said i don't know much about engineering and IT type careers/degrees)

Maths- only do it at degree if you waltz through a levels-

Geology? Trump wants to buy Greenland for its mining deposits. Precious metals are needed in everything electronic today. There are jobs out there but how much AI will take jobs I don’t know. But it also seems to be a degree that can get you into finance and other fields.

If she prefers STEM do that, plus it’s a good one anyway

I'd argue half the jobs don't exist yet, so a lot is speculation.

At a more manual level, they'll likely be hands-on jobs which may not pay well but will stay in high demand, so over time, they will be more stable. So if a kid was looking at office, retail or customer service work, I'd say a better bet would be healthcare, maybe physical therapies, education but not necessarily school teaching (parents will always look to supplement mainstream education and not always online) or some trades where technology helps but DIY is getting harder so people likely still want an expert to come over.

But as she is aiming for A level/Uni and above, I'd suggest looking into fields that will do well versus jobs. So, in addition to the usual suspects of AI and Security, I'd say Sustainability, Privacy Management as opposed to Data Management, Risk & Compliance, and Commercial/Industrial Design. Equally, Pharma and Medicine will only get bigger. All of these jobs will be supported by much more tech, but for most people, trust levels in these areas will mean they need/want some form of human oversight.

Obviously, Technology, especially AI, will help all of these jobs to a lesser or greater degree, so they must understand and embrace it. Like other PPs, ultimately, I'd suggest she go with her strengths and interests; there's more benefit in high-graded courses in subjects she likes than in lower-graded ones she did because someone trying to predict the future told her she should.

Strongly disagree with the first post. Obviously studying something you don’t enjoy is a bad idea. But the world has changed compared to circa 20 years ago - you need to keep an eye on employability from early in your education.

My father was taking me around universities at 14 to map out a future careers which would pay well. DH prioritised earning (finance) over fun (architecture) after coming from a low earning family. We have a lovely life - neither of us regret prioritising going into high earning careers.

DB got an Oxford degree but in a subject which doesn’t obviously go anywhere - he regrets that and retook a stem degree.

i read an article on FT the other week saying the type of high paying roles has shrunk - tech, finance and law are where they exist.

Lots of online info if you google women in tech, finance or law.

My best paid female friend is a project manager in construction and did her degree in civil engineering. Lots of earning potential but it’s long hours, responsibility and hard graft. Otherwise Architect, finance director, partner in a law firm, small nursery chain owner, director of an ad agency are the jobs my best paid friends have.

Don't encourage her to look for the highest wage.
Encourage her to find a job that works with the type of life she wants. Also look for money-to-effort/sacrificing ratio, not money pure!

She wants flexibility of where she lives? To WFH when she is in her thirties with young kids? To throw herself into the career? Have an interesting job? Have a secure job?

@Anxiouswaffle @Pat888 i would add - my dh has been hiring graduates to into large professional firms for over 20 years and increasingly they prefer a degree with a strong finance/accounting element.
There are LOADS of amazing candidates - in the lower ranking firms, the quality of the candidate pool has gone from average to fairly amazing in a short space of time. As an employer why would you take a chance on someone who knows about rocks or medieval kingship, when you can hire someone who has strong Excel skills, a good grasp of business, and already knows about finance ethics and fundamentals?

In the old days a 2:1 in “anything from a top tier uni” would get you a spot in a grad programme. But the competition is now very strong and a relevant degree makes the recruitment rounds easier to pass.

I wouldn’t do a history degree assuming I could breeze into a big 4 accounting scheme. I’d do maths or finance and accounting or business with a strong finance element. Also if I wanted to be an accountant i wouldn’t bother with a degree - I’d go straight to a big account in firm and start work. You’ll be qualified by 23 just like your graduate peers, and on a good salary with no debt. Not sure what that job will look like in ten years but it’s the lower-level jobs that are being eaten up by AI so perhaps if you get past the early stages now, you’ll be a senior manager within ten years and alright for longer.

I live in Spain and I’d recommend taking up plastering! Plasterers charge a fortune (I paid about €18k to plaster a small 3 bed house - about 2 1/2 weeks work) and they all seem to enjoy their work.

also, electricians, plumbers and building trade. All pay well and will always be needed.

Jobs that used to appear boring and lonely now look lucrative and fun as you can chat on your phone, listen to music, audiobooks and podcasts. And be self employed -win win.

@whirlyhead I agree - a lot of trades will remain essential for a long time. That’s the route my ds will go.

My dd wants to be a primary school teacher. She is currently preparing her GCSEs and getting 8s and 9s in school - she could do anything she wants. But I’m gently pushing her towards biology, biochem, psychology etc.

With the warning in my mind that primary education may not be AI proof, I’ve been gently angling her towards leisure too - so she is also a part-time martial arts instructor and she helps out at the local watersports centre teaching kids at the holiday clubs, and she will pursue a qualification to teach bouldering/climbing as well as a Lifeguarding qualification.

I think the key is: add depth and breadth to whatever it is you’re doing so you can diversify later. If my dd can’t teach, she could open a forest school or start a tae kwondo club or supervise a kids’ activities centre.

I am definitely not pushing her towards a mainstream finance career like me and dh - the risk of “not making it” will be higher when AI replaces the average employees and only the very best or the very lucky retain a good job.

I think future success will require kids to be entrepreneurial and highly adaptable.

I definitely wouldn’t pick architecture or foreign languages - even “creative” tasks are already being performed by AI. My architect friends are both astonished and concerned at the hollowing out this promises in the next ten years. Languages will only be useful for academic pursuit.

STEM subjects.

really interesting comments for all. She is keen to medicine but want to support as so competitive and also want to make sure she is doing for right reasons - ie passion for sector and empathy for patients not just financial. Also well aware no high paid for many many years!

AI will change the landscape of everything. I think she should do what she loves and not worry about 10 years from now.

Whatever she picks at degree level, make sure the course includes using AI. Can't remember who, but they said AI isn't taking your job, but the person who uses AI is.

In terms of A level, pick subjects that keep doors open.

My son was interested in two different fields when he was picking (physio and finance) and found everyone liked maths.

Physio was more prescriptive about the other subjects, but the degrees with a finance element were generally were less fussy as long as you had maths.

Therefore, it made more sense to meet the stricter requirements of physio as it closed no doors to him.

He now doesn't want to do either.

I'd include maths at A level, and then computer science ot any other STEM at university for good future proofing.

Law is also likely to hold up well if she swerves towards humanities

But for very high pay, then first look at finance/banking and various computing careers.

Applied linguistics is also likely to be a strong area in an AI world

Or become a plumber!

I think the high paying jobs are going to become those that require a physical presence so trades, some medical, high class hospitality where customers will pay for a real human, childcare.

Over this end of the world, one way to make a lot of money is to do your degree in something useful, work for the government for a few years and learn the ropes then work for a legal, mining, property development company or set up as a consultant.

This is such an interesting thread

I honestly don’t know

Similar to PP mentioned I recruit undergrads into consulting - and the profiles are amazing - super strong STEM academics and internships - yet even then many struggle at interview so also ensure they can talk to people and have soft skills …

If she likes stem I would recommend engineering or maths - both great degrees with practically every career open to them afterwards (bar something vocational like medicine or dentistry) . But they are tough full / workload 9-5 courses in uni