New career paths for a new century
This year has shown us how quickly
Table of Contents
New career paths for a new century
This year has shown us how quickly the world, and the world of work, can change. And if we look back to the turn of the century there are a whole host of jobs around now that didn’t exist even just 20 years ago. Click or scroll through as we take a look at some of these new roles and what they pay.
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Genetic counsellor
A genetic counsellor’s role is to inform patients about the risk factors associated with their, often inherited, conditions. This usually involves offering support and advice, for example for people wanting to have children. Salaries can vary considerably, from mid-range up to near six-figure sums.
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Uber driver
Uber was founded in 2009, and in the decade since then the term “Let’s get an Uber” has entered modern parlance. Although this job offers flexibility to drivers and is relatively easy to get into, the salary is not very high, and in May last year drivers in the UK, US and Brazil protested over pay. Uber drivers in the US can expect to make $30,557 a year, according to indeed.com, while Uber claims that drivers in the UK can make around £565 a week, although 20% of that goes back to the company, and 25% if you joined as a driver after April 2016.
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Drone pilot
These small unmanned vehicles crop up in the news often enough, so it’s easy to forget that the first commercial drones only emerged onto the world market in 2013. Drone operators and programmers can command six-figure salaries, but it’s not as simple as grabbing the remote and taking to the skies. Entry requirements for these roles can be high, such as a PhD in computer science, electrical engineering, robotics or a similar field.
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Mobile phone tester
Mobile phones are a bigger business than anybody could have anticipated before the turn of the 21st century. But today more than 4.6 billion people own one, and so unsurprisingly it’s a competitive market and manufacturers need to be at the top of their game to compete with one another. Enter mobile phone testers, who are needed at all stages of a phone’s lifecycle – from giving screens a military-grade smash test to auditing second-hand phones for refurbishment.
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Data analyst
Also known as a data miner or data architect, this is another cutting-edge job, and as our lives become more and more data-led the demand for these analysts is skyrocketing. A data analyst looks at large amounts of information and determines patterns, in turn assisting businesses with, for example, marketing and strategy. Depending on the data being analysed, it’s a role that can require knowledge of statistics, computer science, marketing, and mathematics. Salaries sit around $62,000 in the US and £31,000 in the UK on average, according to Glassdoor.
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Virtual assistant
Salaries for virtual assistants – commonly known as VAs – vary, from minimum wage up to six-figure sums. Generally this is an administrative and supportive role, so it’s lower paid, although specialist VAs offer assistance of a more specific or technical kind, so can charge more. The set-up though is always the same: the VA works for a company, but from a distance, which is ideal in the current coronavirus era. VAs can, in theory, work from anywhere in the world.
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Electric car technician
As a new breed of car starts to take over the roads, mechanics trained in this new electric technology are needed too. Despite a similar job title, up to 97% of classically-trained mechanics aren’t qualified to switch to working on electric cars because of the specialist knowledge it requires, according to Gas2, but new recruits receive ample training. At the forefront of electric vehicle technology is the world’s most valuable automaker, Tesla, which now runs its own education programme to train a new generation of technicians.
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Airbnb host
Founded in 2008, Airbnb is now a global phenomenon. The premise is simple – if you have a spare room, you can rent it out via the site. The money you can make as a host depends on location, whether it’s a room or a whole place, and your Airbnb rating, which goes up or down based on reviews. Crucially, positive customer feedback will help you to become a better-paid Superhost. In 2018, the average UK host earned £3,100 a year, while nearly half of US-based hosts make more than $6,000 per year. Not a bad way to make extra cash from spare space.
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BodyPump trainer
Fitness fads come and go, but one that has swept the world and looks set to stay is BodyPump. Although working out with barbells is nothing new, this workout, one of several created by Olympic athlete Les Mills, has only just emerged in gyms over the last decade and now has millions of fans around the globe. Usual fitness instructor rates apply, as this class is usually franchised out to gyms rather than to individuals.
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vlogger/YouTuber
Video blogs, better known as vlogs, can be about anything – reviews, tutorials, opinions, comedy – but it’s the ability to capture viewers which brings in the big bucks. The highest-paid vlogger is currently an eight-year-old boy named Ryan, who earned around $26 million (£20.2m) in 2019, according to Forbes. His YouTube channel, Ryan’s World, currently has 26.7 million subscribers, and more subscribers mean more clicks, which all adds up in ad revenue and sponsorship opportunities.
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Web analyst
Now that we seem to live and work mostly online, we need analysts to keep the web in good shape and ensure it’s always improving. Working as part of a development team, a web analyst will design procedures for data management, analysis and integrity, as well as helping to enforce cybersecurity. Salaries are mid-range, generally.
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Marriage proposal planner
Wedding planning as a profession made it to the big screens when Jennifer Lopez starred in The Wedding Planner in 2001, but did you know that almost as much effort also now goes into big proposals? Thanks to the internet, people want their proposals to be big and to go viral, and it can be such a fanfare that experts are brought in to create the perfect moment. From organising a flash mob to hiring celebrities, it’s not a cheap business – one US company, Yes Girls, charges on average $4,500 (£3.5k) per proposal, according to Vice.
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Telemedicine physician
Telemedicine physicians are doctors who can advise you through apps and websites via video chat. During the cornavirus pandemic it has been crucial that people can seek medical advice without leaving their homes. Remote diagnosis and treatment service Zipnosis reported a staggering 3,600% increase in usage as a result of coronavirus. In fact, the US and Australian governments have approved reimbursement for video-link consultations to keep people away from hospitals. Online help is usually cheaper for patients and clients, while the internet medics can theoretically earn hundreds of thousands a year.
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SEO specialist
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) involves making sure that websites appear high up in search engine result pages. An SEO specialist will analyse, review, and implement changes to a website so that it is more likely to appear as a top result. Salaries vary, but consultant may charge much more.
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Virtual nanny
Careers in childcare go back centuries, but increasingly sophisticated technology combined with the coronavirus pandemic has fastracked its evolution and now there are virtual nannies. While people continue to work from home and there are restrictions on household visits, childcare can be tough to come by, which is why many working in the sector now offer their services online. While on-screen nannies can’t do practical elements of the job, like making snacks, they can keep children entertained for hours while parents work or relax in a different room. It’s also a lucrative business, with some charging the same rates as they would in-person.
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App developer
This role involves the creation, testing and programming of applications, or apps as they have come to be known. With billions of people around the world carrying smartphones, there’s the potential for a lot of money to be made from downloads. Some app developers are employed by companies, and they are generally well paid. However, anyone, anywhere, can create an app with an idea and a little technical know-how, and various platforms exist to make their design and distribution much easier.
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Netflix tagger
Spending a day binge-watching Netflix seems like the ultimate lazy pastime, but what if you could get paid to do it? Known as ‘taggers’, there are people employed to devour Netflix content to give each show appropriate tags, which indicate the category every movie and TV series should fit into. Established in 1997 as a DVD rental company, Netflix only really went big in 2007 when it released its streaming service, and now it’s the world’s biggest site for streaming and employs around 8,600 people.
Netflix’s history: from DVD rental site to top streaming service
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Sustainability manager
Climate change has brought with it some new roles, including this one. A sustainability manager offers advice to businesses on how to best utilise their resources, while also keeping environmental considerations such as waste and pollution in mind. Also known as responsible business managers, salaries are around $71,000 in the US and £50,000 in the UK on average according to careers website Glassdoor, progressing to higher for consultants and directors.
Now read about the big companies leading the battle against climate change
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AI engineer
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a fast-emerging industry, and even though it focuses on automated services, from AI virtual assistants such as Siri to email spam filters, human engineers are still required to design and maintain these systems. As the industry continues to grow, the higher the demand will be for people to fill these roles. Exciting developments in this up-and-coming field include the likes of self-driving cars and facial recognition technology for paying at a store. AI pros can make a lot of money, especially if they assist in the creation of brand-new AI products.
Thanks to AI, the future of shopping will look like this
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Social media professionals
Whether they’re a creator, manager, or consultant, social media professionals are in demand. The job involves designing and then implementing social media strategies on various digital platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram, in order to promote businesses and brands. Far from just sending a few Tweets or Facebook posts, the role often demands more complicated content creation, in the form of memes and videos designed to get people talking and sharing on these platforms, as well as strong analytical skills, and the ability to report on and react to results.
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Udemy tutor
This online university was founded in 2010 and has grown exponentially each year. The highest earner on Udemy has made a cool couple of million so far, but with most courses it is a lot less. It really depends on your reputation, the quality of your course and your marketing acumen. Udemy courses can offer a passive income, as once you’ve worked to set up a successful course you can sit back and let the money roll in from your students.
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Podcast producer
The earliest version of podcasting came about in the 1980s, but really started to boom with the release of products such as the iPod in the early 2000s. Podcast producers will record, edit, and manage the audio, either for a company or as a freelancer. If it’s the former, then the salary will be set, but if it’s the latter then they can make money on a per-listen basis, as well as through sponsorship. Podcasts may be thematic, or not, but they usually feature guests.
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Chief listening officer
While the role sounds a little like ‘professional eavesdropper’, chief listening officers, or CLOs, specialise in monitoring media and communications. This includes an organisation’s social media accounts as well as face-to-face engagement with customers. Their aim is to gather customer feedback and use the insight to improve overall communication style. Depending on the organisation, a CLO may command a six-figure salary.
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Tech ethicist
Rapid advancement in tech has led to a growing awareness of the need for ethical parameters within this new world. While a tech engineer looks to solve problems, a tech ethicist will look for problems within those solutions and seek to establish a level of accountability within an organisation. Classed as both a consultant and a specialist, they can command a high fee but may need to spend time building up a reputation in the field first.
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Cryptocurrency trader
Have you heard about the Winklevoss twins (pictured), who achieved billionaire status via Bitcoin? The brothers, along with others who started trading early on in Bitcoin, which is perhaps the most famous cryptocurrency, have made a fortune. Like all currency trading, you need to invest when it is priced low, and sell when its value is high to make a good profit. Some newer currencies currently less expensive than Bitcoin include Litecoin, Ethereal, Neo, and Ripple. But prices can fluctuate wildly, so it’s not a job for the faint-hearted.
How did the Winklevoss twins make their Bitcoin billions?
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UX/UI designer
Otherwise known as a UX or UI expert, this role involves imagining and analysing user experience (UX) and creating the user interface (UI) that will best engage them, whether that be a website, device or piece of software. Most often, UX designers work in tech and IT, ensuring their usability. Pay can be high, depending on the technical skills required, and a UX director may earn a six-figure sum.
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Millennial generation expert
Another unique vocation, this is a consultant role which has been created by a few enterprising entrepreneurs. Essentially, this expert will advise businesses and organisations on the millennials – people born between the years 1981 and 1996. Rather than focus on that generation’s characteristics, they will aim to put them into context. The aim? Sales, usually… Like all consultants, the rate of pay for such expertise will, in theory, be high.
Now read the millennial money myths that simply aren’t true
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Influencer
The ability to influence people on social media can bring in big money, as well as a lot of free stuff from companies wanting to promote their products. Influencers are experts in their chosen field, which can be anything from gaming to make-up to parenthood, and they hold sway in that particular court, often amassing millions of followers. Affiliate marketing on a pay-to-click basis is one method of income for influencers, as are webinars, e-books, and sponsorship. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson sits at the top of the pile when it comes to influencers, as it’s rumoured that a sponsored post on his Instagram page will set a company back more than $1 million (£778k).
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Scrum master
Despite the name, this one actually has nothing to do with the sport of rugby – it’s a position based on the Scrum framework for developing and delivering complicated projects, typically in software development. The scrum master is thought of as a ‘servant-leader’ and coaches a team to perform at its best. In the US the average base salary for a scrum master is around $97,000, while it’s £52,000 in the UK, according to careers website Glassdoor. While Scrum was founded in the 1980s, the method has only become widespread in the last 20 years.
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Instapoet
Instapoetry has become a phenomenon due to the creation and increasing popularity of Instagram, which was launched in 2010. Rupi Kaur (pictured) is perhaps the most famous Instapoet, with four million followers. Her first published poetry collection Milk & Honey sold more than 2.5 million copies and is printed in 25 languages. It proves that financial success is possible through this niche medium, although some say that the Instapoetry bubble has now burst.
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Head of remote working
Here’s a very new role that’s quickly become much sought-after. As the coronavirus pandemic has meant millions working at home, companies now need someone to manage their remote workforce, making sure they have the equipment and technology to do their jobs outside the office.
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Deliveroo driver
Pizza delivery originated, unsurprisingly, in Italy as far back as the 19th century, and by the 1960s it started to become commonplace across the world with the arrival of Domino’s. Fast forward 50 years and you can now get pretty much any food delivered to your doorstep via Deliveroo and rival apps such as JustEat. Deliveroo drivers’ wages do vary, but the average salary is £10 ($12.86) per hour.
Now read stars that made savvy investments, and those that lost a fortune
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