Top Jobs in 2022
Statistics show that as a nation we are increasingly nomadic when it comes to our jobs. Call it job-hopping or The Great Resignation, blame it on an age group or the pandemic, but the stats are what they are: Americans are (and have been) quitting jobs at a record pace.
In one recent survey, 75 percent of respondents said they plan to stay with their current employer five years at maximum and more than half said they’d changed jobs in the past five years. Moreover, nearly a third stated they planned to remain in their current job for less than a year.
COVID and Millennials generally take the lion’s share of the blame when it comes to the job-hopping we’re seeing today, but that’s not entirely accurate. Economists have been warning about workers staying in jobs for shorter periods of time for at least the past five years and while it’s true the larger number of job-hoppers are younger, a tight labor market means workers of all ages are willing to jump ship for better wages and working conditions.
If you’re one of the millions who are dissatisfied with your current role, you’re in luck. Industries across the board are desperate for labor these days, in many cases willing to pay top dollar and shell out generous benefits for people with the right skills and experience.
Below find some of the most in-demand roles heading into the new year, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report’s 100 Best Jobs of 2022, LinkedIn’s 2022 Jobs on the Rise and This Nation's Top 15 Jobs for 2022 listings.
INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST The move to work-from-home and hybrid officing, as well as the continued expansion of computer and smartphone technology, has kept hackers in a target-rich environment. The cyber security industry has struggled to keep up with the number of good guys needed to meet the threat of bad actors. With job growth of more than 47,000 positions coming by 3030 and a median salary over $100K, US News and Worlds Report ranked this job #1 for 2022.
ACTUARY Actuaries are mathematics professionals who work in the insurance and banking fields. Think of them as the rocket scientists of the financial services industry, calculating pensions, annuities and risk-based premiums for insurance policies. With a median salary of just under six figures and future job growth of nearly 40 percent, reports This Nation, calculators never looked so good.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MANAGER People in this role lead teams of people that develop ways to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace through hiring, development and promotion of women, minorities and workers of various abilities. LinkedIn ranked this role – which pays between $60,000 and $145,000 depending on location and experience, second on its list of Jobs on the Rise.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER The continued march of technology makes IT roles of all kinds in high demand and software developers are no exception. US News & World Report notes this job will grow a whopping 22 percent by 2030, resulting in more than 400,000 well-paying positions and landing the job at #5 on their list.
BUSINESS SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR Also known as a network administrator, these workers install and maintain a company’s backbone IT systems. Once dominated by men, the position has reached near-gender parity and pays between $52,000 and $110,000, per LinkedIn, which ranked the job at #9 on its list of rising jobs for 2022.
NURSE ANESTHETIST Health care positions dominate all three of the lists due to the changing nature of health care and the drain into retirement of older workers. The number-three job overall on This Nation’s list, demand for nurse anesthetists is expected to grow 31 percent by 2030 and pay a handsome median salary of $157,000. Excellent job security adds to the attractiveness of this role.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the great job opportunities currently available at Kinetic by Windstream, (some even mentioned in this list) covering a variety of roles in customer service, network construction and IT fields. We offer competitive pay and benefits and the chance to help build the future of rural America. For a list of available careers, please visit https://careers.windstream.com/.