TOP-20 Engineering Professions of the Future (not IT)

I'm tired of these IT professionals—as if there aren't any other careers out there. "What else can I study besides IT?" I encounter comments like this very often online. In this article, I'll explore 20 professions of the future—and none of them are in IT! I'm confident that most of these careers will be completely new to you, some you've probably never even heard of or considered, yet they represent the future, just like 15-20 years ago when there was no such thing as a mobile app developer, and even YouTube didn't exist.

There are many professions in the world, and probably 70-80% of people work in fields unrelated to IT.

Naturally, many people wonder what else they could study and what future careers are available outside of IT. Of course, completely avoiding computers in the modern world, and especially in the future, might not be possible. If you're interested in manual work or manufacturing, that's more about trades, which isn't the focus of this article. I'm talking about obtaining higher education, future job prospects, and building a career.

I've categorized these 20 careers by different industries and sectors to make it easier for you to navigate and choose something you genuinely enjoy. Since I'm an engineer myself, I'll emphasize engineering professions a bit more.

So, at number 20, we have the field of MEDICINE: Cyber Prosthetics and Implant Developer. This engineer designs functional artificial devices (cyber prosthetics) and organs that are compatible with living tissues. We already see people with artificial arms, legs, fingers, and other limbs and organs. This trend will undoubtedly continue, potentially creating cyborgs where only the head remains human, and the rest of the body is fully artificial and robotic. I think this is an incredibly cool and promising field.

At number 19 is MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT: Virtual Worlds and Metaverse Developer. Here, I'm not specifically talking about programmers, but about all the professionals involved in creating virtual worlds, such as designers, planners, architects, etc. In the future, these virtual worlds might become platforms for social interactions, entertainment, and even work.

At number 18 is the TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY industry: Custom Tour Planner. These specialists design unique tours and travel experiences, taking into account the individual preferences of their clients. They analyze tourists' interests and wishes to create highly personalized and memorable trips. One of the main benefits of this profession is the opportunity to be self-employed. If you love traveling, have visited many countries, and have expertise in this area, you can confidently start your own agency and offer consulting services.

At number 17 is INDUSTRY: Robot Designer and everything related to robotics. This engineer develops robots for various applications, ranging from industrial uses to domestic needs. Robots are already widely used in manufacturing, and this trend will only grow, expanding their use into new areas.

At number 16 is CONSTRUCTION: Smart Home Infrastructure Designer and any other professions related to smart homes. These specialists develop systems and devices for smart homes, integrating advanced technologies for automation, security, and improved energy efficiency.

At number 15 is the FINANCIAL SECTOR: Intellectual Property Appraiser. In our digital age, with countless startups and various products, this role is increasingly relevant. These specialists evaluate the value of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property.

At number 14 is LAND TRANSPORTATION: Smart Road Designer and Builder. This professional selects and installs adaptive road surfaces, markings, RFID-enabled road signs, surveillance systems, and sensors for monitoring road conditions.

At number 13 is ECOLOGY, a field that's already highly relevant and will become even more critical due to worsening environmental conditions. The profession here is BIOREMEDIATION SPECIALIST. This specialist develops comprehensive methods to clean water, soil, and air using the metabolic capabilities of biological organisms—plants, fungi, insects, worms, and other organisms.

At number 12 is the FOOD INDUSTRY: Robotics Developer for fast food establishments, cafes, and restaurants. Of course, this field will have many other food-related professions, like eco-dieticians and synthetic product developers. But what I like about robotics development specifically is the flexibility of the profession—you can always switch industries in the future.

At number 11 is SPORTS: Athlete Movement Correction Specialist. This area is already actively developing and will increasingly incorporate artificial intelligence for data analysis. For example, an athlete running a 100-meter race is filmed, and the video is analyzed by special software with AI that examines how the athlete places their feet, bends their knees, and moves their arms, providing recommendations on errors and improvements.

At number 10 is ROBOTICS in general and all associated professions. This could include surgical robots, robots in the food industry, automotive manufacturing, nano-robots, and domestic robots. We already actively use robotic vacuum cleaners, window cleaners, and more.

At number 9 is AVIATION: UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Designer and Developer. Here, there can be many branches and related professions—you could design drones, manufacture them, or operate them as a UAV pilot.

At number 8 is WATER TRANSPORTATION: Marine Infrastructure Designer. We're witnessing rapid development in marine structures, from entertainment complexes to entire artificial islands. It's a fantastic profession offering opportunities to work in beautiful, warm locations around the world, such as the Caribbean, Maldives, or Seychelles.

At number 7 is ELECTRIC POWER: Smart Grid Engineer. This specialist designs and models intelligent power grids and energy environments tailored to specific tasks, developing technological and infrastructure requirements. Companies already provide such services—for example, Siemens offers the SureGrid service for real-time monitoring of energy consumption in buildings, and California ISO develops various demand scenarios, distributes load among energy suppliers, and integrates renewable energy sources.

At number 6 is AGRICULTURE: GMO AGRONOMIST. This specialist works with genetically modified agricultural products, implementing biotechnological advancements to produce crops with specific desired traits. Despite public debate, most scientists agree GMOs are safe, making this a future-proof profession.

At number 5 is EDUCATION: Online Education Platform Coordinator or Manager. Online education is growing rapidly, with many already believing that full higher education can be obtained from home. The increasing number of online platforms means there is a need for people to manage them. I've already seen job listings for online school managers with salaries around $6,000-$8,000 per month, requiring only a few years of experience—salaries that even engineers with over 20 years of experience rarely reach in some countries.

At number 4 is METALLURGY: New Metal Designer. These material engineers develop new metal alloys with improved characteristics for various industries, aiming for stronger, lighter, and more durable materials.

At number 3 is SPACE: a highly promising industry compared to oil and gas. You could be a developer of spacecraft and robots, or if engineering isn't your field, you could enter space tourism—a rapidly developing field—as a manager or organizer of space tours.

At number 2 is MINERAL EXTRACTION AND PROCESSING. As I've mentioned, I wouldn't recommend entering hazardous production roles, working shifts, risking your health, and receiving moderate salaries. Traditional professions such as mechanical engineers, electricians, instrument technicians, supervisors, or drillers are certainly not favorites. While these roles won't disappear, they can't be called professions of the future. If you're interested in this industry, I'd look at professions related to IT, such as smart field development, 3D modeling, UAV-based exploration, and robotic mineral extraction systems.

At number 1 is MARKETING AND SALES: Online Sales Manager. In any business, sales are essential, making sales managers crucial as they lead teams of marketers and sales specialists—though this depends on company structure. I consider this profession highly promising and already in demand, offering high salaries, various sales bonuses, and potentially stock options, making it very attractive financially.



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