The past five years have continued to bring ground-breaking innovation across many industries. The centre of it all? New tech.

Technology may be to blame for many jobs becoming obsolete but these advances have also created new jobs that may have been inconceivable 5, 10, and even 20 years ago.

Unsurprisingly, many of these in-demand jobs focus on digital, engineering, and the environment.

Below, we look at future jobs in high demand in the Australian market in 2020.

RELATED: 2020 recruitment and hiring outlook for Australia

How design has shaped digital

It’s no surprise that a huge growth area of the last 3 to 5 years is the digital space – and all the software and design that comes with it. The top industries in digital spans retail, tech start-ups, financial services, and utilities and telecommunication.

Customer experience is at the centre of this growth, meaning roles like user experience (UX) designers are paramount. UX designers put systems in place with improved usability, accessibility and enjoyment, resulting in higher levels of customer satisfaction.

According to the Michael Page Australia 2020 Salary Guide the following roles are the highest in demand in digital:

  • Product owner/manager
  • UX designer
  • Email/CRM manager
  • Marketing automation manager
  • Digital performance manager/specialist

 

Why technology is key

Right alongside the rise of digital, is tech.

Those with talent who have strong skills in cloud software, cybersecurity, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) are currently in high demand. And the industries making the most use of new tech are the public sector, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), financial services, and retail.

RELATED: Cybersecurity and beyond: Top roles in demand

Meanwhile, the Seek Employment Report shows the percentage of total job opportunities for cloud architects has gone from 7% to 34% in the last 5 years. Similarly, data scientist job opportunities have increased from 5% to 38%.

With various big organisations hit with data breaches over the past few years, it’s no surprise companies are finally recognising the importance of on-premise data protection.

According to the Michael Page Australia 2020 Salary Guide the following roles are the highest in demand in tech:

  • Software development
  • Dev ops engineer
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data engineer

 

RELATED: Australia’s data-driven industries of the future

Transport of the future

In the age of electric and self-driving cars, drones, and hyperloops, it seems that we’ve reached a new pinnacle when it comes to transport innovation.

In transport engineering, talent with specialised training in self-driving vehicles, as well as clean energy cars are becoming more and more valuable. Increased demand for clean and automated cars is creating job opportunities in the market. And with demand only going to increase as these vehicles become mainstream, it’s a favourable time to get into the industry.

Drones have been around for a while but their uses are becoming more versatile. In the last 5 years Amazon has begun using drones for deliveries and other businesses are following suit. But for now, these drones need operators, making this an advantageous time for those interested in drone operator jobs.

The science of sustainability

Sustainability is an important value and interest for companies looking to brand themselves as eco-friendly. For larger companies this may result in hiring a sustainability manager. The role of a sustainability manager is to develop ways companies can make their product or service more environmentally friendly.

According to Columbia University, sustainability professionals must have the following skill set:

  • Understand cutting edge science and new discoveries about the planet
  • Be able to assess the impact of ever-changing technology on the planet
  • Have experience in project management

 

Sustainability managers can help a business with the following issues:

  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • Managing waste disposal
  • Reducing company’s carbon footprint
  • Conserving energy and water

 

The increasing pace of innovation is staggering. So, it will be no surprise when in another 5 years this list is outdated and there will be new in-demand roles that didn’t exist previously.

To check out the trends in your industry make sure to read the full Michael Page Australia 2020 Salary Guide.

RELATED: 8 tech industry changes to expect

 

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