Medical Managers, Software Developers Among Jobs With Highest Growth Potential

By Elizabeth Ireland, Times of San Diego

June 7, 2022

While COVID-19 is still among us, a study by UC San Diego’s Center for Research and Evaluation Monday released a list of the top-10 professions with the biggest growth potential in a post- or with-COVID world.

Using data from the labor market information firm Emsi Burning Glass, researchers identified some of the fastest-growing, highest-paying occupations in both the San Diego region and across the country.

“Some occupations have been resilient in the face of the pandemic, like healthcare and computer-based jobs, while others, like those related to education, sports and media are still recovering,” said Georgia Kovacs, director of the center, in UCSD’s Division of Extended Studies.

According to the data, the top 10 careers in San Diego are estimated to grow between 11% and 30% over the next ten years and median hourly wages for these occupations currently range from $23 an hour to $58 an hour.

San Diego’s top occupation is medical and health services managers with an expected potential workforce growth of 30% between now and 2031.

Software development and quality assurance jobs are also predicted to grow at a fast rate, sharing the highest pay rate of $58 per hour with medical and health services managers.

The full list and their predicted growth rates are:

Nationally, the data expects these occupations to grow in a similar fashion with current median hourly wages varying between $17 and $53.

Others that make the top 10 occupations nationally, but not regionally within San Diego, are coaches and scouts, interpreters and translators and substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors.

“Understanding how the pandemic has altered the employment landscape locally and nationally is critical to the development of skill building programs that provide equitable access to knowledge and creates new opportunities for individuals and for community economic development,” said Hugo Villar, dean of the Division of Extended Studies at UCSD.

City News Service contributed to this article.

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