What will be the top 10 jobs of the future?

January 29, 2010

The list below shows what could be the top 10 jobs of the future:

1. Body part creator
Advances in science will make it possible to create living body parts, maybe body part stores and body part repair shops.

2. Nano-medic
Advances in nanotechnology for creating sub-atomic devices and treatments could transform personal healthcare so we would need a new breed of nano medicine specialists to administer these treatments.

3. Farmer of genetically engineered crops and livestock
New-age farmers will grow crops and keep animals that have been genetically engineered to increase the amount of food they produce and to include proteins that are good for our health. Scientists are already working on a vaccine-carrying tomato and therapeutic milk from cows, sheep and goats.

4. Old age wellness manager/consultant
We will need specialists to help manage the health and personal needs of an aging population. They will be able to use a range of new emerging medical, drug, prosthetic, mental health, natural and fitness treatments.

5. Memory augmentation surgeon
Surgeons could add extra memory to people who want to increase their memory and to help those who have been over-exposed to information and need more memory to store it.

6. New science ethicist
As scientific advances speed up in areas like cloning, we may need a new breed of ethicist who understands the science and helps society make choices about what developments to allow. It won’t be a question of can we, but should we?

7. Space pilots, tour guides and architects
With companies already promising space tourism, we may need space pilots and tour guides, as well as architects to design where they will live and work.

8. Vertical farmers
Vertical farms growing in skyscrapers in the middle or our cities could dramatically increase food supply by 2020. Vertical farmers will need skills in a range of scientific disciplines, engineering and commerce.

9. Climate change reversal specialist
As the impact of climate change increases, we will need a new breed of engineer-scientists to help reduce or reverse the effects. The range of science and technologies they use could include filling the oceans with iron filings and putting up giant umbrellas to deflect the sun’s rays.

10. Quarantine enforcer
If a deadly virus starts spreading rapidly, few countries, and few people, will be prepared. Nurses will be in short supply. And as death rates rise, and neighbourhoods are shut down, someone will have to guard the gates.