Most Valuable Career Skills for 2024

Most Valuable Career Skills for 2024: An Overview

The job market is always evolving. As some occupations lose popularity, others gain an edge. Regardless of the field you’re in, having certain career skills can make a difference in your success. Knowing which qualities are most in demand can be helpful as you carve out your career path. 

Fastest-Growing Jobs Outlook

From 2022 to 2032, what's expected to be the fastest-growing occupation is tied between between wind turbine service technicians and nurse practitioners. Both are set to realize a staggering 45% growth rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The boost in demand for various healthcare occupations is growing in tandem with the segment of the population that is ages 65 and older.

Six out of 20 of the fastest-growing occupations are healthcare-related, according to the BLS data. In addition to the aforementioned nurse practitioners, they are medical and health services managers, physician assistants, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, and home health and personal care aides.

In addition to nurse practitioners and wind turbine service technicians, rounding out the top five are:

• Data scientists
• Statisticians
• Information security analysts

So, which career skills will improve your chances of success in these fields? 

Tech Skills Are Highly Valued Across Multiple Industries

Tech skills are hot commodities among employees, and their application isn’t limited to the tech industry. Tech-savvy workers are highly suited to most industries, including healthcare and finance. Possessing a technical skill set can lead to a higher-paying position.

According to HRForecast, some of the hottest tech skills to have now include:

• Basic programming skills. The most popular programming languages in demand are Python, C, C++, Java, and C#.
• UI/UX design. UI/UX designers are skilled at creating digital products to meet consumer needs.
• Data engineering. Data analysts must have knowledge of Python and SQL, Java or Scala, cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), and big data processing technologies.
• Data visualization. Data visualization skills are used in data analytics to help make information more easily digested and managed.

So how much can you expect jobs that rely on these skills to pay? According to Robert Half, some of the highest-paying, in-demand tech jobs by average starting salary for 2024 include:

• Applications architect: $134,750
• Big data engineer: $122,000
  
• Systems security manager: $137,250
  
• IT director: $132,000
• ERP integration manager: $120,500
• Network/cloud architect: $133,000

While these tech skills are relevant to roles like tech management, systems architects, and security engineers, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. For example, data analytics is an increasingly significant component of healthcare as more healthcare providers move to digital record keeping. Software programmers and developers are also needed to create the software programs used to manage patient data and healthcare records.

Tech is also reshaping the finance industry, with demand rising for project managers, software operations specialists, application developers, business intelligence specialists, and statisticians. Data analysis and software skills are also essential in fields that don’t fit the tech mold, such as human resources.

What About Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries and organizations and has huge economic potential, according to a McKinsey & Company report. How might that affect your job prospects? What's important is to understand the uses of AI in your specific line of work so that you can upskill yourself and increase your work output and quality, applying AI appropriately. Depending on your line of work, skills that may be of use include understanding algorithms and neural networks, data analysis, programming, and understanding the ethical implications of AI, among others.

Soft Skills Still Carry Weight with Employers

While technical skills are important, employers don’t have tunnel vision when considering which workers to hire. Soft skills, which are often influenced more by personality than by education or training, are still a priority in the workforce.

The soft skills that may be most important in a changing job market for 2024, according to LinkedIn, include:

• Communication skills
• Customer service
• Leadership
• Project management
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability

According to research by Peter Cardon, professor of clinical business communication at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, in the age of AI, the value of soft skills will be increasingly important to foster company cultures that are people centered. Skills that stood out in his research of nearly 700 business leaders in the U.S. and across the globe included character-based traits such as integrity, ability to inspire others, motivation, and drive.

The Bottom Line

Developing both your hard and soft skills will boost your marketability to potential employers. It’s almost a certainty that tech skills will continue to be highly sought after, but other skills, such as being able to communicate effectively, being mindful of details, and staying organized, aren’t likely to go out of style anytime soon. The key to getting ahead is finding the right balance and targeting the skills that are most valued in your chosen field.