Broaden your job search.
It’s time to think outside the cubicle, because the business world is changing. This industry’s occupations now have kaleidoscopic settings, training, salaries and skills, and the job seekers attracted to this line of work can’t be pigeonholed as buttoned-up stuffed shifts. Multifaceted as they may be, the best jobs within the fields of financial services, operations, sales and marketing do have something in common: They’re expected to grow between now and 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. See how U.S. News ranks the 25 Best Business Jobs of 2015.
No. 1: Market Research Analyst
Median Salary: $60,800 Unemployment Rate: 3 percent
Expected Job Openings: 131,500
Market research analysts study our habits as consumers, then use those observations to counsel companies on packaging, branding and selling products. The BLS predicts an impressive 31.6 employment increase for this occupation between 2012 and 2022.
No. 2: Marketing Manager
Median Salary: $123,220 Unemployment Rate: 3.9 percent
Expected Job Openings: 22,900
Sending the right message about a product can take that product from shelf-warmer to must-have sensation. That’s what effective marketing managers do: highlight what’s fresh and relevant about a commodity to entice customers. Our No. 2 business job ranks so well partly due to its high median salary: $123,220 in 2013.
No. 3: Accountant
Median Salary: $65,080 Unemployment Rate: 3.6 percent
Expected Job Openings: 166,700
Were you the kid who made straight-A’s in math? Then a career full of audits, taxes and accounts receivable beckons. The Labor Department predicts more than 166,000 new openings will be created in this field by 2022.
No. 4: Operations Research Analyst
Median Salary: $74,630 Unemployment Rate: 3 percent
Expected Job Openings: 19,500
Like a market research analyst, the No. 4 business job is also an advisory position. These analysts help businesses and organizations operate more efficiently. The BLS projects employment growth of nearly 27 percent for operations research analysts by 2022.
No. 5: Financial Advisor
Median Salary: $75,320 Unemployment Rate: 2.5 percent
Expected Job Openings: 60,300
Few laymen and women enjoy or are capable of digging through the red tape and legalese of investments, taxes and insurance, which is one reason financial advisors are so in demand. The BLS anticipates 27 percent employment growth for personal financial advisors through 2022.
No. 6: Logistician
Median Salary: $73,400 Unemployment Rate: 1.4 percent
Expected Job Openings: 27,600
Logisticians solve theoretical problems for manufacturing or retail businesses and prove indispensable in large-scale disaster-relief efforts. Their input can be life-saving. Logistician employment is expected to expand 21.9 percent by 2022.
No. 7: Insurance Agent
Median Salary: $48,210 Unemployment Rate: 3.4 percent
Expected Job Openings: 45,900
Job prospects for agents who sell health and long-term care insurance should be particularly strong, the BLS reports, and independent sales agents will fare better than those looking to work for an insurance company. In total, there may be 45,900 new jobs created for our No. 7 business job.
No. 8: Bookkeeping, Accounting and Audit Clerk
Median Salary: $35,730 Unemployment Rate: 4.4 percent
Expected Job Openings: 204,600
A penchant for organization and numbers is essential for a budding bookkeeping, accounting and audit clerk, and good opportunities for employment are expected as regulations in the financial sector constrict. Anticipate 204,600 new jobs in this industry by 2022.
No. 9: Loan Officer
Median Salary: $61,420 Unemployment Rate: 5.4 percent
Expected Job Openings: 22,900
Borrowing money is stressful, and processing student loans, auto loans or mortgage applications involves more than just red tape and number crunching. In other words, prospective loan officers need emotional intelligence as well. Expect job growth in this field as lending activity rallies: The BLS predicts nearly 23,000 openings for loan officers by 2022.
No. 10: Business Operations Manager
Median Salary: $96,430 Unemployment Rate: 4.4 percent
Expected Job Openings: 244,100
Whether you think of your business operations manager as the GM, big cheese or head honcho, he or she is charged with making strategic decisions necessary to run a department. The best have top-notch communication skills, a knack for time management and the ability to make critical decisions smartly and quickly.
No. 11: HR Specialist
Median Salary: $56,850Unemployment Rate: 7.1 percent
Expected Job Openings: 35,400
True or false: More job openings mean more human resources personnel. According to the BLS, true. Employment within this employee training and development job should balloon 15.5 percent from 2012 to 2022.
No. 12: Event Planner
Median Salary: $46,260Unemployment Rate: 5.6 percent
Expected Job Openings: 31,300
If you’re considering this field, work on your patience and problem-solving skills. Event planners are adept at making both minuscule and monstrous logistical decisions for weddings, conventions, orientations and more. Our No. 12 job is one of the fastest-growing on our list. Employment should swell by 33.2 percent from 2012 to 2022, the BLS predicts.
No. 13: Sales Manager
Median Salary: $108,540Unemployment Rate: 3.9 percent
Expected Job Openings: 29,800
A great sales team can catapult a company from obscurity to center stage. For this to happen, its leaders must be as comfortable meeting new people as they are hiring and supervising. It’s not uncommon for sales managers to be the most recognizable faces associated with their companies.
No. 14: Administrative Assistant
Median Salary: $32,840 Unemployment Rate: 5.9 percent
Expected Job Openings: 307,800
Today’s administrative assistants are expected to offer support to all echelons of an organization. Yes, they schedule meetings and maintain paper and electronic files, but they also conduct research and assistant with managerial projects.
No. 15: Sales Representative
Median Salary: $54,410 Unemployment Rate: 3.6 percent
Expected Job Openings: 132,000
For this job, it helps to be energetic, charming and flexible. Sales representatives travel extensively, introducing and selling products to customers, plus they generate excitement and build a relationship with a product’s loyal clientele. The BLS projects our No. 15 business job will experience 8.9 percent employment growth from 2012 to 2022.
No. 16: Financial Analyst
Median Salary: $78,380 Unemployment Rate: 3.3 percent
Expected Job Openings: 39,300
If you’re studying finance, economics or a related field, consider becoming a financial analyst. The BLS is bullish on this occupation’s growth and anticipates nearly 40,000 new jobs by 2022.
No. 17: Management Analyst
Median Salary: $79,870 Unemployment Rate: 4.7 percent
Expected Job Openings: 133,800
A business is only as effective as the people who keep it running. Management analysts understand this and pass their days collecting and deciphering data or recommending solutions to the problems plaguing their organizations. The profession is expected to grow 18.6 percent by 2022.
No. 18: Financial Manager
Median Salary: $112,700 Unemployment Rate: 4.1 percent
Expected Job Openings: 47,100
Financial managers face a competitive market, but it’s also a growing one. This occupation, which involves overseeing the finances of organizations, should swell with 47,100 new job openings by 2022.
No. 19: Real Estate Agent
Median Salary: $39,800 Unemployment Rate: 3.9 percent
Expected Job Openings: 38,000
Being a real estate agent involves listening to the desires of prospective homeowners, the anxiety of potential home sellers and being sensible about the fluctuations of the housing market. The BLS predicts this position will grow at a steady clip between 2012 and 2022 with 38,000 new jobs.
No. 20: Compliance Officer
Median Salary: $64,340 Unemployment Rate: 4.3 percent
Expected Job Openings: 11,000
Employment in our No. 20 business job spans across industries, but the duties are generally the same: These performance auditors ensure ethics are practiced, laws are followed and regulations are met. The BLS predicts there will be 11,000 new jobs in this field by 2022.
No. 21: Executive Assistant
Median Salary: $49,290 Unemployment Rate: 5.9 percent
Expected Job Openings: -10,500
In its latest projections report, the BLS predicted that this field would lose jobs, but its unemployment rate is in line with the national average. Plus, the salary for executive assistants is pretty good. These professionals (think more Joan Harris than Miss Blankenship) often handle office-management tasks and assist with corporate reports.
No. 22: Customer Service Representative
Median Salary: $30,870 Unemployment Rate: 8.1 percent
Expected Job Openings: 298,700
Working in customer service isn’t just about listening to people complain. There’s also a lot of problem-solving and people-pleasing involved. The best-paid reps work in the pipeline transportation of natural gas, aerospace products and railroad manufacturing industries, and their profession is expected to grow 12.6 percent by 2022.
No. 23: Bill Collector
Median Salary: $32,920 Unemployment Rate: 12.6 percent
Expected Job Openings: 58,200
The name might give you chills, but being a bill collector involves more than hounding debtors. Bill collectors also help negotiate a repayment plan and provide credit advice. The BLS projects 14.7 employment growth for this profession by 2022.
No. 24: Office Clerk
Median Salary: $28,050 Unemployment Rate: 8.6 percent
Expected Job Openings: 184,100
You could work as a clerk in a doctor’s office, a politician’s office or a principal’s office, but many of the required job skills are the same: excellent communication, a knack for organization and planning, plus plenty of patience and tact. The BLS predicts employment growth of 6.2 percent for this job between 2012 and 2022.
No. 25: Receptionist
Median Salary: $26,410 Unemployment Rate: 9.7 percent
Expected Job Openings: 135,900
Working as a receptionist is a good way to learn the ropes in a corporate setting. Plus it could serve as a launchpad for a career in operations, human resources or management. To get a job in this field, you’ll need good computer and customer service skills, as well as a sense of discretion. The BLS predicts 13.5 percent employment growth for this job between 2012 and 2022.
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The Best Business Jobs of 2015 originally appeared on usnews.com
