Find your future: Top 10 trending jobs

Finishing school or university is as exciting as it is terrifying. Finally gaining the independence to start forging your own path can be thrilling, but the pressure to make a definite choice can be overwhelming. Don’t worry though, we’re here to help. 

The reality is, you don’t need to make one choice for your future and stick to it. However, it can be useful to make a rough plan – that way, you’ll feel more prepared for success. 

For this article, we did some research to find the best jobs in the UK right now. We looked at average salaries, industry demand, job satisfaction and even more statistics from trusted job boards like Glassdoor and Indeed. As a reference point, the average salary for full-time jobs in the UK right now is £33,280 per annum. 

From our research, we’ve found 10 trending jobs for you. Even if you’re not sure whether any of these careers are right for you, we hope this list will give you some inspiration and helpful information to consider when exploring your future career path.

Without further ado, let’s get into it.

1. Marketing director

Interested in leading a creative team and helping to build a memorable brand? A marketing director leads the marketing team and focuses on brand development, strategy and messaging. 

Of course, this isn’t a role you can jump straight into – but if you’re interested in marketing, you can certainly work your way up the ladder with a bit of hard work. 

The demand for all-round marketing directors is very high, as it has been for the last few years. However, marketing directors are increasingly expected to have a solid understanding of digital skills, so it might be a good idea to upskill in areas like SEO (search engine optimisation) and CRM (customer relationship management).

To get the ball rolling, check out our excellent selection of online digital marketing courses, and start upskilling in your free time.

Average salary

The median salary for a marketing director is £77,695, according to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in a report by Save the Student.

Job satisfaction

The role of marketing director scored 4.2 out of 5 in Glassdoor’s best job satisfaction survey, so this could definitely be a career to consider if you’re looking for a challenging but exciting leadership role with a great salary.

Skills you need to succeed

• Leadership
• Communication
• Creative problem-solving
• Budgeting
• Networking
• Presenting
• Time management.

2. Teacher

If you’re passionate about education and want to raise the next generation of thinkers, teaching could be a great career path. A teacher leads a class of school students, ranging from preschool age to sixth form. Some teachers specialise in a specific subject area, whereas others have more generalised skills.

If you’re interested in teaching but not sure where to start, check out our blog post, What kind of teacher should I be? One thing is for sure, you won’t need to worry about landing a job. There are currently teacher shortages in the UK, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll be in high demand – hence it making our trending jobs list!

To kickstart your teaching career, explore our extensive range of online teaching courses, and find courses in a variety of topics including teacher training, inclusive education, assessments and lesson planning. 

Average salary

The average salary for a qualified teacher in the UK depends on where you live – in England & Wales, you can expect to earn between £28,000 and £38,810, but in London, it ranges from £29,344 to £44,756. This differs again in Scotland & Northern Ireland. 

Although teachers don’t earn the highest salaries, keep in mind that headteachers have one of the highest salaries in the UK (an average of £66,686). So, if you have big dreams about transforming education in schools, you might end up earning more than you originally thought.

Job satisfaction

If you’re looking for a role where you feel you’re making a difference, teaching could be right for you, and having a purposeful career can do wonders for job satisfaction. Based on 167 responses, Payscale rates the job satisfaction of teachers as 3.6 out of 5.

Skills you need to succeed

• Communication
• Creativity
• Lesson planning
• Organisation
• Writing
• Active listening
• Resilience
• Emotional intelligence.

3. Sustainability consultant

Concerned about the climate crisis and looking for a career where you can use your skills to make a difference? Sustainability consultants work closely with clients (often businesses) to help them improve their sustainability efforts – this may include looking at energy efficiency, land management, pollutants produced, materials used, and more.

What’s more, demand for sustainability consultants is at a record high, and the market is set to grow to $16 billion by 2027. So, if you’re business minded but want to use your talents in a positive way, this could be an excellent career choice.

Take our A Beginner’s Guide to Corporate Social Responsibility course by the University of Warwick for an introduction to sustainability and social responsibility in the workplace, and explore our wide range of online sustainability courses. 

Average salary

The average salary of a sustainability consultant is a very comfortable £44,412 in the UK according to Indeed, so you’ll be well above the national average in this role.

Job satisfaction

In a 2022 survey by Environmental Analyst, early career professionals working in the UK’s environmental & sustainability (E&S) consulting sector cited opportunities for international work, a sense of purpose, and good job variety as key reasons for being satisfied with their careers.

Skills you need to succeed

• Environmental knowledge
• Business acumen
• Communication
• Persuasion
• Project management
• Networking
• Analytical skills.

4. UX designer

If you’re interested in the intersection between design, consumer behaviour and accessibility, we have the perfect trending job for you. A UX designer is a type of web designer who focuses on understanding users and creating highly usable, enjoyable and accessible software, websites and apps.

The demand for UX specialists has been climbing for a while – a CompTIA analysis of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has pointed to increased job postings. So, this is a pretty future-proof career option.

To learn more and start preparing for your future career, explore our online UX courses and discover topics such as UX design strategy.

Average salary

The salary for a UX designer ranges widely based on location and seniority. On average, it’s recorded as £47,500 in the UK.

Job satisfaction

The role of UX designer scored 4.3 out of 5 in Glassdoor’s best job satisfaction survey, so you could be onto a winner with this career path. 

Skills you need to succeed

• User interface design
• Collaboration
• Web design
• Creativity
• Coding
• Design thinking
• Analytical skills.

5. Paramedic

The role of a paramedic is to provide life-saving medical care to patients in an emergency, as well as transporting them to a hospital in an ambulance. If you want a fast-paced role, where no day is the same and you’ll save lives, this is the trending job for you.

Since paramedics will always be essential for the healthy running of society, your job prospects as a paramedic are looking pretty solid.

If you’re thinking about becoming a paramedic or exploring other healthcare roles, check out our online healthcare courses. Our Start Your Career as a Healthcare Professional course by the University of Leicester might be the best place to start.

Average salary

A senior paramedic has a median salary of £49,909, but generally, salaries are based on the NHS band system and significantly change with experience. So while you may not start on the greatest salary, progression is inevitable.

Job satisfaction

As with many healthcare careers, being a paramedic is rewarding and fulfilling. You’ll be right at the forefront of emergency care, and while this can be stressful, you’ll save many lives. 

It should be mentioned that job satisfaction for paramedics has declined over time, due to a lack of pay rises and staff shortages, but the career itself has a lot of potential to be fulfilling and is held in high regard by society. On Payscale, the job satisfaction rating for paramedics is 3.6 out of 5.

Skills you need to succeed

• Medical knowledge & training
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Excellent driving
• Resilience
• Problem-solving 
• Empathy.

6. Diversity & Inclusion manager

Are you passionate about driving change and giving everyone a voice? The responsibility of a diversity & inclusion manager is to work with the human resources (HR) department to design and implement company policies that promote diversity and protect minorities.

Between 2015 and 2020, there was a 71% increase in diversity roles in the UK, so this type of work is growing at an unprecedented pace. It’s the perfect time to start your career in this space – the role of D&I manager is likely to be a trending job for the foreseeable future.

Explore our online diversity and inclusion courses to learn essential, transferable skills and get your career started.

Average salary

According to data on Glassdoor, the average salary for D&I managers in the UK is £47,375 – a figure that looks pretty appealing.

Job satisfaction

With high job demand, great salaries and a purposeful mission, there’s a lot to love about being a diversity and inclusion manager. Also, if you’ve been hired as a D&I manager, your company is demonstrating a willingness to improve – hopefully making your workplace a more open, welcoming and inclusive place to work.

Skills you need to succeed

• Management 
• Research
• Communication
• Empathy
• Emotional intelligence
• Conflict mediation
• Active listening.

7. Data engineer

You’re probably aware by now that data makes the world go round. While the role of data analyst has been a trending job for a while, the lesser-known but equally important data engineer deserves some attention. A data engineer designs, builds and maintains data infrastructure and integrates it into business processes so data can then be collected, managed and analysed.

Data engineering is being labelled as one of the most in-demand careers of 2023, as global big data services are expected to grow to $103 billion by 2027. This growth is likely to continue for decades to come, so if you’re looking for a solid investment, you might want to upskill in data engineering.

Try our Introduction to Data Engineering with Microsoft Azure course to get started in this cutting-edge industry.

Average salary

Data from Reed suggests that the average salary of a data engineer in the UK is £64,084, a figure that is nearly double the average salary in the UK. No complaints here!

Job satisfaction

The size and growth of the data industry mean you will have plenty of career progression opportunities in data engineering. When you add great salaries and a varied job spec into the mix, this role has the potential to be very satisfying. Data engineers rate their job satisfaction on average as 4 out of 5, according to Payscale.

Skills you need to succeed

• Programming
• Database knowledge
• Machine learning
• Algorithms
• Analysis
• Presenting
• Communication.

8. Project manager

Are you a lover of planning, organising, and checking things off your to-do list? If so, keep reading. The role of a project manager is to develop and maintain a project plan and direct, manage and motivate a team. The type of project depends on the business and client, but you can work in whatever industry interests you most.

Project managers are some of the most sought-after employees right now, with 22,791 job openings according to Glassdoor. If you’re looking for job stability, project management is not a bad option.

We have a wide range of online project management courses for you to explore, from beginner to expert level.

Average salary

The average project manager salary in the UK is £62,288, according to Reed. This makes project management one of the most lucrative fields to get into.

Job satisfaction

If you want the chance to work on international projects, do something different every day, and set people up for success, you’ll most likely find satisfaction in a project management role. Payscale data seems to corroborate this – from 6,629 responses, the role of a project manager is rated as highly satisfying. 

Skills you need to succeed

• Leadership
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Budgeting
• Time management
• Risk management
• Negotiation.

9. Psychotherapist

The stigma around talking about mental health has fortunately reduced in recent years, and with it, the number of people searching for a mental health career has risen. If you’re a great listener and want to help people struggling with their mental wellbeing, psychotherapy could be a good career choice.

A psychotherapist uses talk therapy – like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – to help people with mental illness and emotional challenges manage their symptoms. They may be a psychologist, counsellor, clinical social worker or work in another related field. So, there are a lot of different routes into psychotherapy, and you can find the one that suits your skills and interests best.

What’s more, there is currently a rising demand for mental health care in the UK, with private therapy booming in particular, so finding work shouldn’t be too difficult if you make sure you’re good at what you do.

Explore our online psychology and mental health courses to find a specialism you’re really interested in and learn more about a career in psychotherapy.

Average salary

The average salary of a psychotherapist in the UK is £47,824, though this will vary depending on whether you work for the NHS or in the private sector.

Job satisfaction

Since psychotherapy is quite broad, job satisfaction will be dependent on the nature of your role and the environment you work in. However, on Payscale, 78 psychotherapists rated their jobs 3.8 out of 5 on average. Many people who work in the mental health industry find it extremely rewarding to help people overcome challenges and improve their wellbeing.

Skills you need to succeed

• Communication
• Expertise in psychology
• Emotional intelligence
• Empathy
• Active listening
• Discretion
• Creativity.

10. Software developer

Are you a fan of all things tech? Software development could be the perfect career to suit your interests. The role of a software developer is to design, build and maintain software using a range of different programming languages, skills and tools.

Demand for software developers is very high in the UK, with Hackjob even reporting that their average starting pay is 64% above the national average. CodinGame also reported that 750 new software developer jobs were advertised every day in August 2022, so software development is the ultimate trending job this year.

So, if you love to challenge yourself by learning new things and technologies, take a look at our wide selection of online software development courses. Also, check out our extensive collection of programming courses and start learning how to write code.

Average salary

According to Reed, the average salary of a software developer in the UK is £50,794. However, this number can climb even higher after several years of experience, depending on the companies you work for.

Job satisfaction

Data based on 2,048 responses from software developers on Payscale shows that on average, software developers are highly satisfied with their careers. This is probably due to a mixture of attributes, including a high salary, job flexibility and independence.

Skills you need to succeed

• Programming languages (JavaScript, HTML, C+, etc.)
• Web development
• Creative problem-solving
• Mathematical aptitude
• Attention to detail.

Find your future career with FutureLearn

We hope this article has given you some food for thought regarding your future career, and you feel inspired to research some of the trending jobs and industries we spoke about. 

But what if you don’t like the sound of any of these 10 trending jobs? Don’t worry – check out our article on how to find your dream job to figure out your passion in life and how to achieve your goals.

We also have 1000+ more online courses available that span a wide range of subjects and career paths. You’re bound to find something that speaks to you!