The 16 Most High-Demand Jobs for Women in 2022 & Beyond

The outlook on the future world of work remains uncertain. Many jobs and industries have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, and thousands of workers are leaving their jobs in search of something different. The so-called ‘Great Resignation’ has left professionals desperate to know where the workplace is headed and how they can set themselves up for career longevity and success.

What is certain, though, is which careers already in high demand will continue to grow over the next five years. The list below reveals where the high-paying, long-term opportunities are, whether you’re hoping to make a career pivot, return to the workforce after an employment gap, or simply hone the skills that’ll benefit you in a future role.

Here, we define 16 of the best jobs in high demand and their average salary, responsibilities, and educational and skill requirements.

Best jobs in high demand with good pay

Mergers and acquisitions manager

Average salary: $147,737

Mergers and acquisitions managers evaluate potential opportunities to purchase or merge with other companies and oversee transaction processes from financial planning and scoping to closing and integration management. The most common industries that hire for merger and acquisitions managers are management consulting, accounting, and consumer goods. Although this position is very well compensated, the job can often be demanding and require long hours.

To become a mergers and acquisitions manager, you’ll need:

A master’s degree in business, accounting, finance, economics, or another related field
3–5 years of experience in a similar management role
Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills

Enterprise account director

Average salary: $106,274

Enterprise account directors research and pursue new business opportunities and create connections with influencers, executives, and decision-makers while also maintaining and expanding existing accounts. They most often work at computer software, internet, or information technology and services companies. If you consider yourself a people person or a salesperson, this could be the perfect high-demand job with a good salary for you.

To become an enterprise account director, you’ll need:

A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, or a related field
Knowledge of HR software like Workday or SAP
5+ years experience selling IT solutions
Excellent communication, negotiation, and forecasting skills

Site reliability engineer

Average salary: $177,450

Basically, this position oversees the building and implementation of services that makes IT and support better at their jobs. Site reliability engineers create, implement, and fix software tools to increase a system's reliability and efficiency. They work very closely with software development and IT operations teams and typically come from previous roles in DevOps consulting, system engineering, and cloud engineering.

To become a site reliability engineer, you’ll need:

A bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field
Knowledge of DevOps tools such as Git, Docker, and Jenkins
Knowledge of coding programs like Java, JavaScript, and .NET
Excellent communication and software automation skills

Head of sales operations

Average salary: $144,436

Also called sales operations directors or simply head of sales, people in these high-demand jobs lead sales departments to optimize the sales process, identify growth opportunities, and implement better business forecasting techniques. If you’re looking for a leadership position and want to improve the sales process, this in-demand job could be the one for you.

To become head of sales operations, you’ll need:

A master’s degree or PhD in sales, marketing, finance, or another business-related field
10+ years experience in the sales operation department of a business
Knowledge in sales management, customer relationship management, and sales enablement
Excellent communication, analytical, and interpersonal skills

Read more: What Does a Sales Professional Do?

Chief human resources officer

Average salary: $171,071

Chief human resources (HR) officers–often also called chief people officer, vice president of human resources, or director of HR operations–develop and execute the HR strategy of an organization. They’re the leaders that articulate the wants and needs for the organization’s talent acquisition strategy, organizational management, and training and development programs.

To become a chief human resources officer, you’ll need:

A bachelor’s degree in human resources or another related field
10+ years of HR experience
Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills
Knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations
Knowledge of HR software like Workday or SAP

Best jobs in high demand with remote work

Customer marketing manager

Average salary: $118,298

A customer marketing managers’ responsibility is to maintain and improve the relationship between companies and their customers. They typically work for marketing firms and internet or computer software companies, and their primary focus is to drive client engagement through awards, events, workshops, and messaging. Because the job involves meetings with people across many different areas and regions, it’s fairly easy to work from home in this position.

To become a customer marketing manager, you’ll need:

A bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business, or a related field
Previous customer service or account management experience
Experience with CRM, digital marketing tools, and B2B marketing
Excellent communication, analytical, and creativity skills

Business development representative

Average salary: $77,044

Again, because not much in-person interaction is required, this job in high demand is another good remote option. Business development representatives are early-career salespeople who identify and communicate with prospective clients. As the liaison between the marketing and sales teams, they contact potential clients through cold calling and emailing and spend much of their time presenting the company to those prospects.

To become a business development representative, you’ll need:

A bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, or another related field
Experience with Excel and CRM software like Salesforce
Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills

Search marketing manager

Average salary: $85,371

Also called paid search managers or search engine marketing (SEM) managers, these analytical people develop paid search campaigns across various digital channels to promote certain products or services. A successful search marketing manager manages the paid search budget, works with the SEO and marketing team to maximize ROI and drive traffic, and performs ongoing optimization and research.

To become a search marketing manager, you’ll need:

A bachelor’s degree in marketing or another related quantitative, test-driven field
Experience in web analytics, marketing, SEO, and business development
Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Excellent communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills

Business systems administrator

Average salary: $73,484

Business system administrators install, maintain, and upgrade company hardware and software systems. In addition to maintaining important software, they also manage servers, ensure that all data and networks are secure, and teach other employees how to use certain technology and programs—a job that can successfully be done while working remotely.

To become a business systems administrator, you’ll need:

A bachelor’s degree in computer science, business administration, or a related field
Knowledge of Salesforce and data enrichment tools like DataFox and DiscoverOrg
Previous experience in sales operations or business operations
Excellent communication, analytical, and presentation skills

User experience researcher

Average salary: $107,257

User experience researchers track end users’ motivations, preferences, and behaviors to help inform business strategy and product development. Essentially, the purpose of their job is to uncover human insights through research to help inform the design of applications.

To become a user experience researcher, you’ll need:

A bachelor’s degree in cognitive science, behavioral economics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, or another related field
5+ years of UX research experience
Experience with remote testing tools like Lookback or Userfeel
Excellent time management, research, and communication skills

Best jobs in high demand in male-dominated fields

Machine learning engineer

Average salary: $125,000

Machine learning engineers develop and implement artificial intelligence algorithms and systems for products and applications. They design machine learning systems, apply algorithms to create accurate predictions, and resolve data set issues. Currently, the gender distribution is 77.7 percent male and 22.3 percent female.

To become a machine learning engineer, you’ll need:

A bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, mathematics, or another related field
2+ years experience in machine learning engineering
Knowledge of Python, Java, and R code writing
Experience with machine learning frameworks, libraries, data structures, data modeling, and software architecture
Excellent communication, analytical, and collaboration skills

Head of financial planning

Average salary: $140,144

Usually, the head of financial planning leads the budgeting, forecasting, long-term planning, and business strategic analysis for a company’s financial team. Finance is a notoriously male-dominated industry—this role is roughly 78 percent male at the moment. Not only is this in-demand role high-paying, but it also brings a high level of professional respect that women no doubt want to get in on.

To become head of financial planning, you’ll need:

A bachelor's degree in finance, economics, accounting, business administration, or another related field
5+ years of financial and managerial experience
Experience with assessing risks, investments, and budgets
Excellent communication, project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills

Back end developer

Average salary: $94,918

Tech is another area that attracts mostly men. Back end developers create, code, and improve server-side technology that powers front-end web and mobile applications. They study industry trends, create and optimize back-end processes, and collaborate with front-end developers to design better programs—with the goal of ultimately creating a seamless experience for the end-user.

To become a back end developer, you’ll need:

A bachelor's degree in computer programming, computer science, or another related field
Understanding of the web development cycle and programming techniques and tools
Knowledge of specific languages such as Java, PHP, Python, or operating systems
Excellent communication, computer, and project management skills

Customer solutions engineer

Average salary: $98,062

Currently, roughly 19 percent of customer solutions engineers are women. These engineers provide consulting and technical solutions to prospective or existing customers in support of the sales process. They interact with customers to identify their needs—and from design to safety, they vow to improve the customer's experience.

To become a customer solutions engineer, you’ll need:

A bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or another engineering related field
Experience with software engineering, customer experience, business analysis, and design architecture
Knowledge and experience working with various operating systems
Excellent communication and analytical skills

Land development manager

Average salary: $98,055

Construction-related jobs have traditionally been viewed as “men’s work,” but some of the best companies to work for as women are real estate companies. Land development managers, also referred to as real estate development managers, oversee residential, commercial, or industrial construction projects. From initial planning to project completion, they provide strategic planning, project management, and financial oversight.

To become a land development manager, you’ll need:

A bachelor’s degree in engineering, project management, real estate development, construction, or another related field
Knowledge in investing, marketing, construction, and legal agreements
Knowledge of local and state level laws and regulations regarding real estate development
Excellent project management, networking, and presentation skills

Strategic sales specialist

Average salary: $65,482

Strategic sales specialists improve sales and business growth. They have an in-depth understanding of a company’s range of products and services and possess the skills and industry knowledge to successfully sell them. Sales specialists also prepare marketing budgets, conduct research, and perform sales forecasts.

To become a strategic sales specialist, you’ll need:

A bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or another related field
Excellent customer service, critical thinking, and leadership skills

Read more: 20 of the Best Jobs to Have Now

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