Report Reveals 10 Most In-Demand Jobs in Chicago for 2016

According to the report, demand and pay are up for 10 professions in the Chicago area and the trending industries on the list are health care and tech

If you’re looking for a new job this year you might want to consider getting into the health care and tech industries.

According to a new report from Crain’s Chicago Business, demand and pay are up for 10 professions in the Chicago area and the trending industries on the list are health care and tech.

The list ranked the 10 most in-demand Chicago jobs in 2016 that pay $60,000 or more. The ranking used data on growth projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics and interviews from local staffing professionals.

According to the list, industrial organizational psychologists are set to see the biggest growth in the next decade, jumping 53 percent. With salaries ranging from $83,500 to $112,300, experienced psychologists working with corporations will be a prominent field in the coming years.

Also projected to grow significantly in the next 10 years are openings for diagnostic medical sonographers. With the potential to earn into the low figures, sonographers are expected to see growth of up to 46 percent.

Here’s the full list of most in-demand Chicago jobs, and their salaries, according to Crain’s:

1. Java Developer
Projected Growth: 17 percent
Median Salary: $98,000
What they do: Write programs used by mobile devices, websites and mainframes.

2. Information Security Analyst
Projected Growth: 18 percent
Median Salary: $89,000
What they do: Plan security measures to protect companies from cyberattacks. Monitor an organization’s computer networks and system, manage software installations and expose any potential hacking weaknesses.

3. Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Projected Growth: 22 percent
Median Salary: $97,300
What they do: Make sure a company’s pharmaceutical products meet federal regulations and laws.

4. Biomedical Engineer
Projected Growth: 23 percent
Median Salary: $87,000
What they do: Apply engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes.

5. Orthotist/Prosthetist
Projected Growth: 23 percent
Median Salary: $60,000
What they do: Design and fit prosthetic limbs for patients.

6. Occupational Therapist
Projected Growth: 27 percent
Median Salary: $78,800
What they do: Treat injured, ill, or disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.

7. Audiologist
Projected Growth: 29 percent
Median Salary: $73,000
What they do: Identifying and assessing hearing loss and balance problems for patients and fitting them with hearing aids.

8. Genetic Counselor
Projected Growth: 29 percent
Median Salary: $74,000
What they do: Use family and medical histories to assess a patient’s chance of disease and assist with testing, prevention, counseling and management of patients with such diseases.

9. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Projected Growth: 46 percent
Median Salary: $62,500
What they do: Healthcare workers who perform diagnostic medical sonography, or ultrasound. Though often associated with pregnancies, sonographers use sound waves to generate images that can be used for assessing and diagnosing medical conditions.

10. Industrial Organizational Psychologist
Projected Growth: 53 percent
Median Salary: $83,500-$112,300
What they do: Use psychological principles for business and organizational issues. The can assist in hiring and training employees, determining suitability for leadership roles and assisting with work performance enhancement.
 

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