11 STEM jobs to put on your radar

A career in science is more than just lab coats and exploding experiments. If you’re good at maths, science, IT, graphics and even art or music, you might like to consider a career in this wide and rapidly growing field.

STEM fields grew 19.7% – nearly double the growth rate of other occupations – between 2014 and 2019, according to stats from the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. Plus, this growth trend is set to continue upwards in the future making a STEM career a safe bet.

From jobs that require high levels of maths and coding, to ones that benefit from both creative and analytical thinking, there’s a STEM career for you out there waiting to be explored and to put your brain to use.

Here are some STEM jobs to put on your radar.

1. Software Developer 📱

Want to see your career path rocket? The industry is booming right now as people need developers for crafting high-level software applications, especially for mobile devices. Studying a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software engineering is a great start to be eligible for entry-level positions, and since all you need is a computer and internet access you could one day do this job remotely from around the world.

2. Web Developer 💻

Becoming a web developer is a little easier than becoming a software developer. You can do a degree, but there are short courses and three-month programs at private institutions that will give you the skills to launch. Due to the explosion of e-commerce the demand for web developers to build and maintain websites is high. This is also a role you could perform remotely.

3. Ecologist 🐬

There’s still so much we have to learn about the relationship between plants, animals and their environment. From land management plans to collecting data and doing research, the world of an ecologist is never dull. We interviewed Kate, a Sydney-based marine and freshwater ecologist who consults with big clients on coastal projects. Read about it on the link below.

RELATED ARTICLE: Meet six cool people in STEM

4. Statistician 📈

As businesses become more and more reliant on data and stats, the role of the statistician or mathematician is growing rapidly. To help businesses crunch their data you might need to study a masters or even doctors degree, but the payoff will be a good paying job in hot demand.

5. Civil Engineer 📐

Engineering is a great profession that combines plenty of key STEM skills. Civil engineers help design and execute big projects and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, tunnels and buildings. With a growing population, it’s safe to say we’ll need more civil engineers to design our cities and keep people moving. To become a civil engineer, you can study a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, but if you’re feeling unsure we suggest taking this career for a taste test with our FREE civil construction cadet experience.

RELATED QUIZ: What type of engineer should you be?

6. Mechanical Engineer 🔧

Look, we could add every type of engineer to this list – mechanical, digital, chemical, environmental…. Really it depends what you’re interested in studying and building. A mechanical engineer is – surprise – all about machines. So you could be designing, building and testing air-conditioning units or electric generators or engines. You can specialise a layer deeper and focus on automobiles or heating and cooling or robotics. Of course, you need at least a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. You should check out our FREE Systems and Signals Operator experience.

7. Information Security Analysts 🔒

Security is bigger than ever and the field will keep growing. If you’re curious about a career with cybersecurity, combating hacking, identity theft and other concerns, this IT field might be for you. You can break into cybersecurity with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information assurance or programming.

8. Materials Scientist 🪵

Think you could make fabric from pineapples? Materials scientists are in demand as we look for more sustainable solutions to create eco-friendly materials and solve our waste problem. Materials scientists study the physical properties of materials and try to improve the structure or invent new ones. Get your start with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or a related field.

9. Medical Scientist 🔬

Interested in medicine but don’t want to work in a hospital? Become a medical scientist and study diseases and conditions, conduct research and find new treatments or cures. With an ageing population, there’s plenty of work for medical scientists and the field is growing. Of course, you need to work your way up to a doctorate and many medical scientists will specialise in a medical field.

10. Science Communicator 🎨

If you have a creative and analytical mind, maybe a creative career in the science field is for you. Think jobs in marketing and communication at a university, as a scientific illustrator drawing new discoveries for science journals or sharing knowledge with the general public like Dr. Karl or Bill Nye. To work in science communication you can choose to study a degree in either science or creative industries and then get experience in the right places.

CHECK IT OUT: Communication and Sustainability Cadet FREE virtual work experience

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11. Psychologist 💬

Psychology is an interesting field that we suspect will grow in the coming decade. There’s an increased need for mental health services, and as seeking out these services becomes less taboo, psychologists will become more in demand. You’ll definitely need to study a master’s degree and maybe even a doctorate work as in a psychology field, from clinical to counselling to organisational to forensic.

Do these wide ranging STEM careers sound like a good fit for you? Or are you wanting to aim for something more niche and futuristic? If you’re ready to start gaining experience – even while in high school – check out our epic FREE virtual work experiences.