9 High-Paying Jobs That Didn't Exist 10 Years Ago

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Is your 9-to-5 job suffocating you? Tired of working a low-paying, high stress job? Have you been watching in horror as your industry slowly dies around you? Now might be the time to replace your dead-end job with a shiny, new, and potentially lucrative career.

While you can certainly dive into a traditional career (doctor, lawyer, teacher), why not check out a newer job prospect? Over the last decade, advances in technology, changes in government policy, and shifts in social norms have gradually led to the birth of new careers. Here are nine jobs that didn't exist 10 years ago. (See also: Escape Your Dying Industry With One of These 8 Careers, Instead)

1. App Developer

In 2008, software developers created 800 applications for the Apple app store. In less than 10 years, the number of apps available on the Apple App store has ballooned to 2,000,000. The popularity of applications created the need for a new specialization within the software development community: the app developer. App developers are responsible for developing, creating, and modifying the application software. In May of 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that there were 747,730 app developer jobs. And the mean hourly wage for the position is $49.12.

2. Data Scientist

Businesses utilize free store Wi-Fi and cameras to track customer movements, information received from credit card purchases, and mobile payments to delve into customer behavior and patterns. Information gained from the data can help businesses determine what to stock, how often to send out coupons, what to set the price to, and how product placement will influence customers. Data scientists are the people that collect data from individual sources, analyze the data for patterns, and make recommendations based on that data to managers and executives.

Data scientists make a median salary of $91,146. And individuals who aren't lucky enough to make the median salary make at least $63,000 a year.

3. Ebook Editor

In 2007, the first major e-reading devices hit the shelves. For the first time, readers could have an entire library of books at their fingertips anywhere they went. The creation of ebooks not only changed how people could read, but it also made it easier for writers to self-publish their work. Amazon's Direct Publishing program, for example, will publish an author's work for free and provide royalties based on how many people purchase the book.

The increase in writers self-publishing led to a new career and freelance opportunity: ebook formatting and editing. Formatters set up the backend HTML of the ebooks to ensure that the author has a professional ebook as they go through the publication process. Professionals within this field tend to charge anywhere from $50 to $200 dollars per book.

4. Geriatric Care Managers

Over the last decade, a large number of the United States population have reached the stage where they can no longer live entirely alone without help. This has left a large number of families with the difficult task of ensuring that their elderly loved ones have all the care that they need. The job entails analyzing what type of care and services are required, making a care plan, dealing with the technical details of setting up required services, and continuing to monitor the quality of the current care plan provided.

This profession requires at least a Bachelor's degree in a field related to care management (nursing, mental health, counseling, etc.). Once you have the degree, you can become certified in care management. According to PayScale, the median salary for geriatric care managers is $47,693.

5. Genetic Counselor

Health care has gradually moved toward a patient-centered care format. In a nutshell, this focus tries to foresee, prevent, and manage illnesses to prevent costly hospitalization. Genetic counselors are a new addition to the health care field in the wake of this industry philosophy change. They dive into an individual's personal history to assess the potential for genetic disorders or birth defects in future offspring, as well as the development of genetic diseases in adults.

The job requires a Master's degree in genetic counseling or genetics. According to the BLS, genetic counselors can make up to $72,090. The current pool of available jobs as of 2014 was only 2,400, but the career is prospected to grow by 29% by 2024.

6. Information Security Analyst

Implementing good cyber security plans is a vital aspect of any business plan. The Internet has made the potential for cyber criminals to steal vital business or patient information incredibly high. Information security analysts protect companies from cyber threats by conducting security threat assessments, planning how to protect the company from threats, and implementing the new security measures to protect the company's network.

The median salary, according to the BLS, as of 2015 was $90,120. There are currently 82,900 information security analyst jobs. That number is projected to grow 18% by 2024.

7. Medical Records and Health Informatics Technician (HIT)

Technology has radically changed the health care field in the last few years. One of the major changes is the implementation of electronic health records to track patient care and patient history to improve the quality and safety of care.

Health informatics professionals are the people who plan, implement, and maintain EHR systems. On top of their EHR duties, professionals often deal with billing, create multimedia projects to educate patients, securely exchange electronic health information between care providers, and research health care trends.

According to the BLS, median pay for HIT professionals is $37,110. As of 2014, there were 188,600 jobs. There is expected to be a 15% growth which will result in 29,000 more jobs by 2024.

8. Social Media Specialist

The major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter hit the scene in the early 2000s. As more people started using them, businesses began to realize that they could be an easy way to connect with the public. Thus, the need for social media specialists were born.

Social media specialists are responsible for maintaining all of a company's social media platforms, interacting with potential customers online, crafting a social media strategy to attract more customers or clients, and analyzing social media data metrics. According to PayScale, median salary for social media specialists is $40,821.

9. YouTubers

YouTube was founded in 2005. But It wasn't until the last 10 years that individuals with YouTube channels started making their video creation efforts a profitable endeavor.

There are various strategies that YouTubers utilize to monetize their videos. YouTube allows video creators to monetize their videos with ads, or engage in affiliate marketing with companies within the video. Individual gets paid when viewers sign up for the product or make a purchase.

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