8 best subjects with high employability

Starting your academic journey is like exploring uncharted waters, both exciting and uncertain. Choosing the right qualification is like navigating a ship toward a desired destination, where the decisions you make, and the timing of those decisions become critical. You want to know what to study for a successful and rewarding career. Every day introduces new subjects or jobs that quickly become the talk of the town. Given the ever-dynamic landscape of education, technology, and careers, it's understandable that students often find themselves confused when selecting a subject or course. To help you along this road, we’ve chosen some of the top subjects in demand by students and employers alike.

1. Health Sciences - Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacology, Biomedicine

Fields in healthcare, such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, and pharmacology are always in demand. They fulfil a crucial role in human lives today, clearly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This field requires dedication, intense training, and hard work. But the rewards are good.

A mix of medicine and technology, Biomedical Engineering is also currently trending and is hot in the job market. According to Data Bridge Market Research, the global biomedical materials market has a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.1% during the forecast period of 2023 to 2030. The Biomedical Engineering field spans across medicine, engineering, pharmacy, and related disciplines. Biomedical engineers build robots for surgery, develop kits for pharma tests and much more. It's a specialisation to consider.

Duration

A typical degree in medicine or allied fields takes about five years plus another two to three years of specialisation (if a student opts for it). 

Employment

The employability for medical and dentistry graduates/postgraduates is also predicted to improve. A study published by the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a shortage of more than 1.2 lakh physicians by 2034 in America. This suggests a strong job market for students of medicine in the coming years.

The starting salaries of graduates in these fields are about GBP 30,000. Specialists can expect to make GBP 80,000 to GBP 90,000 or higher. 

Career

With a graduate or postgraduate degree in medicine or related fields, you can expect to start a career in public health, get into private practice, or opt for international healthcare professions. 

2. Data Science

One of the most sought-after jobs right now is to work as a Data Scientist. So, what does it entail? It is a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subject and is all about understanding data, a cornerstone of our modern world. It involves employing tools, theories, and techniques to understand, process, and interpret data. It is a multidisciplinary field that involves computer science, physics, information technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

Duration

A typical degree in data science ranges from three to four years. 

Employment

Data science is one of the fastest-growing occupations, with a growth rate of 35 per cent for the foreseeable future (bls.gov). The average salary of these graduates is about GBP 50,000 or USD 145,668*. Senior data scientists are paid GBP 100,000 GBP per year (Prospects 2021). 

Career

A degree in data science opens various career paths. Take your pick from data analyst, business analyst, data scientist, data architect, and more. 

3. Computer Science/Information Technology

A crowd favourite is computer science and its related discipline, information technology. These still tick all the boxes when it comes to employability. With technological advancement happening in leaps and bounds, computer scientists are often in demand. Since IT has entered almost all sectors, studying computer science or information technology guarantees you a job in most industries. 

Computer science involves computation and mathematical theories, logic and reasoning, programming languages, computer architecture, cybersecurity, AI, networks, software, and hardware, and more. Students should have good technical skills to be successful. 

Duration

A computer science or IT degree normally takes four years. 

Employment

As per the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, overall employment in Computer Science & IT occupations will grow faster than the average growth rate for all other occupations between 2022 and 2032. The average salary for computer science graduates is about GBP 44,000 to GBP 47,000.  

Career

With a computer science or IT degree, you have many opportunities. You can become a hardware expert, software engineer, network engineer, information systems manager, security architect, computer scientist, software tester, programmer, database designer, and more.

4. Engineering and Technology

Engineering is still going strong in terms of employability. It is an umbrella of subjects that covers various niche areas like aeronautical, civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, environmental engineering and many more. Students study mathematics and physics as part of engineering, in addition to other subjects. Other specialisations are also available, like industrial or biomedical engineering. 

Duration

The duration of any engineering discipline is four years. 

Employment

According to the BLS Employment Projections data, STEM occupations are projected to grow 10.8% within the period 2022-32. The starting salaries for engineers can range from GBP 25,000 - GBP 47,000. Note that the salaries vary based on the engineering type. For example, a chemical engineer, or an electrical engineer can earn up to GBP 35,000 per year, whereas a nuclear engineer can earn about GBP 60,000. 

Career

With an engineering degree, you can get jobs in both public and private sectors. Depending on the engineering degree specialisation, you can opt for various career options, including in sectors not related to engineering.

5. Veterinary Science

Veterinary science is also holding its own amidst all the IT buzz. The jobs related to veterinary science and technologies are growing at 21 per cent. Students will learn medical science and practical training with animals. Subjects like medical science, clinical management, anatomy, disease treatment and others are taught as part of this degree. 

Duration

Typically, a veterinary science degree can take four to five years. Master’s or specialisations can take up an additional two years or more. 

Employment

Veterinary science graduates can get employed soon after graduation, with an employment rate of more than 85 per cent. The average salary for vets can range from GBP 32,000 to GBP 40,000.

Career

There are many paths to choose as a vet- you can get into research, active practice, surgery, residencies, or government programs. 

6. Finance, Economics, Accounting

Finance and keeping accounts are the core of any institution or organization. Without proper financial management, companies cannot function. Therefore, this subject still has many takers and is a great option. A degree involves studying finance, economics, markets, investment, accountancy, corporate finance, analysis, reporting, and more.

Duration

This degree usually takes three years. Plus, one to two years of postgraduate study if a specialisation is selected. Additionally, this degree can also be supplemented with business and administrative studies (MBA) to increase employability or get into entrepreneurship. 

Employment

According to the American Bureau of Labour Statistics, more than 9 lakh openings are projected in the business and financial sector every year. Salaries can go up to GBP 65,000, depending on the role and the field. For example, an investment banker can earn upwards of GBP 60,000, whereas a financial analyst can earn approximately GBP 30,000 per year. An economist can expect to earn about GBP 44,000 per year. 

Career

Finance offers many career choices in the financial, banking, government, or corporate sectors. With this degree, you can be a chartered accountant, financial analyst, investment banker, finance consultant, economic consultant/analyst, and more. If supplemented with an MBA, you can get into project management, marketing, business management/development and so on. 

7. AI, Machine Learning, Robotics

The demand for AI, machine learning, and robotics has grown exponentially over the past decade. AI has made inroads into almost every area. Robots are improving the efficiency of many mundane and difficult tasks. For example, robotic surgeries have gained momentum in medicine. 

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics encompass mathematics, computer science, psychology, physics, engineering, and allied areas. 

Duration

For these specialisations, you typically start with an engineering or a computer science degree, which takes about four years and then move on to major in AI or robotics. 

Employment

Job opportunities continue to develop because of the high demand for these special skills. The employment rate is projected to grow by two per cent in the coming years, with about 18,000 jobs available each year (indeed.com). Robotics engineers can expect to earn about GBP 42,000 - GBP 60,000 per year on average, or approximately USD 88,000 per year. 

Career

With a qualification in AI or Machine Learning, careers such as data scientist, data analyst, AI engineer, business intelligence analyst, big data engineer, and many more can open up. As a robotics engineer, you can be a robot technician, engineer, simulator, or operator. 

8. Mathematics, Statistics

Mathematics is inherent in our daily lives. Although termed as difficult to study by most, it has a good employment track record. These subjects form the core of several other disciplines, especially in computer science and engineering. Applied mathematics or statistics is the most desirable specialisation. 

Statisticians and mathematicians perform data analysis and solve problems through computation techniques. 

Duration

A degree in mathematics or statistics can take three years. A master’s degree is another two years. 

Employment

The jobs in mathematics and statistics are projected to grow at 30 per cent a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics. A statistician’s average salary is about GBP 42,000 GBP in the UK, while in the USA, the average pay is about USD 98,000. For mathematicians, it is about USD 112,000 per year. 

Career

With either of these degrees, career choices are many, ranging from teaching and finance to the corporate sector, including IT, data analytics, and more. 

Get set for a bright future

We’ve listed the best available subjects with good chances for employability, which should give you a fair idea of what to expect. So, go ahead and explore them and make an informed decision.

If you need help, we’re just a call away. Our education counsellors can help you with any query regarding the best colleges or universities to consider, available scholarships, top courses, and more. Reach out to us now for a free consultation.

Source: Indeed.com, BLS, Data Bridge Market Research, AAMC, BLS blog, Indeed.com blog 

Editor's Note: This article was previously updated in December 2021 by our content writer, Roshna Mohan. We have since revised it to include up-to-date information and ensure its comprehensiveness.