6 New Careers That Are Coming of Age

These hot new careers put a fresh spin on the classics.

By Chris Kyle

Every generation has its own music, its own fashion and...its own jobs.

Case in point: These days there is an exciting fresh crop of careers that are coming of age that combine new uses of technology with some tried and true skills.

Want to get in on the ground floor as these careers grow up?

Check out our list of 6 hot new jobs that are coming of age in 2010, and find out what you need to do to jump into one of these exciting jobs...

Hot New Career #1 - Social Media Strategist

Do you love Twitter? Why not get paid to tweet? Seriously! Social media strategists figure out optimal ways to get messages out to the masses using the latest community tools online. This involves blogging, tweeting, and using sites like Foursquare and Facebook to find and communicate with customers.

Related Degrees:
Business Administration
Marketing
Public Relations
Web Design and Development

Average Salaries:
Bloggers: $32,000
PR Writers: $58,740
Social Media Strategists: $61,000

[Search for Marketing and Business programs]

Hot New Career #2 - Homeland Security

If you are looking for a challenging career with high stakes, consider Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security, which was formed as a result of the September 11 attacks, is responsible for everything from cyber security to border protection. As just one example of this career's growth pattern, in August 2010, President Obama signed a $600 million bill that pays for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents.

Related Degrees:
Criminal Justice
Homeland Security
Information Systems Security
Paralegal

Average Salaries:
Executive Branch Paralegals: $58,540
Federal Criminal Investigators: $73,170
Customs and Border Protection Agents: $92,558

[Find Criminal Justice and Homeland Security programs]

Hot New Career #3 - Forensic Accounting

Who knew that a calculator could be this powerful? Though the FBI and IRS used forensic accounting to convict Al Capone in 1931, the field arrived in a big way in the form of Will Ferrell in the hit movie The Other Guys. Forensic accounting as a career path also got a boost during the recent scandals that shook accounting firms and Wall Street.

Related Degrees:
Accounting
Finance
Business Administration

Average Salaries:
Auditing Clerks: $32,510
Forensic Accountants: $73,000
Financial Analysts: $73,150

[Click here to find Accounting and Business schools]

Hot New Career #4 - Online Video Game Designer

To give you an idea of just how big online video games have become in 2010, an estimated 200 million people - 200 million! - play video games online each month, according to a report from the University of California at San Diego Extension. Studying graphic design is one way to get started on a career in this booming business.

Related Degrees:
Animation
Graphic Design
Programming and Applications
Video Game Design
Web Design

Average Salaries:
Graphic Designers: $42,400
Multi-Media Artist and Animators: $56,330
Video Game Designers: $57,000

[Search for Design schools near you]

Hot New Career #5 - Email Marketing Manager

Companies big and small use email marketing to reach current and potential customers. Although it's more cost-effective than using the U.S. Postal Service, it's still a relatively new method, which means email marketing managers are still working out the kinks. Getting your MBA is a great way to position yourself for an email marketing managerial job.

Related Degrees:
Business Administration
E-Business/E-Commerce
Marketing
MBA

Average Salaries:
Email Marketing Managers: $69,000
Advertising Managers: $80,220
Marketing Managers: $108,580

[Find online and local Marketing and MBA programs]

Hot New Career #6 - Home Health Aide

While not exactly a new profession, home health aides are seeing increasing opportunities. Not only does the population continue to grow, but healthy retirees are now living longer and often need a part-time or full-time home health aide to take care of them. Nursing training programs can help you gain a foothold in this coming of age career track.

Related Degrees:
Licensed Practical / Vocational Nursing
Nursing Certification
Nursing (ASN, BSN, MSN)

Average Salaries:
Home Health Aides: $25,000
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: $39,030
Registered Nurses: $62,450

[Search for Nursing and Health Care training programs]

*Average salary information for Bloggers, Email Marketing Managers, Forensic Accountants, Home Health Aides, Social Media Strategists, and Video Game Designers comes from SimplyHired.com in August 2010. All other salary data represents the mean annual wage in May 2008, according to The U.S. Department of Labor.