Career Advice / Career Growth / Career Development

Highest paying jobs in 2023 you need to look out for

. 5 min read . Written by Vanshika Goenka
Highest paying jobs in 2023 you need to look out for

The economy and its demands are rapidly changing. Gone are the days when one field of study led to one kind of job – whether you’re an MBA graduate or journalism major, industries are fast overlapping. An MBA graduate can work at a pharmaceutical company to aid its growth; a journalism major can work in advertising; a software developer can work on an app for the government. Thanks to globalisation, many non-traditional careers have become the best paying jobs around.

Whether you’re a fresher looking to embark upon one of the most in-demand jobs for the future or an expert looking to make a career switch, look no further. Here are some of the emerging careers in India that are also, incidentally, the best paying careers.

Best paying jobs in India that have a solid future

  1. Data scientist

Data science is fast emerging as one of the top degrees in demand for the future. Simply put, a data scientist analyses and interprets large amounts of data. Making use of several technical tools such as Python, SAS, and R programming, a data scientist’s understanding of data can help companies understand how best to grow their business using insights. The skills of a data scientist are highly transferable, which means you can work in any industry that relies on data – which, currently, is a majority of them.

According to Naukri, a data scientist with 1-4 years of experience can earn upwards of 7 lakhs per annum.

Degree requirements:

  • Computer science, information management, mathematics, statistics
  • An advanced degree in data science, business analytics, or big data
  • Proficiency in programming softwares such as R, Python, Java, SAS, and SQL among others
  • Soft skills such as strong communication skills and basic business knowledge

2.  Digital marketer

Digital marketing has been an emerging career for quite some time now, and the demand doesn’t seem to be dying down. Digital marketing is one of the few high paying jobs without a degree.

A digital marketer essentially applies marketing strategies in the digital medium, with the aim to drive sales, engagement, and user satisfaction. There are several branches within digital marketing you can pursue, such as SEO, SEM, content marketing, content strategy, and even influencer marketing. Most of these specialisations, however, are overlapping.

While freshers may not get high salaries right off the bat, there is immense scope to grow in this field.

While a digital marketing executive can earn anywhere between 2 and 6 lakhs per annum, a digital marketing manager can earn up to 18 lakhs per annum with experience.

Degree requirements:

  • A graduate degree in any subject (media and communication or BBA is preferred)
  • A certificate in digital, social media, or content marketing would put you ahead of the curve
  • Proficiency in SEO and SEM
  • Soft skills include a business mindset, a knack for understanding consumer behaviour, and strong communication skills

3.  Artificial intelligence engineer

To say that technology has come a long way is an understatement. One of the best paying jobs in technology today is an artificial intelligence specialist, or AI engineer.

An AI engineer builds models based on machine learning algorithms that can help analyse business decisions and derive insights to improve the same. What a data scientist uses to derive and understand data is built by an AI engineer.

According to Glassdoor, the average national salary of an AI engineer is a whopping 9 lakh per annum.

As is with most careers, one starts off lower and then moves up the ladder. But even the base pay for an AI engineer is higher than in other fields.

Degree requirements:

  • A bachelor’s degree in IT or computer engineering
  • A master’s degree in artificial intelligence, or credentials in data science, deep learning, or machine learning
  • Proficiency in programming languages
  • Knowledge of algebra, probability, and statistics
  • Knowledge of data technologies
  • Proficiency in understanding machine learning algorithms

4.  Marketing manager

Where there are brands, there are managers. A marketing manager is responsible for creating and implementing marketing strategies to sell the brand’s products or services to the right audience. Under a marketing manager’s guidance – where they make use of data and customer insights – executives create and execute different promotional activities and campaigns that bring brand recognition or revenue.

According to Ambition Box, the average salary of a marketing manager is upwards of 7 lakhs per annum.

While marketing executives start off between 5 and 6 lakhs per annum, one can earn upwards of 18 lakhs per annum as they gather more experience.

Degree requirements:

  • A bachelor’s degree in BBM or BBA
  • A master’s degree or diploma in business administration (for specialisations)
  • Proficiency in understanding budgets and finance
  • Soft skills include analytical and critical thinking abilities, communication skills, creativity, good leadership skills

5.  Product manager

Product management is one of the best paying business jobs in India. As a product manager, you are responsible for the entire lifecycle of a product – right from its inception to the user journey and marketing and scaling the product.

Your role is a culmination of several important hard and soft skills – you need to be analytical so you can foresee how the product will grow and be distributed. You will need to be flexible and agile in order to modify and change your product according to customer needs. You will also be required to ensure the product has the potential to grow and enter new markets in order to create a steady revenue stream.

As a product manager, your starting salary will be around 7 lakhs per annum.

But according to Payscale, the national average salary of a product manager in India is a whopping 16 lakhs per annum!

Degree requirements:

  • A bachelor’s degree in business administration, computer science, finance, or economics
  • A specialised master’s degree in the same, depending on the industry you wish to enter
  • Knowledge of product development and strategy building
  • A knack for business strategy and negotiation
  • Soft skills include time management skills, good communication skills, and the ability to work under pressure

6.  Cybersecurity specialist

Cybersecurity is the need of the hour as our lives become more and more dependent on the internet. We’re constantly putting our data out into the worldwide web, which is why we need someone to protect it (and us by extension). This is where a cybersecurity specialist comes in.

A cybersecurity specialist protects data and information systems from malware attacks or hackers. From application and network security to preventing cyber crimes, there is plenty of scope for science students to pursue this career field after graduation. You can become a cybersecurity manager, security architect, network security engineer or cybersecurity analyst.

Every role in cybersecurity pays differently, as it requires a specialised skill set. A fresher working in cybersecurity is likely to receive 5 lakhs per annum, but the higher up you go, the better your financial prospects.

A cybersecurity manager, for instance, can get about 12 lakhs per annum. A security architect, on the other hand, can get upwards of 17 lakhs per annum.

Degree requirements:

  • A bachelor’s degree in IT engineering, computer science, or software engineering
  • A certification in cybersecurity if you don’t have a technical degree
  • Knowledge of firewalls, VPN, Web-proxy, etc.
  • Proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python, HTML, and PHP
  • Knowledge of Identity and Access Management (IAM)
  • Soft skills include analytical thinking and problem solving

This was a non-exhaustive list of some emerging careers in India. These jobs will be in demand in the future, so go ahead with that career switch if you’re already thinking about it!

You’re invited! Join the Kool Kanya women-only career Community where you can network, ask questions, share your opinions, collaborate on projects, and discover new opportunities.Join now.