When it comes to choosing what to do at university, something you're interested in is always a good idea. But you're probably going to study a degree to increase your career prospects once you graduate.
So in an ever-changing world, which degree choices are going to be most valuable in the future? Naturally, we don't have a crystal ball, but from our research, we've found a few areas that are likely to provide graduates with job security and earning potential.
Business and Finance
Money makes the world go round and qualifications in business and finance generally are often in demand.
Not only are these kinds of degrees quite versatile, but they also provide graduates with critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills – all skills that employers are often looking for.
Business and finance are international, too, so whether you choose to stay in New Zealand or look for a career abroad, a business or finance degree would be valuable wherever you go.
Possible areas of study include:
- Business Administration
- Economics
- Finance
- Marketing
With so many different jobs, it's impossible to say what the median salary for these kinds of graduates is, but people in business tend to earn average salaries between $65,000 and $164,000 (from assistant accountant to CEO), which are far higher than the average salary for those with bachelor's degrees.
Data Analytics
Data plays a huge role in so many areas and while a lot of big data uses machines, you still need people who understand data and the right ways to treat it.
There's a growing demand for professionals with expertise in data analytics to help organisations and businesses make data-driven decisions. Many businesses see this as a way to save money by making smarter and more efficient decisions.
The main areas of study for students interested in working in data analytics
- Big Data Analytics
- Business Analytics
- Data Science
- Financial Analysis
- Mathematics and Statistics
As you can imagine, this is an area that requires excellent mathematical skills and programming skills are pretty much non-negotiable in modern data analytics. It's common for data analytics to use programming languages like Python and R with SQL also being useful for those working with databases.
In New Zealand, the median salary for data analysts is $75,000 with data analysts in the Auckland area earning an average of $83,000.
Other sources suggest that the median salary could even be higher than this and all over the world data analysts are on a fairly decent salary.
Education
Education degrees are future-proof and pretty much always have been. Future generations are always going to need to be educated and since education plays such a critical role in modern society, it can't be ignored.
Education is also fairly future-proof because rather than being made redundant by technological advances, teaching approaches tend to adapt and integrate new technology. This also means that teaching is one of the best career choices for those interested in it as they can also continue to learn and develop new skills.
Teaching isn't just for children, either, and many people continue learning throughout their lives so there are often roles for teachers outside of primary and secondary education.
While every educator can specialise in their given subject, there are two main areas of study for those interested in education.
- Education Technology
- Teaching
The median salary for teachers in New Zealand is $60,000, which is above the average salary for graduates. However, it should be noted that teachers usually require an undergraduate degree plus an additional teaching qualification, though there are alternative pathways to teaching.
Engineering
Engineering is another area that's safe for the foreseeable future since it relies on innovation and technological advancement, making it an area that can never really be made redundant by technological advancements.
Engineering graduates also develop plenty of problem-solving and transferrable skills that are useful in many different areas of engineering and in other roles.
Popular areas of study in engineering include:
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Engineering is a particularly broad area of study so while the median salary for engineering is $61,000, certain specialisations are more in demand than others.
If you're interested in studying an engineering degree, look into the areas that you'd be interested in and the career prospects and earning potentials for each.
Information Technology and Computer Science
Technology is such a huge part of modern life that almost every industry needs professionals with IT and computer science skills and knowledge.
The more technology becomes a part of our lives, the more IT and computer science professionals are needed and the trend isn't going anywhere, making these some of the best degrees.
Much like with other technology-focused degrees, IT and computer science graduates aren't going to be made redundant by technological advancement. However, just like in any other line of work, it's important that graduates stay ahead of the curve and continually learn and develop new skills as technology advances.
In quickly advancing sectors, what you learn at university can quickly become outdated and committing to becoming an IT or computer science professional is committing to lifelong learning.
Some of the most common and future-proof areas of study include:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Computer Science
- Cybersecurity
- Data Science
- Information Security Analysis
- Software Developers
In New Zealand, the median salary for computer scientists is $159,000 with most computer scientists earning between $110,000 and $194,000. Just remember that these professionals will likely have studied qualifications beyond a bachelor's degree in computer science.
IT graduates don't tend to earn as much as computer scientists, but their median salary of $62,000 is still above the national average for graduates.
Medicine and Healthcare
Just like education, medicine and healthcare play an essential role in modern society and will continue to do so long into the future.
In New Zealand, jobs in medicine and healthcare are also very stable since the country's ageing population is going to make healthcare particularly essential. Around 15% of New Zealand's population is over 65 and this will increase to over 21% by 2032.
Medicine and healthcare is an area that advances with technology rather than being made redundant by it and there are now many areas of study for medicine and healthcare that integrate the technological aspects directly into.
Popular areas of study for degrees in medicine and healthcare include:
- Biotechnology
- Health Informatics
- Medical Health Services
- Medicine
- Nursing
With many different roles at different levels, average salaries for healthcare and medicine aren't particularly useful, but what we can say is that many medical professions are some of the highest-paying in the country.
Renewable Energy and Environmental Science
Last but not least, renewable energies and environmental science degrees are particularly valuable, especially for the future. After all, there's a growing demand globally for renewable energy and so many governments, businesses, and organisations are shifting towards greener policies and sustainability.
This is all particularly important in New Zealand, where nature and agriculture are hugely important.
Popular areas of study include:
- Environmental Science
- Renewable Energy
- Solar Energy
- Sustainability Studies
- Wind Energy
Environmental engineers in New Zealand earn between $65,000 and $140,000. Generally, like with other lines of work, the higher salaries are paid to those with higher level qualifications and more experience.
Get Help with Your Career or Studies from a Private Tutor
Making these kinds of decisions can be tricky and whether you need help with choosing a future-proof degree or your degree itself, a private tutor is a great option, especially if you're studying one of the toughest degrees.
On the Superprof website, there are tutors for almost every imaginable subject in New Zealand and around the world.
Just search for what you need help with and where you live and you can start browsing the profiles of local private tutors, see how much they charge, and read reviews from their other students.
To save you and potential tutors a lot of time, we recommend doing some research before you start contacting tutors and shortlisting tutors that meet your criteria rather than just contacting every tutor you can.
Can't find any suitable tutors nearby? Don't worry! You can broaden your search to include online private tutors and find tutors all over the world.
For those on a budget, group tutoring is also available. While this won't give you the tailored tutoring you can enjoy with one-on-one private tutoring, it can make tutoring much more affordable so maybe you and some classmates can get together and hire a tutor to help with your studies.
There are tutors for all levels and budgets and with many of the tutors on the Superprof site offering the first session for free, you can try different tutors out before choosing the one that's right for you, your budget, and how you like to learn.
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