The perspective of technologists and innovations in technology after COVID-19 have changed. Before 2019, the skills that were taught by experts as they used to consider future proof are not advised to be known in 2024 as the era has changed.
In this digital era of technology, are you looking for guidance on skills? You are at the right place, as this article is going to explain which skills you should learn and why these skills are beneficial in Pakistan?
I am not going to talk about the skills that have already huge saturation in the market, I am considering the scope and reliability of the skill, and after looking at the long-term results, I am going to list down 13 skills that you should learn in 2024 or 2025 if you want to stand out in this digital world.
Best Skills to Learn in 2024
There are a lot of careers, skills, and knowledge about things in the world, which one you should learn depends on your mood, educational background, and current environment in which you are.
Before selecting a skill to learn you should keep these points in mind:
- Scope of the Skill
- Money in that Skill
- Saturation in the Market
- Growth Opportunities
- Technological Impact
The scope of the Skill means that there should be some demand in the market for people who are experts in that skill. If you learn some sort of skill that has not much demand in the market, then who will hire you?
Reliability of the Skill means that the skill you are going to learn must have some future. For example, if you learn a very easy kind of skill, then shortly, some sort of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools come into the market and replace you.
Money in that Skill is a must. You are learning a skill as you want to benefit from it. It should make some money so that it can return something for the time you invested in that skill.
Similarly, check for market saturation, whether the market needs that skill or not. If you learn a skill that is not much demanded then there is no wise to invest your time in that skill.
To learn a skill that has some Growth Opportunities, you must think of your long-term results. Also consider the impacts of technological advancements, whether they are impacting positively or negatively.
List of 9 Best Skills to Learn
So, like a good boy, you have checked the boxes and red flags. Now you are ready to check the list of 13 best skills you can learn in 2024 and 2025 that are future-proof and also highly paying skills. So let's list down High-Income Skills.
The list is random, and not in any priority order.
1- Artificial Intelligence
As of 2024, there are over 5,500 AI startups in the United States. The investments in Artificial Intelligence attracted hundreds of billions in funding reaching $335 billion between 2013 and 2023.
Everyone is talking about Artificial Intelligence nowadays. Artificial Intelligence is a highly demanded and also highly paying skill that you can learn now.
The use of Artificial Intelligence is kind of different thing than development of Artificial Intelligence. Let me explain, You should know how to use ChatGPT, Midjourney, Dall-E, etc, but if learn how to build these tools, this is the skill that will pay you.
How to Learn Artificial Intelligence
Believe me, there is no crash course for Artificial Intelligence. Ai requires a solid educational background. You must have knowledge of Mathematics, Basic Programming, and Probability to get started.
Usually, in Pakistan, students can start learning Artificial Intelligence after 12th class. You can be a self-learner, as well as get admitted to a good university that will teach you about all the courses required for Artificial Intelligence.
Salary of AI Engineer
An AI engineer's average salary is $100,000 - $200,000 / year - Glassdoor
2- Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing is one of the top technologies trending in the 21st century and this technology is the need of the hour and will remain the need in the future. Cloud Computing experts provide cloud architecture, and storage solutions to the companies.
You can start learning from Fundamentals, and go to an advanced level by learning advanced concepts of cloud computing like DevOps, Big Data, Storage Solutions, Networking, and Cloud Service Providers like AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and more.
A Cloud Computing expert is a person that every software house or IT company requires. So, learn this advanced skill that can pay you well in the 21st century.
How to learn Cloud Computing
The roadmap to learn cloud computing is given. Cloud computing requires many skills to master, like mathematics, coding, and an algorithmic background.
Salary of Cloud Engineer
The average salary of a Cloud Engineer in the United States is $95,000 to $143,000 and 200,000 PKR / month in Pakistan.
3- Full-Stack Development
Full-Stack development includes both Front-end Development and Backend Development. Frontend Development refers to the design and looks of a product like a website, app or software
The backend includes all the services required to run that frontend like Database, Data Structures, APIs, DevOps, Server side languages (Javascript, Angular, React), authentication, Server management, Data Security, and more.
This is such a highly paid skill in Pakistan or even in the whole world that if you only have command at any of these two (Frontend, Backend), you are welcome.
How to Learn Full-Stack Development
One of the best ways is to follow a roadmap by experts that is given below. Learn Frontend development, make projects, and then add backend to those projects after learning backend development.
Roadmap to Full-Stack Development
Salary of a Full-Stack Developer
The average salary of a Full-Stack Developer in the US is $100,000+ / year; in Pakistan, it ranges between 70,000 - 250,000 PKR / month.
4- Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a trending skill and is at the peak of the curve in this digital era. Digital Marketing includes everything from design to Marketing.
Digital marketing includes the process of graphic designing, website development (WordPress), ad campaigns (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads), SEO, and content writing. This is a highly demanded skill of the 21st century and is highly paying.
How to Learn Digital Marketing
Many Social Media Content Creators are teaching Digital Marketing for free and many courses on websites like Coursera and Udemy. One of my Favorite Digital Marketing Content creators is Hisham Sarwar. He teaches a lot of things for free.
Salary of Digital Marketer
The salary of a Digital Marketer in the US is: $62,000 - $116,000 / year and in Pakistan is: 40,000 - 120,000 PKR / month.
5- UI/UX Design / Frontend Development
Graphic Designers, more specifically UI/UX designers are one of the top and highly paid experts in this technology era. User Interference (UI) and User Experience (UX) designers design the interfaces of websites and apps.
Why not start direct development? The developer needs a prototype or design for reference, that is why UI designers are required. Their task is to design a website or app before their front-end development.
How to Learn UI/UX Design
UI/UX design is an easy-to-learn skill that anyone can learn. No particular educational background is required. If you know how to operate a computer, you are ready to go.
You can start UI/UX design by learning Figma or Adobe XD software. Moreover, a roadmap to learn UI/UX Design is given below.
Salary of a UI/UX Designer
The average salary of a UI/UX designer in the US is $92,000 - $162,000/year.
6- Data Science
Experts say
"Data Science is the Sexiest job of the 21st century" - Thomas H. Davenport
So, you can now imagine the power of this job, and the salary of this job is thousands of dollars. In Data Science you are working with Machine Learning Engineers and AI experts, and make visualizations and showcase the AI predictions.
Hisham Sarwar Says:
"Data is the next generation Fuel."
Data Collection, Data Analysis, Data Cleaning, Data Visualization, Data Communication, and Innovation are the responsibilities of a Data Scientist, and one who is an expert at it, is paid well, that's why Data Science is among the Top 13 Skills for the 21st century.
How to Learn Data Science
My honest recommendation to learn Data Science is to enroll in this degree at a University. Several Universities in Pakistan have bachelor's degrees in Data Science. You can also study for a relevant degree like Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Information Technology.
Salary of a Data Scientist
The average salary of a data scientist in the US is $126,000 - $206,000/year and in Pakistan, it is 92,000 - 215,000 PKR/ month.
7- SEO
There are almost 5.44 billion internet users around the globe and they made almost 8.5 billion searches each day. Here the job of Search Engine Optimization comes in.
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Search Engine Optimization is a sub-field of Digital Marketing, and its main purpose is to Optimize the content so that it ranks on top in Search Engines like Google, YouTube, and others.
You should learn skills like Keyword research, SEO content creation, and Search Engine Marketing. So that you can stand out as an SEO expert.
How to Learn SEO
You basically need to learn three topics in SEO, that are:
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Technical SEO
and you are ready to fly in the SEO market as an SEO expert. Anyone can start with no particular educational background. You can learn it from YouTube or any other website.
Salary of an SEO Expert
The average salary of an SEO expert in the US is $52,000 - $94,000 / year, and 31,000 - 75,000 PKR / month in Pakistan.
8- Mobile App Development
Mobile is one of the most used gadgets nowadays. Here the need for Mobile Apps comes. Almost 1.96 million apps are available on the Apple App Store and 2.87 million on the Google Play Store.
Almost every social media platform is used on mobile devices the most. The number of app downloads is increasing day by day, making mobile app development a big industry that is going to make almost $935 Billion in revenue in 2024, and will keep rising.
How to Learn Mobile App Development
Learn the basics of computers, and how it works, and then move on to the programming side. There are various ways to develop mobile apps like Java, Javascript (React native), Flutter, and Kotlin. You need to decide which pathway you should choose and then start learning.
Also, you can be an iOS developer or an Android developer, or maybe a Hybrid developer. Languages and Frameworks like Flutter support Hybrid App Development.
Salary of a Mobile App Developer
The average salary of a Mobile App Developer in the US is $107,000 - 158,000/ year, and 56,000 - 176,000 PKR/ month in Pakistan.
9- 3D Animations / Video Editing
You are familiar with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube, and Dailymotion, what type of content is there? Video Content, right? You also know that the number of users on social media platforms is increasing minute by minute.
Video Credits: PUBG Mobile
The social media platforms are earning millions and billions from the video content the content creators publish, and in return, these platforms also pay the creators.
The content creators need video editors, animators, and designers to make their content look good.
The Ads you see on TV, are usually created using 3D animation software like Autodesk Maya, or Blender and edited using Video editing software like Premiere Pro.
Video Games like PUBG, Call of Duty, and many more are 3D games designed using 3D animation.
Experts charge thousands of dollars for 3D animation tasks. So, it is one of the greatest skills you can learn in the 21st century.
How to Learn 3D Animation
Start with Video Editing on high-end software like Adobe Premiere Pro and then move to After Effects and finally learn the giant thing in this skill and that is 3D animation.
Choose a well-known and popular software for 3D animation like Blender, Cinema 4D, or Autodesk Maya.
There are various free courses on YouTube to learn Video Editing. Similarly, you can find a lot of courses on 3D animation on YouTube or websites like Udemy or Coursera.
Salary of a 3D animator
The average salary of a 3D animator in the US is $77,000 - $136,000 / year and 63,000 - 121,000 PKR / month in Pakistan.