6 Essential Jobs That Didn't Exist 10 Years Ago

Back in 2008, Twitter was in its infancy, iPads hadn’t been invented yet and you couldn’t order an Uber on your phone. What’s more, many jobs that today are considered integral within organisations didn’t even exist.

We’re taking a look at six essential jobs that have been growing in demand over the past 10 years, including what they’re paying and the skills needed to do the job.

SEO
SPECIALIST

Optimises websites using keywords and phrases to help people discover a business’ website.

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Search engine optimisation (SEO) helps people find what they are looking for on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! SEO specialists provide advice and information about how best to maximise search engine traffic. They also have a comprehensive understanding of how to use web tools such as Google Analytics and SEO tools including SEMrush and Moz.

The average salary for an SEO specialist is $82,130. Just under half (47.5%) of SEO specialists are paid $60,000 to $80,000 a year.

Careers related to SEO specialist include digital marketing specialist and digital copywriter.

AVERAGE SALARY

$82,130

KEY SKILLS

• Adaptable to respond to complex and ever-changing algorithms.
• Problem solving to develop strategies by analysing and reviewing data.
• Excellent communicators to develop relevant and engaging content.

% OF JOBS ADVERTISED 2008-2018

This graph shows the percentage of total job opportunities for SEO specialist roles advertised on SEEK over the ten-year period from 2008 – 2018.

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CLOUD
ARCHITECT

Oversees a company’s strategy for internet-based computing to improve business operations.

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In IT terms the “cloud” refers to being able to store and access documents, data and programs over the Internet instead of on a computer’s hard drive. A cloud architect is an IT specialist who is responsible for planning and designing cloud environments, cloud management and monitoring. This means that many cloud architects manage the front and back end of a cloud platform as well as providing advice on infrastructure, integration and functionality.

The average salary for a cloud architect is $145,527. A third (33.7%) of cloud architects are paid $120,000 to $140,000 a year.

Careers related to cloud architect include software engineer and cloud consultant.

AVERAGE SALARY

$145,527

KEY SKILLS

• Excellent technical skills to manage enterprise computing.
• Problem solving to manage technical challenges.
• Planning and organisational skills to stay on top of the latest trends.

% OF JOBS ADVERTISED 2008-2018

This graph shows the percentage of total job opportunities for cloud architect roles advertised on SEEK over the ten-year period from 2008 – 2018.

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DATA
SCIENTIST

Analyses the data received by an organisation to help inform business decisions such as how to grow sales and identifying areas for improvement.

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Data has become increasingly important for businesses and organisations to give insights into consumer behaviour, preferences and to mitigate risk. A data scientist is an expert employed to examine and interpret complex digital data, with the aim of spotting trends and helping a business or company with its decision-making. Data scientists are responsible for collecting and collating large amounts of data and cleaning, managing and organising it into a coherent format.

The average salary for a data scientist is $123,030. Just under a third (28.4%) of data scientists are paid $120,000 to $140,000 a year.

Careers related to data scientist include statistician and data engineer.

AVERAGE SALARY

$123,030

KEY SKILLS

• Computer science skills including coding languages, statistics and programming.
• Communication skills to convey complex information in an understandable way.
• Problem solving to understand and interpret nuances of data.

% OF JOBS ADVERTISED 2008-2018

This graph shows the percentage of total job opportunities for data scientist roles advertised on SEEK over the ten-year period from 2008 – 2018.

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DIGITAL MARKETING
SPECIALIST

Drives brand awareness and promotion in the digital space to help businesses attract and engage with customers.

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A digital marketing specialist creates marketing campaigns for the Internet and social media platforms. In addition to driving brand awareness, they also promote products or services across various digital platforms through their knowledge of SEO, social media, display, content marketing and email marketing. Digital marketing specialists develop digital marketing strategies for an organisation by identifying a target audience and analysing information about how best to reach them.

The average salary for a digital marketing specialist is $78,761. Over a third (39.6%) of digital marketing specialists are paid $60,000 to $80,000 a year.

Careers related to digital marketing specialist include social media manager and content creator.

AVERAGE SALARY

$78,761

KEY SKILLS

• Methodical to strategically plan marketing initiatives for a business.
• Data analysis skills to draw out insights and optimise campaigns.
• Creativity to create innovative campaigns in a fast-paced environment.

% OF JOBS ADVERTISED 2008-2018

This graph shows the percentage of total job opportunities for digital marketing specialist roles advertised on SEEK over the ten-year period from 2008 – 2018.

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USER EXPERIENCE
DESIGNER

Oversees the experience of a website, product or application to ensure it’s easy and pleasing to use to encourage customer interactions.

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Design has traditionally been associated with graphic design and the look of particular products, however this has changed with the rise of digital technology. A user experience (UX) designer is responsible for improving or enhancing the way people use, access and interact with a product, with the ultimate aim of ensuring the product flows from one step to the next, thereby increasing user satisfaction. UX designers tend to concentrate on how a product feels for the user by focusing on product research, information architecture, creating prototypes and product testing.

The average salary for a UX designer is $103, 237. Around one third (34.3%) of UX designers are paid $80,000 to $100,000 a year.

Careers related to UX designer include graphic designer and usability analyst.

AVERAGE SALARY

$103,237

KEY SKILLS

• Effective researchers to gain valuable insights into what users want.
• Excellent visual communication to bring insights to life through design.
• Information architecture skills to arrange information in a logical way.

% OF JOBS ADVERTISED 2008-2018

This graph shows the percentage of total job opportunities for UX designer roles advertised on SEEK over the ten-year period from 2008 – 2018.

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CONTENT
CREATOR

Creates and contributes valuable information for audiences to consume, most often for online mediums to help businesses attract and retain customers.

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Content creators contribute to maintaining and updating information on websites, blogging, email newsletters, video marketing, online commentary, social media marketing and editing. Many content creators contribute to the planning, development and implementation of content and social media strategies in addition to editorial calendars.

The average salary for a content creator is $64,977. Just over half (51.1%) of content creators are paid between $40,000 to $60,000 a year.

Careers related to content creator include journalist and copywriter.

AVERAGE SALARY

$64,977

KEY SKILLS

• Excellent communication skills as they are often the voice of a business.
• Social media knowledge to know how to reach the right audience.
• Analytical skills to plan and develop content strategies.

% OF JOBS ADVERTISED 2008-2018

This graph shows the percentage of total job opportunities for SEO specialist roles advertised on SEEK over the ten-year period from 2008 – 2018.

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