A new survey by Salary.de has identified the top trending jobs for 2021. These jobs are not simply the most prevalent jobs, but jobs that can be considered “future-proof”, since coronavirus is forcing people to rethink how they live and work.

Future-proof work in Germany

The coronavirus pandemic has brought, among plenty of other things, widespread uncertainty in terms of work. People have had to start working from home and, since certain jobs simply cannot be undertaken right now, people have been forced to look to new industries to find a way to maintain their incomes. So, with this in mind, the experts at Salary.de have identified the top trending jobs for 2021.

The Salary.de experts determined the trending jobs in Germany for 2021 from consumer search entries, vacancies and experts’ discussions with companies. They also looked at the salary employees could expect to earn in each occupation, taking salary data from 2.308 jobs.

Cloud architect

Since we have seen a major shift towards home working over the past year, both people and businesses have had to ensure their work can be accessed remotely. This is usually done through the use of cloud technology. Cloud architects work with cloud servers, taking care of server administration and ensuring they run smoothly.

A recent survey revealed that 97 percent of companies use more than one cloud provider, meaning that there is an increasing market for people who can work with cloud technology. Cloud architects can expect to earn around 50.500 euros a year.

Intensive care nurses, virologists and lab assistants

Coronavirus continues to spread in Germany, even with the country’s stringent lockdown restrictions. Healthcare staff are desperately needed as hospitals around the country remain busy tending to the sick and vaccines begin to be rolled out. Thus, the demand for nurses also remains high, as is the demand for virologists and laboratory assistants.

Nurses can earn around 44.200 euros a year in Germany, while virologists and laboratory assistants can earn around 62.200 euros and 36.400 euros a year respectively. However, according to Philip Bierbach, the Managing Director of Salary.de, “Employees in urgently needed areas of specialisation, such as geriatric or intensive care, could in future have a greater say in working hours and salary expectations.”

Game development

Since Germany’s lockdown restrictions have forced many shops and companies to close their doors, a lot of businesses in the entertainment industry are facing severe problems due to a sudden lack of income. However, the gaming industry has actually benefited from the country's lockdowns, as people turn to video games to keep them entertained while they are stuck at home.

Despite the gaming industry being relatively small in Germany, developers are confident it can continue to grow, especially as it is easy for them to work from home. People working in game development in Germany can make around 42.700 euros annually.

Performance Marketing Manager

Another consequence of people being confined to their homes is that online shopping has increased significantly over the past year. This has led to the e-commerce industry experiencing record sales and companies moving to expand their online presence through product placement and social media.

The demand for e-commerce managers and performance marketing managers has duly increased over the past year, which is only expected to continue in 2021. E-commerce and performance marketing managers can, in a year, expect to earn around 39.900 euros and 50.500 euros respectively.

Food technician

For a lot of people, the amount of time spent outside exercising has been severely restricted since the start of the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, people are more conscious than ever before about their health, a big part of which is nutrition. Food technicians must deal with the rising consumer demand and ensure food products are produced and processed, a job which pays around 40.300 a year.

Flexibility is key

According to Bierbach, the shift people have seen over the past year in their work lives shows that flexibility is perhaps the most important quality for both employees and employers. “A degree is not necessarily required in order to pursue future-proof professions. With an apprenticeship, employees can also pursue lucrative and crisis-proof professions,” he concluded.