New Jersey is an economic hub that truly punches above its weight class in terms of size. While it is among the smaller US states, it has some of the largest industries in the country, and its economy is inexorably tied to NYC, making it an even more important player in industries like commerce and finance. If you live in NJ, there are plenty of high-paying, in-demand career skills that you can learn by visiting one of the state’s many educational training providers, or are right next door in NYC, which is home to some of the largest professional development training firms in the nation. Regardless of where you learn and where you want to work, NJ and the greater NYC area are home to some of the best career opportunities on the planet for aspiring professionals.
Healthcare: New Jersey is home to some of the largest and most important healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and national insurers in the country. Between giants such as Merck, Johnson and Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Pfizer, the healthcare industry employs nearly half a million people in New Jersey, making it the largest employing industry in the state. While the most common employment opportunities in this field are General Practitioners and Registered Nurses, there are numerous jobs in the data analytics and data science side of the industry, as well as Clerks, Office Workers, and other specialists who oversee the interplay between companies, insurers, and healthcare providers. Even just learning a skill like Excel can help you find work in this industry since data collection and storage are so important to the function of every step of the process.
Shipping: New Jersey is also home to some of the largest and most significant shipping ports in the country. Overseen by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, these shipyards see billions of dollars worth of goods moved in and out on a daily basis, and this monumental task requires the work of thousands of skilled Analysts and Managers who can ensure that everything is running smoothly and that no significant disruptions to the supply chain occur due to errors. Analysts track the movement of thousands of ships to find the best way to maximize internal efficiency, and Managers oversee thousands of employees who load and unload ships to help the flow of commerce. If you are interested in finding work that makes the global economy possible, shipping and logistics is a good place to look in NJ.
Education: While it lacks the absurd density of major universities that we associate with states like Massachusetts, New Jersey is home to some of the largest and most important educational institutions in the country. In addition to flagship schools like Princeton and Rutgers, NJ recognizes 66 accredited colleges and universities, and it is, per capita, one of the most educated states in the nation (it often holds the title of the most educated state in the nation). These colleges and universities (as well as the agencies they work with and the populations they serve) need to maintain complex, functioning information and IT systems as well as databases of millions of students, donors, alumni, faculty, staff, etc. This means that if you are interested in working in IT or data science, working in education is a great way to find an in-demand job in a field that stands to benefit the whole of the population.
Telecoms: New Jersey is also a major player in the global telecommunications industry, with Verizon, AT&T, and Avaya all having a major presence in the state. These tech giants are constantly hiring skilled Programmers and Engineers who can assist in developing the next generation of telecom technology, and they are in constant pursuit of IT experts who can ensure that their systems run as smoothly as possible. In addition, a huge amount of sensitive data is transmitted over their networks every minute of every day, so they are constantly developing and improving their cybersecurity tools in an effort to create systems that are more resilient to attacks and better at protecting sensitive customer data.
Transportation: Given its proximity to NYC, NJ is home to a lot of professionals who commute to and from NYC for work. This, in turn, means that the state has a vested interest in working alongside NYC on building a strong and durable transportation system that can move millions of people every year. This requires the work of Analysts who can ensure that all of the means of transportation are running smoothly on a theoretical level, maximizing their efficiency, Architects and Civil Engineers who can handle the real-world design and construction projects that go into building and maintaining bridges, streets, and subways.
Finance: Another industry that is a major player in NJ because of its proximity to NYC is the financial sector. If you live in NJ, there is a good chance that you can parlay your data analytics, financial analysis, or data management skills into a job at one of the major investment firms or banks in NYC (such as JPMorgan Chase or Charles Schwab). In addition, as machine learning and artificial intelligence tools become more heavily integrated into trading practices, these companies are on the lookout for Machine Learning Engineers who can give them a leg up in an already competitive industry dominated by companies that can leverage big data the most effectively.
The economy in NJ is rapidly expanding and, since it is so closely tied to NYC, as long as NYC remains an important economic and commercial hub, so too will New Jersey. Here are a few different common job titles for tech professionals in NJ and their associated yearly median salary: