Workforce & Labor Outlook · 2026

The Future of Work, by the Numbers

A data-driven dashboard of workforce trends, pay, and in-demand skills across AI & Technology · Business · Design & Multimedia · Research · Sales & Marketing — plus how the Brand Evangelist ecosystem is committed to getting our talent, our clients, and our cross-sector industries future-ready.

Business

+8.7%

Projected 2024–34 growth

$79,050

Median pay

1.1M/yr

U.S. openings/yr

On our board210 roles · 30% →

Sales & Marketing

+6.4%

Projected 2024–34 growth

$72,310

Median pay

780K/yr

U.S. openings/yr

On our board106 roles · 15% →

Design & Multimedia

+4.1%

Projected 2024–34 growth

$60,420

Median pay

215K/yr

U.S. openings/yr

On our board108 roles · 16% →

AI / Technology

+17.9%

Projected 2024–34 growth

$112,720

Median pay

377K/yr

U.S. openings/yr

On our board271 roles · 39% →

Research

+13.2%

Projected 2024–34 growth

$76,540

Median pay

94K/yr

U.S. openings/yr

On our board0 roles · 0% →

Business

Business operations, project management, and people-ops roles remain the connective tissue of every growth-stage company. Operations Research Analysts and Project Management Specialists are among the fastest-growing occupations through 2034.

+8.7%

Growth

$79,050

Median

1.1M/yr

Openings/yr

Most in-demand roles

Operations Manager$98,100
Project Manager$95,370
Business / Ops Analyst$87,660
HR / People Ops$74,580
Executive Assistant$66,870

How our marketplace covers it

Live roles on the board210

30% of marketplaceView →

Upskill pathway → Brand Evangelist’s professional development curriculum is built to nurture and grow talents in Business — especially high-demand careers in Operations Management, Project Leadership or as founders.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2024-34 projections); LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise 2025.

Sales & Marketing

Marketing managers, growth analysts, and partnership leads are in the top 15% of fastest-growing professional roles. Content, lifecycle, and partnerships hiring outpaces broad sales — especially at mission-driven brands.

+6.4%

Growth

$72,310

Median

780K/yr

Openings/yr

Most in-demand roles

Marketing Manager$159,660
Growth / Lifecycle$112,400
Account Executive$84,210
Partnerships Lead$101,300
Content Strategist$74,800

How our marketplace covers it

Live roles on the board106

15% of marketplaceView →

Upskill pathway → Brand Evangelist’s professional development curriculum is built to nurture and grow talents in Sales & Marketing — especially high-demand careers in Marketing Management and Growth Strategy.

Source: BLS OOH (Marketing Managers, Sales Managers); HubSpot State of Marketing 2025; LinkedIn Talent Insights.

Design & Multimedia

Demand is bifurcating: generalist graphic and production roles are flat, while brand designers, motion designers, and video producers grew 18–24% YoY on LinkedIn. AI fluency is now table stakes for the top creative roles.

+4.1%

Growth

$60,420

Median

215K/yr

Openings/yr

Most in-demand roles

Brand / Product Designer$92,500
Video Producer / Editor$71,640
Motion Designer$84,200
Content Creator$58,300
Art Director$106,500

How our marketplace covers it

Live roles on the board108

16% of marketplaceView →

Upskill pathway → Brand Evangelist’s professional development curriculum is built to nurture and grow talents in Design & Multimedia — especially high-demand careers in Brand Design and Video Production.

Source: BLS (Graphic Designers, Producers & Directors); LinkedIn Most In-Demand Skills 2025; AIGA Design Census 2024.

AI / Technology

AI-related roles are the single fastest-growing job family in the U.S. labor market. The WEF Future of Jobs 2025 projects 86% of employers expect AI to transform their business by 2030 — with AI/ML specialists, data engineers, and security engineers leading net job growth.

+17.9%

Growth

$112,720

Median

377K/yr

Openings/yr

Most in-demand roles

Software Engineer$132,270
AI / ML Engineer$165,000
Data Engineer$119,830
DevOps / Platform$127,400
Security Engineer$124,910

How our marketplace covers it

Live roles on the board271

39% of marketplaceView →

Upskill pathway → Brand Evangelist’s professional development curriculum is built to nurture and grow talents in AI & Technology — especially high-demand careers in Software Engineering and AI/ML Development.

Source: BLS OOH (Computer & Information Tech); World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025; LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise 2025.

Research

Research is one of the fastest-growing professional families: market research analysts, UX researchers, and data/insights roles are all projected to grow far above the U.S. average through 2034. AI is amplifying — not replacing — the need for rigorous human research and synthesis.

+13.2%

Growth

$76,540

Median

94K/yr

Openings/yr

Most in-demand roles

Market Research Analyst$74,680
UX Researcher$108,200
Insights / Data Analyst$83,640
Survey Researcher$60,860
Research Scientist$118,900

How our marketplace covers it

Live roles on the board0

0% of marketplaceView →

Upskill pathway → Brand Evangelist’s professional development curriculum is built to nurture and grow talents in Research & Insights — especially high-demand careers in Market Research and UX Research.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (Market Research Analysts, Survey Researchers); Nielsen Norman Group UX Salary Report 2024.

Skills on the rise (2025–2030)

Share of employers reporting increasing demand for these skill clusters over the next five years. AI fluency is the single largest mover across every sector we cover.

AI & Big Data87%
Networks & Cybersecurity70%
Technological Literacy68%
Creative Thinking66%
Resilience, Flexibility & Agility65%
Curiosity & Lifelong Learning64%
Leadership & Social Influence61%
Talent Management58%
Analytical Thinking57%
Environmental Stewardship54%

Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025 (employer survey, n=1,041 employers in 55 economies).

Marketplace match

A live look at how Brand Evangelist's curated job board and talent network are filling the roles above.

695

Open roles tracked

678

Hiring brands

66%

Remote share

13%

Hybrid + on-site

Open roles by sector

Business210 · 30%
Sales & Marketing106 · 15%
Design & Multimedia108 · 16%
AI / Technology271 · 39%
Research0 · 0%

Top hiring brands (last 500 roles)

GitLab23 roles
Ping Identity18 roles
EverAI14 roles
Twilio13 roles
Cresta10 roles
Socket10 roles
Supabase9 roles
Toptal8 roles
Cribl8 roles
Veracyte8 roles

Source: Brand Evangelist marketplace — live aggregation from 9 RSS feeds and direct brand submissions. Updated daily at 8am EST.

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