Most in demand jobs in the U.S.

A way Filipinos can live in the United States is by taking a job in any of the careers in most in-demand jobs in the U.S. This can open doors to getting an H-1B visa.

Though an H-1B is a non-immigrant visa, it can still serve as the first step to starting a new life and bringing your family to the U.S.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office defines H-1B as a status for non-U.S. citizens who wish to work in a specialized field in America or to conduct research with the country’s Department of Defense. It also applies to fashion models who wish to work in the U.S.

To be eligible for H-1B status you must fulfil at least one of these criteria:

• You work as a famous fashion model
• You have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specialized field
• You have equivalent training or experience in a specialized field
• You have a license to practice your profession in the state where you plan to live

These “specialized fields” include:

• Architecture
• Law
• Accounting
• Medicine

However, professions are not limited to these industries. In fact, jobs in robotics, sales, and project management have been rising in demand in recent years.

According to the USCIS, Almost 70% of successful H-1B petitions in the fiscal year of 2020 were for computer-related jobs. More than half of these successful applicants had jobs in systems analysis and programming. Architects and engineers come in second in the list of approved H-1B petitions, with a chunk of professionals from this group earning approved H-1B petitions as electrical or electronics engineers.

To get a better idea of the careers in demand in the U.S., here is USCIS’s list of jobs with the most approved petitions, ranked from highest to lowest number of approvals:

1. Computer-related jobs
2. Architecture, engineering, surveying
3. Administrative specializations (e.g., accountants and auditors)
4. Education
5. Medicine and health
6. Mathematics and physical sciences
7. Life sciences
8. Miscellaneous professional, technical, and managerial jobs
9. Social sciences
10. Art
11. Law and jurisprudence

From the approved petitions in 2020, 54% of professionals entering the U.S. for work had master’s degrees, closely followed by applicants with bachelor’s degrees.

While these professions may get an H-1B status approval from USCIS, it is essential to note that it is still up to the U.S. Department of State to grant visas, and entry to the U.S. will still be decided by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Popular job sites Indeed and LinkedIn both cited computer-related professions as the most in-demand jobs in the U.S. These jobs require computer science and engineering backgrounds and include:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Specialists – professionals who create and maintain software and business solutions using AI principles, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, and many more
• Robotics Engineers – people who use their background in computer science, mechanics, and electronics to conceptualize, build, and monitor virtual and physical robots that help people work better
• Data Scientists – people who know where to find data and how to collect it, test it, and analyse it so that businesses can make informed decisions
• Full Stack Engineers – people with experience in coding who help companies develop apps, software, or online solutions
• Site Reliability Engineers – people who ensure that a tech service is running smoothly when and where people need it
• Information Security Analysts – people who protect a company’s information technology assets from security breaches and ensure that their security systems are updated and running

While tech professions are all the rage and are poised to open even more future jobs in demand in the U.S., LinkedIn notes that American companies still need professionals with people skills—those who know what a client needs and how they can help that person make the most out of the company’s software or hardware offerings.

These jobs are:

• Customer Success Specialists – people who cultivate lasting business relationships with clients by understanding both the clients’ needs and how a company’s products can help them; they know how to talk to people and have the technical skills to address a client’s pain points
• Sales Development Specialists – people who scope out leads, make cold calls and encourage the best possible clients to reach out to a company and explore the business’s products or solutions
• Product Owners – people with project management skills who strategize, research, launch, and evaluate new products for a company

According to LinkedIn, tech professionals working on the people side of the industry usually have experience in:

• Using Salesforce
• The Software as a Service (SaaS) industry
• Customer relationship management
• Account management
• Project management

And whether people-oriented or data-oriented, a job in the U.S. tech industry could be a ticket to living in major American cities, such as San Francisco, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, or Chicago.

Apart from computer-related jobs, both Indeed and LinkedIn noted a growing demand for work in the health industry. In, the U.S. the most in-demand jobs in the health industry are:

• Medical Technology – Professionals in this line of work know how to use and maintain medical equipment. They are also trained to collect and test medical samples and prepare reports on the test results
• Physical Therapy – Licensed physical therapists help patients recover from injury by managing pain and coming up with treatment plans that help patients regain their ability to move and resume their everyday lives
• Behavioural Health –LinkedIn notes that insurance companies have been covering more mental health and substance abuse treatments, and a probable result of this is an increase in jobs for behavioural health technicians. These trained professionals come from various disciplines and may work in schools or with people who have developmental disorders or mental health issues

As you can see, the most in demand jobs in the U.S. are no walk in the park. To get a job in these industries and to qualify for H-1B status you will need training, experience, and a notable professional track record.

You will also need mettle. Remember: Your H-1B visa depends on your employment, so be prepared to tough it out and work hard.

Once you do get in, you can work in the U.S. on an H-1B visa for three to at most six years. After that (but before your visa expires), your employer may apply to extend your H-1B status or you may try changing your status to a more permanent one.

If you choose to explore opportunities outside America, you can leave the U.S. for at least a year before applying for a new H-1B visa.

While you’re growing in one of the careers in demand in the U.S., remember that you still have loved ones back home in the Philippines. You may want to send them some money to help them out or to invest in a home they can call their own.

By visiting Kabayan Remit’s website or downloading our secure money transfer platform for iOS or Android, career-minded Filipinos like you can open an account for free and send up to ₱50,000 to established banks like BPI, BDO, and Metrobank in an hour. Amounts higher than ₱50,000 can reach your family in approximately 25 hours.

Your family can then receive the money using any of the following methods:

• Accessing their bank accounts
• Visiting a GCash collection site
• Opening GCash or Paymaya
• Visiting cash pick-up locations like
  • Cebuana Lhuillier
  • Palawan Pawnshop
  • LBC
• Accepting cash via home delivery

With a few clicks or taps on the screen, you can also use the app to pay your real estate bills in the Philippines, including properties developed by:

• Aboitizland Incorporated
• Citihomes Builder and Development, Inc.
• DMCI Homes
• Gramercy Residences Condominium Corporation
• Megaworld Corporation
• PHINMA Property Holdings Corporation
• Robinsons Land Corporation
• Torre Lorenzo

You can even pay these government contributions to ensure you have something to land on when you retire:

• Social Security System (SSS)
• PhilHealth
• Pag-IBIG

If you’d like to learn more about Kabayan Remit and how we can help you send funds home while working in one of the most in demand jobs in the U.S., visit kabayanremit.com. Our 24/7 bilingual customer support can also assist you here.

Already raring to remit? Open a free account here. Your first remittance fee is on us!