15 Dead End Jobs To Avoid at All Costs

With the rise in automation, many career paths once seen as stable or thriving no longer come with that guarantee. 

Because high-demand jobs often have negotiating powers for skilled workers, pursuing a path with solid projected job growth over the coming years can help you find fulfillment and stop living paycheck to paycheck.

Here's a roundup of 15 gigs that data suggest may be dead-ends in the coming years, and what promising paths you might consider instead.

Telemarketers, who contact potential customers by phone and attempt to sell a product or service, were once in high demand, but as more advertising and promotion is done online, projected job growth is minimal.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) named telemarketing one of the fastest declining jobs in the U.S. Pivoting to related sales roles can open many more opportunities.

Data entry or information clerk employment is expected to drop in the coming years.

Since these employees do routine duties like maintaining company records and data, automation will make many jobs obsolete. However, data analysis is a thriving industry.

Banking is another industry in which the majority of business is done online. Of course, there are some services for which people need to go to banks, but with a bleak job outlook for the coming years, tellers may want to consider pivoting to online support instead.

The BLS projects that the employment of tellers will drop 15% over the next decade.

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With automated checkout becoming the norm at more stores, the BLS expects the employment of retail cashiers to drop 11% between 2023 and 2033.

If you work in the industry, consider pivoting to take on a sales associate or customer support job that is less likely to be automated.

Those who work in traditional print media will likely continue to see a decline in employment opportunities. The BLS projects that employment of all news analysts, reporters, and journalists will drop 3% over the decade.

Fortunately, many editorial skills can be transferred to digital media and content creation.

With sophisticated tax preparation software that is becoming increasingly user-friendly, many Americans now file their taxes using programs like H&R Block or FreeTaxUSA.

While fewer tax preparers may be needed, there's still plenty of work for accountants, with the BLS projecting 6% job growth for accountants and auditors over the decade.

Working on an assembly line was once an excellent way to make a living, but automation has revolutionized this industry as well.

Similar career paths offer more potential, though. For example, the employment of hand laborers, who often work in warehouses, is expected to stay solid over the next decade.

With so much online information, many people book their own travel these days.

Even though travel agents may be less in demand, travel-related content isn't. Those interested in the industry can make money by blogging, creating content, and partnering with brands and advertisers.

While most companies understand the value of having a strong social media presence these days, there's also an influx of employees with social media skills — so managing a company's online presence may fall under the job description of those on their PR or marketing teams.

It's important to have other marketable skills if you want to work as a social media expert.

Since Uber and Lyft came on the scene, traditional taxis have become significantly less popular.

But a driving job is not necessarily a dead-end — you just might have to pivot. According to BLS data, the employment of shuttle drivers and chauffeurs is projected to grow 11% over the decade.

With the rise of kiosk ordering, fast food restaurants are increasingly turning to automation, but that doesn't mean there's no opportunity in the industry. The BLS projects that employment of food and beverage serving and related workers will grow 5% over the decade.

Many other restaurant roles, from serving to food service management, offer growth opportunities.

While computer programmers were once in high demand, AI can increasingly write, modify, and test code for computer software and applications.

The BLS projects that programmers' employment will drop 10% over the decade. Fortunately, many tech-related skills are transferable to other industries.

Legal assistants used to do tasks like research and documentation, but AI-powered tools can now frequently do them. Employment for these workers is expected to grow just 1% over the decade, much slower than other industries.

Still, law firms will continue to need workers who are not lawyers, like legal technology support specialists.

Many industries are phasing out administrative assistant work as the clerical/organizational tasks these workers typically handled can now often be automated. The BLS projects just 1% job growth for admin assistants and secretaries over the decade.

Those with admin experience may want to consider industries with more job security, such as healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation.

With the rise of AI-powered tools, the main task for underwriters — evaluating insurance applications — doesn't require the manpower it once did. The BLS projects that employment of insurance underwriters will drop 4% over the decade.

However, those with experience working in insurance can likely pivot to take on other financial and project management roles.

Unfortunately, many Americans feel they have to earn extra income outside of work these days. A recent survey found that about 36% of U.S. adults work some sort of side hustle.

That's why it's always a smart money move to pivot into a job with a bit more security, which gives you more bargaining power during salary talks.