You won’t believe what most Gen Zs want as a career

The Gen Z population is loosely defined as those born in the mid to late 90s up until the early 2010s. So, teens and twenty-somethings.

A study was done that shows what these young people want most as a career, and it’s a bit shocking. Shootday looked at monthly Google search data as well as data derived from social media interest in certain careers. They balanced the two to come up with a ranking of the top 35 careers Gen Z is most interested in.

It’s not about money.

“What we’re seeing here is a generational shift in how careers are defined. For Gen Z, a dream job is no longer just about income stability. It’s about alignment with personal identity, flexibility, and the ability to share your work with the world instantly,” said Shootday’s Serge Bejjani.

“The fact that social media interest scores so closely mirror search data suggests these aren’t just fads; young people are actively researching how to break into these industries."

So what’s the most sought-after career today by this younger generation?

Model.

This is followed by “artist” (I put that in quotes because it seems vague), then makeup artist, photographer, and blogger to round out the top five.

Look, I believe in going for your passion. Hell, I work in radio. Not exactly a stable career. I believe in the message in Lily Meola’s song “Daydream.” (If you don’t know it, look it up; it’s great.)

But at some point, you have to be realistic. I mean, this study is showing that more Gen Zs want to be a barista than a doctor. More want to be a tattoo artist than an architect. More want to be a YouTuber than a dentist. If everyone got their way and we had that many models, artists, and makeup artists, the world wouldn’t move forward very well.

SEE ALSO: 10 jobs in NJ that have workers most worried about being replaced

Here’s the top 35 careers the study says Gen Z wants the most

1 — Model

2 — Artist

3 — Makeup Artist

4 — Photographer

5 — Blogger

6 — Singer

7 — Personal Trainer

8 — Marketing

9 — Dancer

10 — Influencer

11 — Writer

12 — Style Blogger

13 — Actor

14 —  Fashion Designer

15 — Chef

16 — Tattoo Artist

17 — Hairdresser

18 — Content Creator

19 — Architect

20 — Athlete

21 — Public relations

22 — Finance

23 — YouTuber

24 — Dentist

25 — Teacher

26 — Nail Artist

27 — Nurse

28 — Barista

29 — Streamer

30 — Graphic Designers

31 — Doctor

32 — Editor

33 — Director

34 — Social Media Manager

35 — Engineer