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The phrase “how to become a pilot” was searched 432,360 times on Google during 2024, with the search topping in Egypt, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
According to research by financial services provider Remitly , the second most popular job on the planet is lawyer, with 393,380 searches worldwide. Legal careers are the top search in many countries, including France, Brazil, China and Spain.
Being a police officer comes in third (272,730) worldwide and is the No. 1 dream career in both South Korea and Poland.
In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, “how to become a YouTuber” (13th globally, 171,840) is the most popular career search, and it also tops the list in Singapore, Indonesia and Fiji.
“Flight attendant” comes first in the US (17th place worldwide, 154,810) and is also the most desirable career in Jamaica and Barbados.
Healthcare professions are also proving popular, with pharmacist (4th worldwide/272,630/first place in Japan) and nurse (5th worldwide, 248,720) completing the top five dream careers.
The physiotherapist comes sixth in the ranking (244,050), the midwife comes seventh (227,010) and the prosecutor eighth (220,870, the top in Turkey).
The rest of the top ten is made up of the actor (ninth/199,150/top in Austria) and the judge (tenth, 198,450).
Although it doesn’t make it into the top 20 of global job searches, the search for “how to become a DJ” (109,650) is the No. 1 career search in Australia, Canada, Ireland, India, and New Zealand.
In Europe, both Italy and Bulgaria are looking for jobs outside the global top 20, with fitness instructor (70,180 worldwide) topping the list of dream jobs in Italy and taxi driver topping the list in Bulgaria.
The professor (12th worldwide, 175,420) tops the list in Portugal, Belgium and Germany, while Wales bucks the trend of YouTubers in the UK with the ambulance driver (20th worldwide, 136,820) topping the search.
In Central America, lawyer (2nd worldwide, 393,380) is incredibly popular and the most sought-after career in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Lawyer also proves popular in South America, but “how to become an actor” is most popular in Argentina (97,700), while firefighter is top in Chile (16th worldwide, 155,120).
“How to become a content creator” (52,360) is a top choice in Africa, topping the list in Nigeria, Cameroon and Tanzania, while other creative careers, such as blogger and writer, also feature.
Although the businessman fails to make the top 20 globally, he is the most popular choice in Ivory Coast, Angola, Congo, Madagascar, Gabon, Guinea and Senegal.
In Asia, “how to become a doctor” (11th globally, 192,280) is the top search in Myanmar and the Philippines, while lawyer is the most popular choice in the Middle East.
Jordan bucks the legal trend in the region with “how to become a footballer” (95,950), the No. 1 dream profession for residents.
Papua New Guineans would most like to become creative writers, standing out from the rest of Oceania where DJ and lawyer are the top choices.
Ryan Riley, VP of Marketing for EMEA and APAC at Remitly, says: “ It’s exciting to see such diverse careers emerging among the world’s most sought-after dream jobs. We’re seeing a trend where dream jobs around the world are becoming more corporate and focused on high salaries over other career goals, particularly with the rise of legal professions.
The growing interest in health-related professions is particularly inspiring and could be another impact of the pandemic that is causing people to seek roles that serve their communities.
“For many, pursuing their dream career may mean moving abroad, where there are more job opportunities available. If that is the goal, I highly recommend doing plenty of research and drawing up a three-year plan before taking the leap. This will allow you to better plan your finances, assess your career progression, and help ease your nerves when moving abroad.”