e world around us is changing, and our economy along with it. A challenging economy may usher in change a bit more quickly than we might like, but out of the ashes, new fields arise. Green energy, better health care -- it seems there may be some silver linings around those dark clouds. Apply your interests to one of these rising fields, and you may be able to follow your career dreams to the top.

Here are some up-and-coming careers in today's hottest fields. They may fly under the radar for now, but that's likely to change in the future.

Digital Technology

There are plenty of career opportunities to explore in the field of digital technology, with the exponential growth of the Internet, computers at work and home, and gaming -- both online and with game systems like PS3 and X-Box.

Data Miner: This career tops the U.S. News & World Report's list of ahead-of-the-curve careers. Data miners use statistics to evaluate and predict future customer behavior. Many of today's data miners work mostly with data collected from the Internet, making their profession a valuable component of digital technology.

Annual Salary: $70,760 is the mean annual salary. The top ten percent can earn over $100,000.
Career Training: A bachelor's degree in information science, computer science, or management information systems (MIS) may be an asset in this field. Training in statistics is a plus for data miners.

Environmentalism and Green Careers

President Obama plans to create 5 million "green collar" jobs during his presidency. Could one of them be right for you?

Environmental Engineer: Solving the problems of coal pollution and developing better hybrid cars -- these are just two of the many problems our generation faces that environmental engineers will help us solve. Our focus in the coming decade will likely be much more on improving the world around us and preserving its resources. Perhaps this is why, in the field of engineering, environmental engineers are expected to see the most job growth between now and 2016.