Over the past decade, Indiana’s technological landscape has expanded. Because of this, some job titles never even existed before 2016. Others were around, but the responsibilities didn’t entail quite what they involve today.
Indiana’s tech sector has expanded significantly as more employers adopt digital tools and advanced systems across industries, including healthcare, finance, construction, manufacturing and others. The result is not that technology has replaced workforces. It has defined roles.
Here are some jobs that look very different today thanks to technology:
THEN: IT Technician/Systems Support Specialist
NOW: Cloud Infrastructure Support Roles, Automation IT Operations
Traditional IT support once focused heavily on maintaining on-site servers, troubleshooting hardware and managing internal networks. They were the go-to when new employees needed access to systems when onboarding or when problems would arise with internal programs not loading correctly. Today, those responsibilities extend to cloud environments, automation tools, cybersecurity and AI-assisted monitoring systems.
THEN: Mechanical Maintenance Technician
NOW: Robotics Maintenance & Industrial Automation Technician
Indiana’s manufacturing sector has, for many years, relied on skilled mechanical labor to fix physical equipment, such as repairing downed production lines and keeping processes running on the shop floor. Today, many of those responsibilities have shifted to diagnosing and maintaining automated, software-controlled production systems that blend mechanical equipment with digital controls.
THEN: Warehouse Associate
NOW: Logistics Systems Analyst
Indiana’s longstanding reputation as a national logistics hub has not changed, but how goods move through that system certainly has. What was once physical coordination, think forklifts and manual tracking, has transformed into automated centers that use real-time tracking systems, inventory optimization tools and software-driven routing. While physical handling often remains part of the job, many warehouse roles today are more integrated with systems that monitor, optimize and coordinate operations across the supply chain.
THEN: Medical Records Clerk
NOW: Health Informatics Specialist
Not long ago, patient information was stored primarily in paper charts, filed away in cabinets located in the physical records department. Today, healthcare organizations rely on electronic health records, digital documentation systems and integrated patient data platforms. This is one area where a new, specialized role has emerged with the integration of technology, as healthcare providers increasingly rely on professionals who can manage, organize and analyze digital patient information.
THEN: Classroom Teacher
NOW: Technology-Integrated Educator
A decade ago, most instruction still revolved around textbooks, paper assignments and in-person classroom activities. Today, digital learning, accelerated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, sits at the front of the class. Teachers routinely manage learning management systems, digital assessments, virtual collaboration tools and online content platforms as part of everyday instruction.
THEN: Construction Foreman
NOW: Construction Technology & Project Systems Manager
Traditionally, construction projects relied heavily on paper blueprints and manual measurements to get the job done. Today, however, many job sites incorporate building information modeling (BIM), drones, GPS-guided equipment, digital twin technology and cloud-based project management. The goal is to improve communication and efficiency.
THEN: Human Resource Manager
NOW: People Behavior and Workforce Analyst
Human resource professionals once relied on paper files, manual recruiting processes and in-person employee management. Today, those positions entail working with applicant tracking systems, workforce analytics platforms and digital onboarding to improve hiring outcomes and support employee development.
THEN: Agricultural Equipment Operator
NOW: Precision Agriculture Technician
These roles generally relied on visual observation and long-standing industry experience to help producers make the best-informed decisions about crop health and management and improve output. But this position now involves GPS-guided equipment, sensors, drones and data analytics as modern agricultural tools that result in more efficiency and accuracy.
THEN: Insurance Claims Adjuster
NOW: Digital Claims and Risk Assessment Specialist
Paperwork, phone calls and in-person inspections made this early role largely an administrative function. But the development of digital platforms, remote assessment tools, predictive analytics and even AI have transformed this role to still highlight customer interaction, but with reliance on technology to evaluate risks and accelerate claim decisions.
THEN: Financial Analyst
NOW: Fintech & Data Analytics Specialist
Just a short decade ago, financial analysts relied on spreadsheets and historical data to evaluate business performance. Today, advanced analytics platforms, automation tools and AI allow professionals to process massive amounts of data quickly and easily. The role has advanced from making decisions based on what has already happened to using technology to more accurately predict outcomes in the near future.
