SEO and SEM has a great scope in future as its an easy task to develop a website but putting it in the top searches is an uphill task, you really need to spend few years to know all the search engine policies and remain away from the black hat techniques.
Unless and untill internet is here, future of SEO is bright. Every one wants to make their website visible on the top of the search engine ranking for their economic growth. This increase the importance of SEO. SEO is not an easy job to do.
World is over internet nowadays everyone needs his website on top and thus it leads to the requirement of a SEO and moreover survey has stated the worldwide usage of SEO is 14% only which will increase to 74% by 2014 A.D. So you can determine the future and prospect of being an SEO.
I think in future seo have no scope but smo may be have some scope.so according to me i suggest you to go in smo not in seo.
I think SEM has a future but not for SEO. The way Google is modifying its algorithm with animal based thematic updates (i.e. Panda and Penguin). Soon there will be no scope for SEO in the market.
Statement like these are from people who know little about SEO. SEM is has a big part which is SEO and SEM cannot go without SEO and vice versa
Of Course SEO is a big market scale in IT Industry. Not in india even - in other countries basically - Big market.
Now-a-days, SEO is known as the brightest future careen in IT industry without Technical background. There are lots of SEO Services Company in India which provide job & training .
SEO's will definitely have a bright scope in future as we can see growing demand of online business, so there arises the need for website promotion which could be accomplished using SEO..