The job market in the United States has changed considerably since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic began in March and April 2020, the U.S. jobless rate jumped above 10%. Since then, it has fallen to 3.6%. Employers in many industries scramble to get new workers today. Worker shortages in some of these sectors are extraordinary. This has made job security high in a number of professions.
As the job market recovered throughout 2021, there were a handful of professions that helped lower the unemployment rate. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were dozens of career fields that had unemployment rates well below 2% in 2021.
To determine the career with the best job security, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on the unemployment rate for over 500 detailed occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey.
Most of the jobs we reviewed for best job security are in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields – particularly medical careers like pharmacists and nurse practitioners, as well as tech jobs like software developers and IT security analysts. These highly-specialized fields tend to pay well, mostly above the median annual wage across all jobs of $56,310.
Nearly all of the jobs we looked at to determine the best job security typically require at least some form of secondary education – anywhere from an associate’s degree to a doctorate degree. However, a handful of these positions generally do not require any education beyond a high school diploma.
The career with the best job security is religious activities and education directors. Here are the details:
> Unemployment rate: 0.2%
> Labor force: 67,000
> Median annual wage: $45,110
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +2.1%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Methodology: To determine the career with the best job security, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on unemployment rate for over 500 detailed occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey. Detailed occupations were ranked based on the percentage of the labor force that was unemployed as of 2021. Unemployed members of an occupational labor force need to have been last employed in this occupation prior to unemployment. Only occupations whose labor forces were 50,000 or greater were considered. Broad occupation titles classified as “all other” were excluded from consideration.
Supplemental data on median annual wage came from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and are for 2020. Data on projected employment change from 2020 to 2030 and the typical education requirement for entry-level positions within the profession came from the BLS Employment Projections program.
Click here to see all the careers with the best job security.
Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)
Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.
Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.
Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future
Get started right here.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
