24/7 Wall St. Insights
- Due to free-market forces, government policy, and technological advancements, the American labor market is constantly evolving
- In the next 10 years, the U.S. job market is expected to look much different than it does today.
- Also: 2 Dividend Legends To Hold Forever
The United States has had the world’s largest economy for well over half a century. But while American productivity has been unmatched for decades, many of the industries and jobs that drive the U.S. economy are anything but static.
Technological advances, shifting government policy, demographic changes, and other market forces, inevitably foster a constantly evolving American labor market. In the last decade alone, certain occupations across multiple industries — including broadcasting, resource extraction, and manufacturing — have cumulatively shed millions of workers, even as the overall economy added more than 14 million jobs. (Here is a look at America’s fastest dying industries.)
But just as some occupations are disappearing, others are growing rapidly — and in the next 10 years, the U.S. job market is expected to look much different than it does today.
Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24/7 Wall St. identified America’s fastest growing occupations. We reviewed projected employment change for over 800 jobs over the decade between 2022 and 2032. For each of the 22 occupations on this list, employment is expected to climb by at least 20% in the next 10 years — over six times the 3% projected growth across all occupations.
Cumulatively, the occupations on this list are projected to add another 2.2 million jobs over the next decade, and an average of nearly 1.4 million job openings every year. According to the World Bank, the services sector accounts for over three-quarters of economic activity in the United States. In keeping with this trend, many of the fastest growing occupations — including nurse practitioners, restaurant cooks, and personal care workers — are service providing, rather than goods producing.
Several of the occupations on this list are in the healthcare industry, and employment growth in these fields is expected to be driven by an aging population. Older adults are more likely to require regular medical services than their younger counterparts, and according to a study from the Urban Institute, the number of Americans age 65 and older is expected to hit 80 million by 2040, up from 54 million in 2020.
For several other occupations on this list, job growth is expected to be driven by consumer trends. For example, Americans have been spending more on their pets than ever before in recent years. As of 2022, American households spent an average of $741 on pets, up from $460 in 2013. As pet ownership rates and related spending rises, demand for pet treatment and healthcare will as well — and two occupations on this list are in the veterinary field.
Several other rapidly growing occupations are directly related to government clean energy initiatives. As the U.S. transitions away from fossil fuels in favor of clean, renewable energy, demand for wind turbine technicians and solar photovoltaic installers is expected to grow by 44.9% and 22.3%, respectively, over the next decade. (Here is a look at the states where CO2 pollution is skyrocketing.)
Why It Matters
The United States is home to the largest and most diverse economy in the world — and the free-market dynamism that has helped make the U.S. a global center of gravity is also fueling continuous economic transformation. Whether due to free-market forces, government policy, or technological advancements, certain occupations are expected to grow many times faster than average over the next 10 years.
22. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +20.3% (+40,800 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 17,500
- Total employment: 200,800 in 2022; 241,600 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $101,800
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
21. Restaurant cooks
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +20.4% (+277,600 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 252,400
- Total employment: 1,361,200 in 2022; 1,638,900 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $35,780
- Typical entry-level education requirement: No formal educational credential
20. Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +20.5% (+25,200 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 14,800
- Total employment: 122,900 in 2022; 148,100 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $43,740
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Associate’s degree
19. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +20.5% (+23,500 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 26,800
- Total employment: 114,800 in 2022; 138,300 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $36,440
- Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
18. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +20.5% (+17,900 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 18,900
- Total employment: 87,000 in 2022; 104,900 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $36,980
- Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
17. Taxi drivers
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +20.6% (+36,400 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 22,800
- Total employment: 177,300 in 2022; 213,700 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $34,680
- Typical entry-level education requirement: No formal educational credential
16. Home health and personal care aides
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +21.7% (+804,600 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 684,600
- Total employment: 3,715,500 in 2022; 4,520,100 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $33,530
- Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
15. Solar photovoltaic installers
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +22.3% (+6,600 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 3,500
- Total employment: 29,400 in 2022; 35,900 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $48,800
- Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
14. Operations research analysts
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +22.5% (+24,700 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 9,800
- Total employment: 109,900 in 2022; 134,700 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $83,640
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
13. Computer and information research scientists
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +22.7% (+8,300 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 3,400
- Total employment: 36,500 in 2022; 44,800 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $145,080
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Master’s degree
12. Actuaries
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +23.2% (+7,000 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 2,300
- Total employment: 30,000 in 2022; 36,900 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $120,000
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
11. Occupational therapy assistants
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +24.0% (+10,800 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 8,000
- Total employment: 45,100 in 2022; 56,000 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $67,010
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Associate’s degree
10. Software developers
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +25.7% (+410,400 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 136,300
- Total employment: 1,594,500 in 2022; 2,004,900 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $132,270
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
9. Physical therapist assistants
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +26.1% (+26,300 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 18,100
- Total employment: 100,700 in 2022; 126,900 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $64,080
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Associate’s degree
8. Physician assistants
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +26.5% (+39,300 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 12,200
- Total employment: 148,000 in 2022; 187,300 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $130,020
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Master’s degree
7. Epidemiologists
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +26.7% (+2,700 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 800
- Total employment: 10,000 in 2022; 12,700 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $81,390
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Master’s degree
6. Medical and health services managers
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +28.4% (+144,700 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 54,700
- Total employment: 509,500 in 2022; 654,200 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $110,680
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
5. Information security analysts
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +31.5% (+53,200 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 16,800
- Total employment: 168,900 in 2022; 222,200 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $120,360
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
4. Statisticians
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +31.6% (+10,500 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 3,300
- Total employment: 33,300 in 2022; 43,900 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $104,110
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Master’s degree
3. Data scientists
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +35.2% (+59,400 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 17,700
- Total employment: 168,900 in 2022; 228,200 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $108,020
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
2. Nurse practitioners
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +44.5% (+118,600 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 26,300
- Total employment: 266,300 in 2022; 384,900 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $126,260
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Master’s degree
1. Wind turbine service technicians
- Projected employment change; 2022-2032: +44.9% (+5,000 jobs)
- Avg. annual job openings; 2022-2032: 1,800
- Total employment: 11,200 in 2022; 16,200 in 2032 (projected)
- Median annual wage in 2023: $61,770
- Typical entry-level education requirement: Postsecondary nondegree award
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