America's 25 Thriving Industries

Employment composition by industry in the United States is constantly changing. Between the Great Recession, technological advances, changes in energy production, an aging population, and several major legislative changes, the past 10 years have been especially tumultuous. While some industries have dwindled nearly to the point of extinction, others have thrived.

Since 2005, employment increased by at least 50% in 29 industries. The 25 fastest growing industries employed roughly 1.7 million Americans in 2005. The same industries provided jobs for roughly 3.6 million Americans as of last year. To identify the thriving industries, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed employment growth from 2005 through last year for 597 U.S. industries.

In an interview with 24/7 Wall St., Martin Kohli, chief regional economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), explained that the aging population was a major factor in the growth of many of the country’s thriving industries. As the population aged, “more and more people became eligible for Medicare,” Kohli said, a trend that is expected to continue. And older people need more medical attention. “The aging of the population is a big driver of health care spending, and health care spending is a big driver of job growth in health care.”

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No industry grew faster than services for the elderly and disabled, where employment tripled, increasing by 203.6% from 2005 through 2014. The broader health care and social assistance sector is the largest in the country, employing nearly 19.8 million Americans.

The past decade was also a big one for energy. Oil production in the United States has nearly doubled since 2005 and is now near record highs. Increased production has lead to job growth in the industry. Five of the 25 fastest growing U.S. industries were directly related to oil production and shipment. Employment in the oil and gas pipeline construction industry alone shot up nearly 90% — from roughly 72,000 workers in 2005 to slightly more than 136,000 workers in 2014.

Several of the fastest growing industries in the country have been spurred, directly or indirectly, by domestic and international politics. Political organizations were one of the fastest growing industries in the past 10 years. This was perhaps a result of the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United, a decision that effectively allowed for unlimited corporate campaign contributions and the creation of the super PACs. As a result, independent political spending soared from just under $40 million in the 2008 presidential campaign season to nearly $90 million leading up to the 2012 presidential election.

The administration of veteran’s affairs is another thriving industry. With tens of thousands of veterans returning home, the Department of Veteran Affairs has been inundated with claims requests. Partially as a result, the number of Americans working in the administration of veteran’s affairs has more than doubled, with a 106% rise since 2005, one of the largest employment growths of any industry.

Rapid employment growth in many of the country’s thriving industries was not easily predictable. “Based on demographics, you can make fairly confident predictions about certain things in the future,” Kohli said. Healthcare, for instance, is relatively predictable because need for services is often tied to age. “If you know how many people you have now, over different ages, you can be fairly confident that in 10 years you’re going to have so many people that are 10 years older.” However, predictions for other industries, including finance, construction, and technology, are not as clear cut.

Services for the elderly and disabled is the fastest growing industry in the country. It also employs 1.5 million Americans, a relatively large segment of the workforce. However, industries with rapid job growth do not necessarily employ large shares of the U.S. workforce. For instance, while employment in goat farming also grew at one of the fastest rates in the country, the industry employs only about 490 Americans, making it one of the smallest industries in the country.

To identify the nation’s thriving and dying industries, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed employment growth from 2005 through last year for 596 U.S. industries in the fourth level of detail in The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) by the U.S. Census Bureau. All data, including the number of establishments within each industry, average weekly and annual wages, as well as breakouts of these data over government, private, and local levels were retrieved from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). We excluded industries defined as miscellaneous, catch-all, or in vague terms such as “all other.”

These are America’s thriving industries.

25. Pipeline transportation of crude oil
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 54.1%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 4.9%
> Employment total: 10,705
> Avg. annual wage: $113,215

Of the 25 industries with the fastest employment growth, pipeline transportation of crude oil is one of several that are oil-related. Over the past decade, the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector has grown by 50.1%, the fastest growth rate of any sector. Because almost all crude oil must pass through some kind of pipeline, the oil and gas industry growth meant a large surge in the pipeline transportation of crude oil industry as well. The industry expanded from 6,945 employees nationwide in 2005 to 10,705 in 2014, a 54.1% increase. Industry wages, which have always been some of the highest in the country, grew as well. Average annual income for a pipeline transportation of crude oil industry worker increased from $84,758 in 2005 to $113,215 in 2014, a 33.6% rise.

24. Corn farming
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 54.5%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 4.9%
> Employment total: 16,988
> Avg. annual wage: $39,700

Between 2005 and 2014, corn farming has been one of the fastest growing industries by employment in the United States. Roughly 11,000 Americans worked on the 1,548 corn farms throughout the country in 2005. As of last year, the industry employed about 17,000 workers on the country’s 2,974 corn farms. Industry wages have increased alongside employment, from an average annual pay of $29,243 in 2005 to $39,701 last year.

Corn has a wide variety of uses. The crop accounts for more than 95% of total feed grain for livestock in the country. It is also commonly used as a sweetener, a source of alcohol, and is processed into ethanol.

23. Oil and gas extraction
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 56.3%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 5.1%
> Employment total: 196,673
> Avg. annual wage: $161,567

Nationally, the oil and gas extraction industry operates 9,827 facilities, which together operate in a range of activities, from exploration, drilling, recovery, and desilting, to the point of shipment. The industry employed 125,818 Americans in 2005. By 2014, industry employment had grown by 56.3% to 196,673 U.S. workers.

Oil and gas extraction is one of the highest paying industries in the country. The average annual salary is $161,567. Only two of the country’s 25 fastest growing industries have a higher average annual salary.

22. Offices of specialty therapists
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 56.6%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 5.1%
> Employment total: 332,680
> Avg. annual wage: $42,726

Americans over the age of 65 currently make up 14.5% of the U.S. population, the largest share in recorded history. According to the Census Bureau, that figure is expected to increase in the coming decades. As the elderly share of the population grows, so does the need for elder care. Consequently, demand for specialty therapists, such as physical and occupational therapists, is increasing in America — and with it employment in the field. Offices of specialty therapists employed 212,373 workers nationwide in 2005. As of last year, that figure had grown to 332,680 employees, a 56.6% increase. There are also many new offices and practices of specialty therapists. In the past decade, the number of specialty therapy offices has grown from 22,373 to 33,188 in 2014, a 48.3% increase.

21. Wineries
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 57.4%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 5.2%
> Employment total: 52,830
> Avg. annual wage: $41,783

A total of 3,559 wineries in the country employ some 52,830 people. Employment in the industry has grown 57.4% since 2005 when wineries employed only 33,565 people. While industry employment has shot up since 2005, wages have not. The average annual pay of a winery worker is $41,783, only about $200 more than the average annual wage 10 years ago.

The industry’s growth is closely tied to California’s economy. Due largely to favorable climates and fertile soil, California produces far more wine than any other state. Wineries in the Golden State churned out roughly 85% of the roughly 835 million gallons of wine produced in the United States in 2014.

20. Investment advice
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 57.6%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 5.2%
> Employment total: 175,133
> Avg. annual wage: $167,704

Over the past decade, employment in the finance and insurance sector has shrunk by 4.6%, the fifth largest contraction of any sector in the country. While the finance and insurance sector as a whole has dwindled, not all of the sector’s industries have done poorly. For example, employment in the investment advice industry has grown by 57.6% over the past decade nationwide, from 111,145 employees in 2005 to 175,133 in 2014. Part of the explanation could be the growing population of older Americans, who are both more likely to be wealthy and to invest compared with younger people. The current share of Americans aged 65 years or older as a percent of the U.S. population is the largest in recorded history.

19. Sports and recreation instruction
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 57.6%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 5.2%
> Employment total: 108,976
> Avg. annual wage: $17,742

While employment in the educational services sector has grown by 5.3% since 2005, employment in the sports and recreation instruction industry shot up 57.6% over the same time period. Despite the higher employment growth, sports and recreation instruction lagged behind the broader educational services sector in wage growth. While wages across the sector grew by 31.0% since 2005, industry wages only went up by 15.8% over the same time period. With an average annual wage of only $17,742, the sports and recreation instruction industry is one of the lowest paying in the country.

18. Portfolio management
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 62.2%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 5.5%
> Employment total: 183,530
> Avg. annual wage: $268,827

Over the past decade, employment in the finance and insurance sector has decreased by 4.6%, the fifth largest contraction of any sector in America. Like the investment advice industry, employment in portfolio management has grown despite the overarching sector employment decline. The portfolio management industry grew from 113,154 employees in 2005 to 183,530 in 2014, a 62.2% increase. The share of Americans 65 and older is at the highest level in recorded history. The subsequent need for retirement planning may partially account for the growth of the portfolio management industry, particularly in the wake of underfunded pensions.

17. Media buying agencies
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 63.9%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 5.6%
> Employment total: 14,552
> Avg. annual wage: $122,259

Employment in the media buying agencies industry has grown by nearly 64% since 2005. Industry workers buy time or space from media companies, such as television channels and online publishers, and resell it to advertisers. Average media buying agency wages increased even faster than industry employment. The average wage of a media buying agency worker is $122,259, roughly 70% higher than the average industry wage of $71,798 in 2005. By contrast, wages across all industries in the U.S. grew by only 31% over the same time period. The proliferation of online advertising in recent years likely accounts for the relatively rapid expansion of the industry workforce.

16. Mining and oil and gas field machinery manufacturing
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 71.5%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 6.2%
> Employment total: 95,511
> Avg. annual wage: $86,176

Over the past decade, employment in the manufacturing sector has declined by 14.3%, the third largest contraction of any sector in the country. However, employment in the manufacturing of mining and oil and gas machinery grew by a considerable amount, from 55,692 jobs in 2005 to 95,511 in 2014 — a 71.5% increase. The mining, oil, and gas machinery manufacturing industry is one of a handful of oil-related industries that are among the fastest growing in the nation. This is largely reflected in the growth of the mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction sector, which had the fastest employment growth of any sector in the past decade.

15. Materials recovery facilities
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 74.3%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 6.4%
> Employment total: 18,546
> Avg. annual wage: $43,392

The growing concern over climate change amongst American consumers in recent years may have contributed to more environmentally sound practices in the U.S. economy. Americans recycled just over a third of trash generated in 2013, up from the previous year and considerably higher than the recycling rate of 6.4% in 1960. It is perhaps no surprise that the materials recovery facilities industry, a pillar of the U.S. recycling system, is among the fastest growing in the country. Employment in materials recovery facilities has grown 74.3%, from 10,643 employees in 2005 to 18,546 in 2014. By comparison, employment in the broader administrative and waste services sector grew by only 6.2% over the same time period.

14. Copper, nickel, lead, and zinc mining
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 75.8%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 6.5%
> Employment total: 17,721
> Avg. annual wage: $80,303

Over the past decade, employment in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector has increased by 50.1%, the fastest growth of any sector. Within that sector, the copper, nickel, lead, and zinc mining industry grew from 10,080 employees in 2005 to 17,721 in 2014. However, while average annual wages in the sector more than doubled from $48,102 to $102,092 over that same period, wage growth in the copper, nickel, lead, and zinc mining industry was more modest. Industry wages grew from $62,574 in 2014 to $80,303 in 2014, a 28.3% increase. This was also a smaller increase than the 31.1% overall wage growth across all industries.

13. Mobile food services
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 78.8%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 6.7%
> Employment total: 12,991
> Avg. annual wage: $16,707

Comprised of food trucks, food carts and any other variety of mobile food concession stands, the mobile food services industry is one of the fastest growing in the country. While employment in the broader accommodation and food services sector grew by 15.4% from 2005 through 2014, the mobile food services industry grew even more rapidly — with 78.8% employment growth over the same time period. The industry’s rapid expansion is likely the result of increased demand for high quality cuisine without the high cost typically associated with a sit down restaurant. Despite a spike in employment, average annual wages of mobile food services industry workers are roughly $2,000 lower than the average annual wage of $18,761 for workers in the broader accommodation and food services industry.

12. Educational support services
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 79.5%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 6.7%
> Employment total: 147,881
> Avg. annual wage: $46,637

In 2005, 82,380 Americans worked in educational support services. By 2014, that figure had grown to 147,881, a 79.5% increase. By contrast, the broader educational services sector, which includes industries such as colleges and universities, elementary and secondary schools, and technical and trade schools, among others, grew by just 5.3% over the same period. Employees in educational support services primarily engage in non-instructional services related to educational processes or systems. Examples include educational consulting, educational guidance counseling, educational testing and evaluation, and student exchange programs.

11. Oil and gas pipeline construction
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 89.7%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 7.4%
> Employment total: 136,276
> Avg. annual wage: $76,119

U.S. production of oil has nearly doubled since 2005. As a result, oil and gas pipeline construction is one of several oil-related industries that are among the fastest growing in the nation. From 2005 through 2014, employment in oil and gas pipeline construction grew from 71,849 workers to 136,276, an 89.7% increase. The oil and gas pipeline construction industry was an exception in an otherwise lackluster construction sector, which experienced a 15.7% employment contraction as a whole. Wages in the industry increased alongside employment. The average annual income of employees in the field grew from $48,071 in 2005 to $76,119 in 2014, a 58.3% increase — one of the largest wage growths in the country.

10. Political organizations
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 91.7%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 7.5%
> Employment total: 11,939
> Avg. annual wage: $45,948

Political organizations are non-government groups typically hired or contracted to campaign or raise money for specific political candidates, parties, or issues.

This rise in employment among political organizations is likely due to market forces directly shaped by changing legislation. In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United, a decision that effectively allowed for unlimited corporate campaign contributions. As a result, independent political spending shot up from just under $40 million in the 2008 presidential campaign season to nearly $90 million leading up to the 2012 presidential election. With increased spending came increased employment in related industries. Since 2005, employment across all industries has grown by 3.8%. Employment in political organizations grew by nearly 92% from 2005 through 2014, faster than all but nine other U.S. industries.

9. Pet care, except veterinary, services
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 92.5%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 7.5%
> Employment total: 87,020
> Avg. annual wage: $19,307

Employment in the pet care industry grew by well over 90% from 2005 through 2014. Growth in this sector, not surprisingly, has coincided with a significant national increase in what Americans spend on their pets. According to the American Pet Products Association, U.S. pet ownership hit an all-time high in 2012. According to the BLS, the growing demand for pet care services, including dog trainers, groomers, pet sitters, kennel attendants, and caretakers in shelters and rescue leagues is expected to continue going forward. That being said, the average annual wage for a pet care worker is only $19,307, among the lowest salaries of any industry.

8. Support activities for mining
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 96.8%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 7.8%
> Employment total: 439,326
> Avg. annual wage: $88,527

Since 2005, the United States has nearly doubled its production of crude oil to become the world’s largest oil producer. As a result, employment in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector has increased by 50.1% since then, the fastest employment growth rate of any sector as a whole. Within that sector, employment in support activities for mining has grown by 96.8%, the eighth fastest employment growth rate of any industry in the country. Employees in the industry may work as derrick operators, drill operators, or roustabouts, among other support positions. Wages in the field, which are typically based on a contract or fee basis, have also grown significantly, from $62,287 in 2005 for the average worker to $88,527 in 2014, a 42.1% increase.

7. Apiculture
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 97.0%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 7.8%
> Employment total: 2,984
> Avg. annual wage: $35,550

Employment in the apiculture industry has nearly doubled over the past decade. Apiculture, which primarily consists of raising bees, collecting and gathering honey, and facilitating the pollination of fruits and nut crops, has grown from 1,515 U.S. employees in 2005 to 2,984 in 2014. Industry wages grew modestly in the same time period, with the average income of an apiculture employee growing from $26,572 in 2005 to $35,550 in 2014. The 33.8% wage growth was slightly higher than the 31.1% wage growth of the average American worker.

6. Goat farming
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 100.0%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 8.0%
> Employment total: 488
> Avg. annual wage: $28,256

Although goat farming is one of the smallest industries in the country, with just 488 employees nationwide, it is quickly growing. The demand for goat cheese and goat’s milk has been on the rise for some time now, and between 2005 and 2014, employment in the industry doubled. The vast majority of all goat farms have less than 500 goats and are considered small-scale by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). From 2005 to 2014, the average annual income of goat farmers had grown by just 23.2%, less than the 39.6% wage growth in the broader agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector.

5. Administration of veterans’ affairs
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 106.2%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 8.4%
> Employment total: 52,538
> Avg. annual wage: $72,534

The Department of Veteran Affairs is one of the largest departments in the U.S. federal government. The administration of veterans’ affairs industry is also one of the fastest growing in the country. Industry employment has more than doubled since 2005 to its current level of 52,538 employees. In 2008, the United States had roughly 188,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the years since, the war in Iraq has ended and the majority of those soldiers are home.

The Department of Veteran Affairs has come under scrutiny in recent years due to the backlog of veterans claiming disability benefits. However, perhaps due to recent growth in industry employment, currently less than 80,000 veterans have been waiting longer than four months for the department’s decision on their case. Two years ago, the backlog included more than 600,000 veterans.

4. Soybean farming
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 111.7%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 8.7%
> Employment total: 4,520
> Avg. annual wage: $32,618

Global demand for soybeans, led primarily by China, has been on the rise since the mid 1990s, and the United States is one of the largest soybean exporters in the world. As a result, U.S. employment in soybean farming more than doubled, rising from 2,135 employees in 2005 to 4,520 in 2014. Many new farms have cropped up as well. The number of U.S. soybean farms grew from 408 in 2005 to 890 in 2014, a 118.1% increase. The total land area used for soybean harvesting in the Western Hemisphere surpassed the total land area used for wheat.

3. Dry pea and bean farming
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 117.0%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 9.0%
> Employment total: 638
> Avg. annual wage: $33,155

Employment in dry pea and bean farming increased from 294 U.S. employees in 2005 to 638 in 2014. The 117% employment growth was the third fastest in the nation. Wages in the industry have increased alongside employment. The average annual income of soybean farmers grew from $20,465 in 2005 to $33,155 in 2014. The 62.0% wage increase was significantly larger than the 39.6% wage increase across the broader agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector.The United States exports just about one-fifth of its total dry pea and bean production.

2. Translation and interpretation services
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 194.5%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 12.7%
> Employment total: 28,615
> Avg. annual wage: $46,924

One impediment to the pace of globalization is the multitude of languages spoken throughout the world. As technology has reduced the constraints of time and increased opportunities for international business, cross cultural communication has become increasingly important. In the context of a connected globe, the translation and interpretation services sector is the second fastest growing in the United States. From 2005 through 2014, industry employment shot up 194.5%.

The industry has expanded dramatically, but annual wages have remained relatively stagnant. While annual wages across the country have gone up by 31.1% since 2005, the average annual wage the translation and interpretation industry has gone up by only 6.2%.

1. Services for the elderly and disabled
> Employment growth from 2005-2014: 203.6%
> Avg. annual employment growth: 13.1%
> Employment total: 1,474,631
> Avg. annual wage: $16,431

Americans 65 and over currently comprise 14.5% of the total U.S. population, the largest share of senior citizens in recorded history. According to the Census Bureau, that share will increase in the coming decades. As the share of older Americans increases, so does the need for elderly care. Employment in services for the elderly and disabled more than tripled in the past decade, from 485,715 U.S. employees in 2005 to 1,474,631 in 2015 — by far the fastest growth rate of any industry.

Despite the rapid expansion in employment in the field, wages of industry employees, whose work consists of outpatient care for the elderly and disabled, has declined over the past decade. While annual wages in the health care and social assistance sector as a whole increased by 50.2% from 2005 through 2014, wages of workers in the elderly and disabled services industry declined — from $18,042 in 2005 to $16,431 in 2014, an 8.9% decrease.

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