Want to find a job that’s always in demand and pays well? The best bet when starting your job search is to have a career strategy. Whether you want to change careers, make more money, or get started off on the right foot and pay down some bills, you’ll be better off picking a field that’s growing in demand.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has an Occupational Outlook Handbook which keeps track of average job salaries and changes in demand for different fields, so it’s a good place to look first. This handbook provides 10 year projections. I also reviewed the World Economic Forum’s latest report with 5 year projections.
What trends are impacting the job market?
Rise of e-commerce over brick-and-mortar retail
“The expansion of e-commerce is set to drive rapid employment growth across those four industries: couriers and express delivery services, warehousing and storage, local messengers and local delivery, and freight transportation arrangement.”
An aging population and prevalence of chronic illnesses
Increase in people aged 65 or older and many common chronic illnesses means demand for health aides, nurses, and many other health and health support roles will increase, more than any other category of job.
Proliferation of data, AI and automation
Demand for cloud services, hardware and software engineering and mathematical and statistical analysis is growing rapidly. Also cyber security, as attacks become more common and sophisticated. Also, the demand for content and content creation increases, fueling the media streaming services and software industry jobs.
What Are the Fastest Growing Jobs?
Each job lists the percentage increase (according to the BLS) and the average salary. Some roles mentioned by the World Economic Forum in their report may not have listings with the government database. For those I provided an average salary I was able to find online. You can search most of these job names on the BLS database for more information as to the growth rate, education requirements, average pay and total number of jobs expected.
IT and Related Jobs
- Artificial Intelligence Specialist $125k
- Artificial Intelligence Researcher $110k
- Data Analysts and Scientists (↑35%) $103k
- Information Security Analyst (↑32%) $112k
- Computer and Information Research Scientists (↑23%) $137k
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (↑15%) $164k
- Software Developers (↑26%) $127k
- Digital Transformation Specialist $115k
- Statisticians (↑32%) $99k
Managerial or Operations Type Jobs
- Operations Research Analyst (↑23%) $86k
- Financial Managers (↑16%) $140k
- Project Management Specialist (↑6%) $95k
- Human Resource Specialists (↑6%) $64k
Engineering Jobs
- Robotics Engineers $95k
- Industrial Engineers (↑12%) $96k
- Mechanical Engineers (↑10%) $96k
- Electrical / Electronics Engineers (↑5%) $105k
- Aerospace Engineers (↑6%) $127k
Medical Industry Jobs
- Nurse Practitioners (↑45%) $122k / Registered Nurses (↑6%) $81k
- Medical and Health Services Managers (↑28%) $105k
- Epidemiologists (↑27%) $78k
- Physician’s Assistant (↑27%) $126k
- Home Health Aides (↑22%) $30k
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselors (↑18%) $50k
- Physical Therapist (↑15%) $98k
- Medical Assistants / Nurses’ Assistants (↑14%) $38k
- Respiratory Therapists (↑13%) $71k
- Occupational Therapists (↑12%) $93k | Therapist Assistants (↑23%) $63k
- Diagnostic Medial Sonographers (↑10%) $78k
Green Jobs
- Wind Turbine Service Technicians (↑45%) $57k
- Solar Installers (↑22%) $45k
- Renewable Energy and Solar Engineers
- Environmental Engineers (↑6%) $96k
Other Jobs
- Actuaries (↑23%) $114k
- Heavy Truck Drivers (↑4%) $50k Light Truck Drivers (↑10%) $38k
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (↑13%) $60k
- Agricultural Equipment Operators (↑30%)
Healthcare and Tech Sectors Growing, Administrative Roles Shrink
Which roles are growing fastest?
The fastest growing field by far in the next ten years will be medical and social services, due to the aging population and the prevalence of chronic diseases. Top five growth jobs, in order, are home health and personal care aides, software developers, restaurant cooks, stockers and order fillers and registered nurses. (See chart 4)
Which jobs are declining fastest?
Many administrative positions will see declines, including bank clerks, and data entry and other types of clerk roles. Cashiers and admin roles will also see sharp declines.
Where Can I Learn More About These Jobs?
If you’re interested in learning more about getting into one of these fields, you can start with the Occupational Outlook Handbook. It will tell you some information about the training requirements, and some details about what the jobs entail. The US Dept of Labor also has a Career One Stop website with information about careers.
If you’re a woman who needs some help kick-starting your career change or job search, learn more about me, and set up some time to talk with a free discovery call.