Fastest-Growing Jobs in America
Are you looking to start or pick a new career path? Then you’ll want to choose a field that’s adding jobs and not dying off. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its newest projections of the country’s top 20 occupations with the highest percent change in employment from 2018 to 2028.
The newest data includes a lot of health care-related services, as that industry is expected to increase due to the aging baby boomer population. And the two professions with the highest projected growth are in the green energy field, thanks to the slow movement toward renewable resources.
Also included in this list are the lowest and highest salaries of these jobs, so you’ll know what to expect to make at an entry-level position and what you can eventually earn.
20. Medical Assistant
Projected growth rate: 23 percent
2018 median pay: $33,610 per year
Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree award
Medical assistants work in health care facilities like hospitals and doctors’ offices, and they perform tasks such as measuring vital signs and recording patient history. This field is large — 686,600 medical assistants were employed in 2018, with a projected 154,900 additional jobs to be added over the next decade.
But it’s not a well-paying role. According to the BLS, the lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,780 while the highest 10 percent earned over $47,250 in 2018.
19. Physical Therapist Aide
Projected growth rate: 23 percent
2018 median annual pay: $26,240
Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree award
Physical therapist aides work under a physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant. Typical duties include cleaning equipment, clerical tasks and assisting patients in moving to and from the therapy area (although these tasks vary by state law). There are about 49,800 physical therapist aides employed, although it is generally a low-paying field.
The lowest-paid aides made less than $20,040 while the highest were paid more than $39,230 in 2018.
18. Phlebotomist
Projected growth rate: 23 percent
2018 median annual pay: $34,480 per year
Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree award
Phlebotomists draw blood from patients and get the plasma ready for processing. There is expected to be more demand for phlebotomists as the expanding health care fields will require more people to do bloodwork — a projected 157,800 jobs is expected to be added in the next decade, which is significantly more than the 128,300 of phlebotomists employed as of 2018.
The majority of phlebotomists work in hospitals and diagnostic laboratories, with the highest-paid phlebotomists making over $49,060 per year, while the lowest-paid made less than $25,020 in 2018.
17. Postsecondary Teachers – Health Specialties
Projected growth rate: 23 percent
2018 median annual pay: $97,370
Typical education required: Ph.D. often required
Professors in the health specialties field are some of the highest-paid teachers in America. And as the need for more health care services increases due to an aging baby boomer population, more teachers will be needed. This profession is expected to increase by 59,100 jobs by 2028, creating a total job pool of about 313,900 positions.
It’s not an easy job to get, though; college professors are almost always expected to have a doctoral degree and competition is fierce.
16. Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
Projected growth rate: 24 percent
2018 median annual pay: $39,600
Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree awards
Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists patrol outdoor areas and enforce fire regulations while looking for ways to prevent wildfire risks. It’s a small field, with only about 2,200 employed workers in 2018. About 500 new jobs will be added in the next decade due to the increasing number of wildfire outbreaks. Most forest inspectors and prevention specialists were firefighters.
The lowest 10 percent of forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists earned less than $26,600, while the biggest earners made over $83,810.
15. Software Application Developers
Projected growth rate: 26 percent
2018 median annual pay: $103,620
Typical education required: Bachelor’s degree
As the Internet of Things expands so will the demand for software developers, who design programs from phone games to custom-tailored business software. Computer science and related degrees are typically expected from employers.
It’s a high-paying position, with the lowest earning round $61,660 while the highest make more than $161,290, according to the BLS. The government expects an increase of 241,600 jobs in software application developers by 2028, which will increase the total number of jobs in this field to over 1.85 million.
14. Operations Research Analyst
Projected growth rate: 26 percent
2018 median annual pay: $83,390
Typical education required: Bachelor’s degree
Operations research analysts look for new ways to save money and streamline processes. And as more data becomes available with new technology, more of these analysts will be needed to parse all of that data and come up with new solutions.
The majority — 30 percent — of operations research analysts work in finance and insurance, with the top earners in the entire field making over $136,250 to a low of around $46,800. Jobs in governmental and manufacturing industries pay the most. About 137,900 new operations research analyst jobs are projected to be created by 2028.
13. Mathematician
Projected growth rate: 26 percent
2018 median annual pay: $101,900
Typical education required: Master’s degree
Businesses have troves of data available about dozens of different aspects relating to their companies. Mathematicians will be needed to make sense of and analyze all of those numbers. However, as the BLS notes, it’s a small field — that 26 percent growth only means an additional 800 jobs.
The lowest paid mathematicians earned less than $57,150, while the highest 10 percent were paid over $160,550.
12. Genetic Counselor
Projected growth rate: 27 percent
2018 median annual pay: $80,370
Typical education required: Master’s degree and board certification
Genetic counselors look for a variety of genetic conditions. More jobs are expected to increase in this field due to technology innovations in the health care field, and the demand for those able to study and analyze the human genome is expected to increase.
Pay varies from less than $52,750 for the lowest-paid workers to over $107,450 for the highest paid.
11. Physical Therapist Assistant
Projected growth rate: 27 percent
2018 median annual pay: $58,040
Typical education required: Associate’s degree and certification/licensing
As the baby boomer generation ages, the demand for assistants to physical therapists will increase. Physical therapist assistants help physical therapists by helping take care of patients and setting up equipment. It can be a physically demanding job, as most physical therapist assistants are on their feet for most of the workday, and salaries have a wide range.
The lowest-paid 10 percent of physical therapist assistants only make $33,780, while the highest-paid workers made more than $79,810 in 2018.
10. Speech-Language Pathologists
Projected growth rate: 27 percent
2018 median annual pay: $77,510
Typical education required: Master’s degree
Speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat communication, voice and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Many states require licensing on top of at least a master’s degree for an entry level position in this field. Approximately new 41,900 jobs positions are expected to be added in the next 10 years, mainly due to an increasing number of speech disorders in the baby boomer generation.
Pay ranges from around $48,690 to over $120,000. Speech-language pathologists are also more likely to belong to a union.
9. Nurse Practitioner
Projected growth rate: 28 percent
2018 median annual pay: $107,030
Typical education required: Master’s degree, licensing and certification
Preventative care and general health care services from an aging population is predicted to fuel the demand for nurse practitioners over the next decade. A projected 53,300 new jobs over the next decade is expected to increase the number of total nurse practitioner jobs to 242,400.
The BLS doesn’t provide specifics on the lowest and highest paid in this field, although PayScale reports that an entry-level nurse practitioner makes an average of $87,828.
8. Statistician
Projected growth rate: 31 percent
2018 median annual pay: $87,780
Typical education required: Master’s degree
Statistician jobs are predicted to increase by five percent more than mathematicians. The statistician field is larger than the mathematician occupation, with 44,400 people currently employed — and that number is projected to increase to 58,000 by 2028. The need for biostatisticians in pharmaceutical industries and statisticians familiar with computer programming skills will likely increase.
The lowest 10 percent of statisticians earned less than $53,000 while the highest 10 percent earned over $139,350.
7. Physician Assistant
Projected growth rate: 31 percent
2018 median annual pay: $108,610
Typical education required: Master’s degree and licensing
As the population ages, more health care services will be required. The BLS predicates that team-based health care provision models will become more common, while physician assistants in general will be needed because they do not require the same years-long training as doctors.
It’s also a well-paying profession: the lowest 10 percent earned around $69,000 while the highest 10 percent earned over $151,850.
6. Information Security Analyst
Projected growth rate: 32 percent
2018 median annual pay: $98,350
Typical education required: Bachelor’s degree
Information security analysts protect and secure a businesses’ digital network. Its an important job — as cyberattacks increase, more information security analysts will be needed. A projected 35,500 jobs are expected to be added in this career.
Having a job in a related field can also help employment. For example, the BLS notes that someone with experience as a database administrator will have a better shot at a database security job than someone without that experience.
The highest-paid IT security analysts made over $156,580 in 2018, while the lowest-paid made lower than $56,750.
5. Occupational Therapy Assistant
Projected growth rate: 33 percent
2018 median annual pay: $60,220
Typical education required: Associate’s degree and certifications
Like physical therapist assistants, more occupational therapy assistants will be needed due to the aging baby boomer population. An additional 14,500 jobs are expected to be added over the next decade for occupational therapy assistants. Occupational therapy aides will have a tougher time — fewer requirements means more competition, and the pool of jobs available for occupational therapy aides will only increase by a projected 1,500 jobs.
The lowest 10 percent of physical therapy assistants made less than $39,620 while the highest were paid over $80,980.
4. Personal Care Aide
Projected growth rate: 36 percent
2018 median annual pay: $24,020
Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent, certification requirements vary by state
Personal care aides people help people disabilities, chronic illnesses, cognitive impairments and terminal illnesses with their daily lives. Duties vary from running errands and preparing meals to helping a patient bathe and dress. Personal care aides do not provide medical services — that duty is for home health aides. Rather, aides are more general caregivers. An increase in people using home care rather than relying on nursing homes or hospitals is projected to increase the need for this profession, with a predicted 881,000 jobs added by 2028.
However, it’s not a well-paying job. The lowest 10 percent of personal care aides earned less than $18,740, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $31,650.
3. Home Health Aide
Projected growth rate: 37 percent
2018 median annual pay: $24,200
Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent, certification requirements vary by state
Home health aides sometimes provide basic health services, like checking a person’s temperature or changing bandages. The BLS expects an additional 304,800 new jobs in this profession to be added by 2028.
Home health aides are in a similar pay bracket as personal care aides, although they earn slightly more: the lowest 10 percent of home health aides made less than $19,060, while the highest paid earned more than $32,180.
2. Wind Turbine Service Technician
Projected growth rate: 57 percent
2018 median annual pay: $54,370
Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree award
Windtechs will be in high demand due to an expected rise in wind turbine farms over the next decade. However, it’s not a large field — there are currently only 6,800 windtechs in the United States, and that number is expected to increase to 10,300 by 2028.
The lowest-paid windtechs earned less than $37,780 while the highest 10 percent earned over $83,560 in 2018. That pay comes with risks, as windtechs need to climb towering wind turbines that can be over 400 feet tall.
Solar Photovoltaic Installer
Projected growth rate: 63 percent
2018 median annual pay: $42,680
Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent
The crawl to greener energy sources means more solar panels, which means more solar panel installers. While the projected job outlook for PV installers is 63 percent, it comes with a caveat — this job market is dependent on government incentives, with states that provide things like tax rebates and subsidies having more available jobs. Currently, there are 9,700 PV installers in the United States, and that job growth is projected to increase to 15,800 by 2028.
The highest-paid PV installers made over $63,580 while the lowest made $30,180 in 2018.
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