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According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the labor market is expected to recover steadily from the COVID pandemic over the next ten years—but some occupations have a brighter future than others. With boomers beginning to exit the labor force, and the rise of remote work, expect to see more opportunities in healthcare, internet technology, and data science. If you’re looking to change careers but aren’t sure exactly where to look, this list is a good place to start.
A look at the fastest growing careers
Despite 2020 being one of the worst years for employment rates since the Great Depression, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects a reversal in the decline of employment growth in most occupation types.
However, since the downturn in 2020 employment was so dramatic, the growth projections in the report are skewed towards jobs most impacted by the pandemic. For example, the fastest growing occupation is motion picture projectionists, with an expected increased employment rate of 70.5%, and other jobs most affected by COVID are projected to rapidly grow, too, such as group exercise instructors and restaurant workers.
To get around this, the report provides a list of the fastest growing occupations, excluding those that have job growth rates primarily driven by an expected short-term recovery from 2020 numbers. The big winners this decade will be in technology, healthcare, and data science, as remote work and an aging population will drive employment growth in those sectors (including a 24% growth for crematory operators—yikes). With more companies working in data learning and artificial intelligence, expect more jobs for statisticians, information security analysts, and data scientists.
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The fastest growing job roles
Here’s a rundown of the fastest growing jobs based on their expected growth percentage by 2030, along with their current average salary, per the BLS report:
Wind turbine service technicians ($56,230): 68.2%Nurse practitioners ($111,680): 52.2%Solar photovoltaic installers ($46,470): 52.1%Statisticians ($92,270): 35.4%
Physical therapist assistants ($59,770): 35.4%
Information security analysts ($103,590): 33.3%
Home health and personal care aides ($27,080): 32.6%
Medical and health services managers ($104,280): 32.5%
Data scientists ($98,230): 31.4%
Physician assistants ($115,390): 31%
Epidemiologists ($74,560): 29.6%
Logisticians ($76,270): 29.5%
Speech-language pathologists ($80,480): 28.7%
Animal trainers ($31,520): 28.5%
Computer numerically controlled tool programmers ($57,740): 27.4%
Genetic counselors ($85,700): 26.2%
Crematory operators ($28,420): 24.8%
Operations research analysts ($86,200): 24.6%
Actuaries ($111,030): 24.5%
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary ($99,090): 24.3%
Forest fire inspectors and specialists ($42,150): 23.9%
Interpreters and translators ($52,330): 23.7%
Athletic trainers ($49,860): 23.4%
Respiratory therapists ($62,810): 23%
Substance abuse, and mental health counselors ($47,660): 22.9%
Food prep workers ($27,080): 22.8%
Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary ($75,470): 22.4%
Woodworkers ($33,630): 22.2%
Phlebotomists ($36,320): 22.2%
Software developers and QA analysts ($110,140): 22.2%
