Career service crunches BLS data to deliver details on jobs with promising outlooks.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), total employment in the U.S. will grow by 8.3 million jobs from 2021 to 2031. To help job seekers and workers understand high potential opportunities in a fast-changing work landscape, ResumeGenius, a leading career site, has identified the top 30 fastest-growing jobs that also have salaries above the U.S. median.
The list was created by referencing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment projections for 2021–2031 and 2022 wage data.
ResumeGenius analysts took the following steps in May 2023 to create this list of the top 30 jobs in terms of positive growth with a salary higher than the 2022 median:
- Extracted the professions that showed positive growth in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment projections for 2021–2031
- Determined which jobs also had a salary higher than the U.S. 2022 median of $46,310 (according to BLS)
- Only considered jobs with a specific and defined job title (catchall occupation titles such as “computer occupations, all other” were excluded)
- Created a geometric mean of median annual wages and projected employment growth for each occupation. The higher the geometric mean, the higher the job scored in the ranking
The top 10 jobs according to the above methodology are listed below, with all 30 found here. Each job title includes projected change in employment, median annual wage, typical education requirements, and work experience required for the job.
- Software developer
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +370,600
- Median annual wage in 2022: $127,260
- Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: None
- General and operations manager
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +209,800
- Median annual wage in 2022: $98,100
- Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: 5 years or more
- Financial manager
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +123,100
- Median annual wage in 2022: $139,790
- Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: 5 years or more
- Registered nurse
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +195,400
- Median annual wage in 2022: $81,220
- Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: None
- Medical and health services manager
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +136,200
- Median annual wage in 2022: $104,830
- Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: Less than 5 years
- Nurse practitioner
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +112,700
- Median annual wage in 2022: $121,610
- Typical educational requirements: Master’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: None
- Computer and information systems manager
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +82,400
- Median annual wage in 2022: $164,070
- Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: 5 years or more
- Lawyer
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +80,200
- Median annual wage in 2022: $135,740
- Typical educational requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: None
- Management analyst
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +108,400
- Median annual wage in 2022: $95,290
- Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: Less than 5 years
- Market research analyst and marketing specialist
- Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: +150,300
- Median annual wage in 2022: $68,230
- Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation required for the job: None
Whether or not the ranking includes one’s profession, workers should remember that their future prosperity and job satisfaction do not depend on projections, statistics, or labor market trends. In fact:
- Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report” reveals that engagement matters more than where you work.
- Salary matters, but it isn’t everything. The Conference Board Job Satisfaction 2023 survey revealed that apart from competitive pay, the factors that most influence employee retention center around work experience and culture.
- According to the 2022 McKinsey Global Institute report “Human Capital at Work: The Value of Experience,” there is no such thing as a dead-end job. Every job is an opportunity to develop skills that can lead to a better position.
Ultimately, hard work, persistence, and a proactive attitude matter the most for a career and professional growth.
To view the full list of 30 jobs and for more information, please visit https://resumegenius.com/blog/job-hunting/fastest-growing-jobs
