Key Takeaways:
- Some of the most in-demand career paths include wind turbine service technician, nurse practitioner, and data scientist.
- Pursuing work in an in-demand field can lead to better job prospects, security, income, and benefits.
- When selecting a career, consider your passions, your strengths, and the pros and cons of each position that interests you.
Pursuing an in-demand career can lead to better job security and stable income. Many also have higher starting and median salaries with great benefits. Is an in-demand career path right for you? In this article, we’ve highlighted 20 of the jobs with the highest projected job growth over the next decade and provided some advice for finding the career that’s right for you and your long-term goals.
Most in-demand career paths
Here are the fastest growing careers based on the projected growth rate between 2024 and 20341.
1. Wind Turbine Service Technician
- Median salary: $62,580
- Average annual job openings: 2,300
- Projected growth: 50%
2. Solar Photovoltaic Installer
- Median salary: $51,860
- Average annual job openings: 4,100
- Projected growth: 42%
3. Nurse Practitioner
- Median salary: $129,210
- Average annual job openings: 29,500
- Projected growth: 40%
4. Data Scientist
- Median salary: $112,590
- Average annual job openings: 23,400
- Projected growth: 34%
5. Information Security Analyst
- Median salary: $124,910
- Average annual job openings: 16,000
- Projected growth: 29%
6. Medical and Health Services Manager
- Median salary: $117,960
- Average annual job openings: 62,100
- Projected growth: 23%
7. Actuary
- Median salary: $125,770
- Average annual job openings: 2,400
- Projected growth: 22%
8. Operations Research Analyst
- Median salary: $91,290
- Average annual job openings: 9,600
- Projected growth: 21%
9. Physical Therapist Assistant
- Median salary: $65,510
- Average annual job openings: 19,800
- Projected growth: 22%
10. Computer and Information Research Scientists
- Median salary: $140,910
- Average annual job openings: 3,200
- Projected growth: 20%
11. Physician Assistant
- Median salary: $133,260
- Average annual job openings:
- Projected growth: 20%
12. Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- Median salary: $44,080
- Average annual job openings: 12,500
- Projected growth: 20%
13. Psychiatric Technicians
- Median salary: $42,590
- Average annual job openings: 15,900
- Projected growth: 20%
14. Financial Examiners
- Median salary: $90,400
- Average annual job openings: 5,700
- Projected growth: 19%
15. Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Median salary: $68,340
- Average annual job openings: 7,200
- Projected growth: 19%
16. Hearing Aid Specialists
- Median salary: $61,560
- Average annual job openings: 1,000
- Projected growth: 18%
17. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median salary: $105,620
- Average annual job openings: 27,400
- Projected growth: 17%
18. Logisticians
- Median salary: $80,880
- Average annual job openings: 26,400
- Projected growth: 17%
19. Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median salary: $79,940
- Average annual job openings: 8,600
- Projected growth: 17%
20. Software Developers
- Median salary: $133,080
- Average annual job openings: 115,200
- Projected growth: 16%
Should you pursue an in-demand career?
Choosing a fast-growing, in-demand career can provide stable employment and income. However, you should also consider your interests, strengths, and weaknesses. If you don’t love math, a data scientist role might not be for you. You also never know what will happen to the job market and how it impacts growth numbers over a 10-year period.
To identify the right career path for you, talk to your academic advisor, visit the career center on college campus, ask to shadow an employee, think about your passions, and weigh the pros and cons of various careers and majors.
Ready to learn more about these in-demand careers and others? Head over to our Career Finder to start comparing various job fields, median salaries, and projected job growth.
1 College Raptor sources its career data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
