Jobs with the Most Projected Growth in the U.S.

This chart shows the top 20 occupations projected to add the most total jobs by 2031.

There are 924,000 new jobs projected for home health and personal care aides by 2031—more than double the amount of any other occupation. Restaurant cooks, software developers, and fast food and counter workers are also projected to grow considerably in total employment.

What are the fastest-growing occupations in America?

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, these occupations will see the greatest percentage change in employment by 2031.

• Nurse practitioners: Nurse practitioners hold the fastest-growing jobs in the country, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects will grow 46% by 2031. Nurse practitioners coordinate patient care and deliver care in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and clinics. As the older population in the United States grows, particularly as the baby boom generation ages and nurses retire, the demand for more workers will continue to increase. They earn $120,680 annually, or nearly $60 an hour, at the median in 2021.
• Wind turbine service technicians: Just behind nurses are wind turbine service technicians, whose jobs are projected to grow 44% by 2031. These workers maintain and repair wind turbines, an increasingly important part of the country’s shift to alternative energy sources. As wind power costs have decreased and become competitive with fossil fuels, more wind turbines have been built, requiring more workers to service them. Pay is $56,260 a year at the median.
• Theater workers: Next on the list are people who work in theaters: ushers, lobby attendants, ticket takers, whose jobs are projected to grow 41% over the next decade, and motion picture projectionists, which are projected to grow 40%. These jobs are less well-paid, earning a median of $24,440 and $29,350 per year, respectively.
• Restaurant cooks: The need for restaurant cooks is expected to grow by 37%, a job that pays just above $30,000 annually.
• Data scientists: Data scientist jobs are projected to grow 36%, a job that commands $100,910 in annual pay at the median, growth will be driven by the need to mine and analyze the increasingly large amount of data available.
• Athletes, umpires, and referees: Thanks to the expansion of sports leagues, increasing public interest in sports, and the rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, athletes and sports competitors are expected to increase 36%, while umpires, referees, and other sports officials will likely grow by 32%. While many star athletes make millions, median pay is still $77,300 annually. Officials, on the other hand, earn $35,860 a year.
• Information security analysts: Information security analyst jobs are expected to grow 35% thanks to the increasing frequency of cyberattacks and the rising use of online shopping. This job pays a median $102,600 annually.
• Statisticians: A similar trend is expected to increase the number of jobs for mathematicians and statisticians, who make $95,570 yearly at the median. Jobs are projected to grow by 33%.