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Data on display
Occupations that have it all: Many openings, fast growth, and high wages

Elka Torpey | September 2020

Want a career with good job prospects and high pay? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) can help you identify a few to consider.

The chart highlights occupations that are projected to have thousands of openings each year from 2019 to 2029. Compared with all occupations nationally, those shown in the chart have employment growth that is projected to be much faster than the 4-percent average over the decade. They also had wages that were more than double the median annual wage of $39,810 in 2019.

Of the occupations in the chart, software developers and software quality assurance analysts and testers is projected to have the most openings each year, on average (about 131,400), and nurse practitioners is projected to add jobs at the fastest rate (52 percent) over the decade. Computer and information systems managers had the highest median wage ($146,360) of these occupations in 2019.

All of the occupations shown typically require at least a bachelor’s degree, and many also require experience in a related occupation. Learn about entry requirements, job outlook, and more for these and hundreds of other occupations in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). Use the Occupation Finder tool to sort by projected growth rate, median pay, or other variables to get a customized list of occupations that match your priorities.

The data in the chart are for the nation as a whole, but projections and wages often vary by geographic location and other factors. Check out your state’s Labor Market Information website for local statistics.