Data on display
Fast-growing occupations with high rates of self-employment
Nicholas Hale and Ryan Farrell | February 2024
If you’re considering self-employment, you may want to narrow your choices to careers with a bright outlook. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) can help you identify some options.
The chart shows selected occupations with total employment that BLS projects will grow faster than the 3-percent average for all occupations over the 2022–32 decade. In each occupation shown, at least half of workers were self-employed in 2022.
Fast-growing occupations, projected 2022–32, with high rates of self-employment, 2022
| Occupation |
Employment growth, projected 2022–32 |
Self-employed workers, 2022 |
Employment, 2022 |
|
Taxi drivers
|
21% |
92% |
177,300 |
|
Animal trainers
|
16% |
54% |
54,100 |
|
Exercise physiologists
|
10% |
59% |
16,500 |
|
Special effects artists and animators
|
8% |
58% |
89,300 |
|
Set and exhibit designers
|
7% |
59% |
27,800 |
|
Barbers
|
7% |
79% |
63,100 |
|
Art directors
|
6% |
58% |
135,100 |
|
Industrial-organizational psychologists
|
6% |
86% |
10,100 |
|
Acupuncturists
|
5% |
69% |
26,600 |
|
Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators
|
5% |
59% |
29,100 |
Of the occupations shown, taxi drivers had the highest rate of self-employment (92 percent) in 2022; it’s also projected to have much faster than average employment growth (21 percent) from 2022 to 2032. Some of the expected growth stems from increased demand for ride-hailing drivers, who typically work as independent contractors and operate their own vehicles to transport passengers for a prearranged price.
Self-employment may offer increased flexibility and independence for workers. Keep in mind, however, that it may also mean long hours and increased financial risk. If you have relevant experience or expertise in a particular line of work, you may be well positioned to be your own boss.
Whatever your motivation or goal for becoming self-employed, there are resources available. To learn about duties, outlook, education, and more for the highlighted occupations and for hundreds of others, visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook. To continue exploring self-employment, visit the U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored CareerOneStop.
Nicholas Hale and Ryan Farrell are economists in the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, BLS.
Suggested citation:
Nicholas Hale and Ryan Farrell, "Fast-growing occupations with high rates of self-employment,"
Career Outlook,
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
February 2024.
United States Department of Labor
