Bureau of Labor Statistics > Employment Projections > Data

Fastest growing occupations

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Table 1.3 Fastest growing occupations, 2018 and projected 2028
(Numbers in thousands)

2018 National Employment Matrix title and code

Employment

Change, 2018–28

Median annual wage, 2019(1)

2018

2028

Number

Percent

Total, all occupations

00-0000

161,037.7

169,435.9

8,398.1

5.2

$39,810

Solar photovoltaic installers

47-2231

9.7

15.8

6.1

63.3

$44,890

Wind turbine service technicians

49-9081

6.6

10.3

3.8

56.9

$52,910

Home health aides

31-1011

831.8

1,136.6

304.8

36.6

—

Personal care aides

39-9021

2,421.2

3,302.1

881.0

36.4

—

Occupational therapy assistants

31-2011

43.8

58.3

14.5

33.1

$61,510

Information security analysts

15-1122

112.3

147.7

35.5

31.6

$99,730

Physician assistants

29-1071

118.8

155.7

37.0

31.1

$112,260

Statisticians

15-2041

44.4

58.0

13.6

30.7

$91,160

Nurse practitioners

29-1171

189.1

242.4

53.3

28.2

$109,820

Speech-language pathologists

29-1127

153.7

195.6

41.9

27.3

$79,120

Physical therapist assistants

31-2021

98.4

125.0

26.7

27.1

$58,790

Genetic counselors

29-9092

3.0

3.8

0.8

27.0

$81,880

Mathematicians

15-2021

2.9

3.6

0.8

26.0

$105,030

Operations research analysts

15-2031

109.7

137.9

28.1

25.6

$84,810

Software developers, applications

15-1132

944.2

1,185.7

241.5

25.6

—

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists

33-2022

2.2

2.8

0.5

24.1

$45,270

Health specialties teachers, postsecondary

25-1071

254.8

313.9

59.1

23.2

$97,320

Phlebotomists

31-9097

128.3

157.8

29.5

23.0

$35,510

Physical therapist aides

31-2022

49.8

61.2

11.3

22.8

$27,000

Medical assistants

31-9092

686.6

841.5

154.9

22.6

$34,800

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors

21-1018

304.5

373.1

68.5

22.5

$46,240

Marriage and family therapists

21-1013

55.3

67.7

12.3

22.3

$49,610

Massage therapists

31-9011

159.8

195.2

35.4

22.2

$42,820

Cooks, restaurant

35-2014

1,362.3

1,661.3

299.0

21.9

$27,790

Physical therapists

29-1123

247.7

301.9

54.2

21.9

$89,440

Respiratory therapists

29-1126

134.0

162.0

27.9

20.8

$61,330

Market research analysts and marketing specialists

13-1161

681.9

821.1

139.2

20.4

$63,790

Actuaries

15-2011

25.0

30.0

5.0

20.1

$108,350

Computer numerically controlled machine tool programmers, metal and plastic

51-4012

24.3

29.2

4.9

20.0

$56,450

Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary

25-1072

69.0

82.8

13.8

20.0

$74,600

Footnotes:
  (1) Data are from the Occupational Employment Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wage data cover non-farm wage and salary workers and do not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, or household workers.
Note: Data is unavailable for values denoted with a "—".
Source: Employment Projections program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Last Modified Date: April 15, 2020