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Employment projections by occupational group 2014–24

December 30, 2015

Between 2014 and 2024, U.S. employment is projected to increase by about 9.8 million – equal to a growth rate of 6.5 percent. Healthcare support occupations and healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are projected to be the two fastest growing occupational groups, adding a combined 2.3 million jobs, about 1 in 4 new jobs. Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are expected to grow 16.4 percent adding 1,348,100 jobs over the 10-year span. They also were among the highest paying occupations with 2014 median annual wages of $61,710. Healthcare support occupations are expected to add 974,200 jobs (+23.0 percent) and had a 2014 median wage of $26,440.

Projected change in employment and median annual wage by occupational group, 2014–24
Occupational Group Projected employment percent change, 2014–24 Median annual wage, 2014 Projected employment change, 2014–24

Management

5.5% $97,230 505,400

Business and financial operations

8.4 64,790 632,400

Computer and mathematical

13.1 79,420 531,400

Architecture and engineering

2.7 75,780 67,200

Life, physical, and social science

7.4 61,450 97,600

Community and social service

10.5 41,290 257,700

Legal

5.1 76,860 64,600

Education, training, and library

7.6 46,660 697,600

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

4.1 45,180 107,500

Healthcare practitioners and technical

16.4 61,710 1,348,100

Healthcare support

23.0 26,440 974,200

Protective service

4.5 37,180 153,900

Food preparation and serving related

6.5 19,130 812,900

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

6.2 23,270 349,800

Personal care and service

13.2 21,260 792,100

Sales and related

5.0 25,360 778,000

Office and administrative support

2.0 32,520 466,500

Farming, fishing, and forestry

-5.9 20,250 -57,200

Construction and extraction

10.1 41,380 659,000

Installation, maintenance, and repair

6.4 42,110 365,500

Production

-3.1 31,720 -282,100

Transportation and material moving

4.8 29,530 466,800

In 2014, management occupations were the highest paying occupational group with a median annual wage of $97,230. These occupations are expected to add 505,400 jobs (+5.5 percent) over the next 10 years. Computer and mathematical occupations were the next highest paying group with a median wage of $79,420. They are also projected to be among the largest sources of job growth, adding 531,400 jobs from 2014 to 2024, an increase of 13.1 percent. Food preparation and serving related occupations ($19,130) and personal care and service occupations ($21,260) were the lowest paying occupational groups. Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations (-5.9 percent) and production occupations (-3.1 percent) are the only occupational groups projected to lose jobs. Both of these groups also had median wages that were lower than the median wage of $35,540 for all workers in 2014.

For more information, see “Occupational employment projections to 2024” by Andrew Hogan and Brian Roberts in the December 2015 Monthly Labor Review. Visit Employment Projections for the 2014–24 news release and related data.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment projections by occupational group 2014–24 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2015/employment-projections-for-occupational-groups-2014-to-2024.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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