The fastest growing jobs
The U.S. economy is projected to add nearly 10 million jobs between 2014 and 2024. As the economy expands, shifting demographics and consumer demand will spur faster employment growth in certain fields.
To identify the fastest growing jobs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of the 480 jobs reviewed, 25 are projected to grow by more than 20% in the decade ending in 2024.
These are the fastest growing jobs.
1. Wind turbine service technicians
> Projected gain 2014-2024: 108.0%
> 2014 jobs: 4,400
> 2024 jobs: 9,200
> Median annual wage: $51,050
Wind turbine service technicians are by far the fastest growing occupation in the United States. The number of technicians, known as windtechs, is projected to more than double between 2014 and 2024. Advances in wind turbine technology, in conjunction with an effort to increase the use of renewable energy, are largely behind the industry employment boom.
Opportunities for windtechs will not be spread evenly throughout the country. Wind farms are far more common in the Great Plains and the Midwest than they are in other regions. Windtechs can also find jobs in offshore projects as winds are most consistent offshore.
2. Occupational therapy assistants and aides
> Projected gain 2014-2024: 40.1%
> 2014 jobs: 41,900
> 2024 jobs: 58,700
> Median annual wage: $54,520
Occupational therapy assistants help patients, from children with developmental disabilities to the disabled elderly, perform day to day tasks. Many of the factors affecting the employment growth projections across the health care industry are also spurring growth projections for occupational therapy assistants and aides. The number of occupational therapy assistants is expected to grow by more than 40% in the coming decade, more than nearly any occupation.
3. Physical therapist assistants and aides
> Projected gain 2014-2024: 39.9%
> 2014 jobs: 128,700
> 2024 jobs: 180,200
> Median annual wage: $42,980
Physical therapist assistants, or PTAs, take direction from physical therapists to help patients recover from injuries and gain or regain mobility. The medical needs of the aging baby boom generation will likely necessitate a sharp increase in the number of PTAs in the coming years. Experts anticipate the generation will remain active into old age, which will inevitably lead to injuries that require rehabilitation. Additionally, advancing medical technology will help trauma victims and newborns with birth defects survive, further necessitating the need for more PTAs.
4. Home health aides
> Projected gain 2014-2024: 38.1%
> 2014 jobs: 913,500
> 2024 jobs: 1,261,900
> Median annual wage: $21,920
Just as the continued aging of the baby boom generation will lead to an increase in the number of personal care aides in the coming years, it will also contribute to a considerable increase in demand for home health aides. Home health aides are responsible for helping their clients, who are typically disabled and chronically ill, with daily living. For many elderly and disabled individuals, home health aides can be a less expensive alternative to nursing homes or hospitals. By 2024, the BLS projects there will be 1.26 million home health aides, a 38.1% increase from 10 years prior.
5. Nurse practitioners
> Projected gain 2014-2024: 35.2%
> 2014 jobs: 126,900
> 2024 jobs: 171,700
> Median annual wage: $98,190
Nurse practitioners typically have an area of expertise such as geriatric, pediatric, or psychiatric medical care. They typically work with patients to determine how best to improve their health. Depending on where in the country they practice, they can also prescribe medication and order laboratory tests. Due largely to the Affordable Care Act and the resulting increase in health insurance coverage, the number of nurse practitioners is projected to increase by 35.2% between 2014 and 2024.
6. Statisticians
> Projected gain 2014-2024: 33.8%
> 2014 jobs: 30,000
> 2024 jobs: 40,100
> Median annual wage: $80,110
Statisticians analyze large datasets to help organizations make more informed business, health care, and policy decisions. They are mostly employed in scientific research and by federal and state governments. Statisticians may find more employment opportunities in retail, finance, and insurance businesses in the coming decade as the increasing usage of smartphones, social media, and online search engines generates more consumer data. Demand for statisticians may also increase in the pharmaceutical industry, where more biostatisticians will be needed to research medical products for the aging population. The number of statisticians is projected to increase by 33.8% by 2024, faster than all but a handful of occupations.
7. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
> Projected gain 2014-2024: 33.0%
> 2014 jobs: 19,600
> 2024 jobs: 26,100
> Median annual wage: $23,740
Ambulance drivers and attendants are responsible for the non-medical tasks related to ambulance services. While they often assist with loading and unloading stretchers, their primary responsibilities are driving the ambulance, maintaining the ambulance equipment, and keeping the vehicle sanitary. Elderly people are more susceptible to certain health emergencies, such as stroke and heart attack, and just as the aging population is driving projections for increased demand of EMTs, it is also largely driving the projected increase in demand for ambulance drivers and attendants.
8. Physician assistants
> Projected gain 2014-2024: 30.4%
> 2014 jobs: 94,400
> 2024 jobs: 123,200
> Median annual wage: $98,180
Demand for most medical professions will increase in the coming decade as the aging baby boom generation requires more medical attention. Physician assistants will be in particularly high demand as the range of services they can provide patients expands. State legislators are expected to change health care regulations to allow physician assistants to provide a wider array of medical services, and insurance carriers are expected to expand coverage of such services. Physician assistants can also perform many of the same services as doctors, often at a lower price.
See the rest of the 25 fastest growing jobs:
More on the fastest growing jobs
Americans 85 and older are the fastest-growing age group in the country. As the baby boom generation ages over the coming decade, the population will require more medical attention. As a result, demand for most medical professions will increase in the near future. The number of occupational therapy assistants and aides, for example, is projected to grow by 40.1% by 2024, the second fastest growth of any job.
Many of the medical occupations expected to grow the fastest are support roles. Assistants to physicians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists can perform many of the same services as their superiors — and often at a lower cost. Additionally, the BLS projects that state legislators will enact health care reform that will allow such assistants to perform a wider range of medical services and that insurance carriers will expand their coverage of such services. The number of physician assistants, for example, is projected to increase by 30.4% by 2024, twice the 14.0% growth rate for physicians and surgeons.
The need for new construction and infrastructure repair in the United States will also contribute to job growth. In a study by the American Society of Civil Engineers, America’s infrastructure received a D+ ranking. The BLS predicts that federal and state governments will increase funding for infrastructure improvement projects in the coming future, increasing the demand for construction occupations.
The ASCE’s report card singled out energy as one of the worst sectors of the nation’s infrastructure. As the growing population’s demand for energy becomes more difficult to service through traditional methods, employment in occupations related to alternative energy may expand. The number of wind turbine service technicians is projected to more than double in the decade ending in 2024, the fastest growth of any occupation in the country.
Occupations that deal with data analysis will also be in high demand. The increasing usage of smartphones, social media, and online search engines generates valuable consumer data that companies can use to make better-informed business decisions. As a result, the number of statisticians and mathematicians, who can analyze such consumer data, will increase faster than most occupations.
To determine the fastest growing jobs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed employment projections from the BLS for the period of 2014 to 2024. The fastest growing jobs were identified as the 25 occupations projected to grow by at least 20%. Total employment and median annual wages also came from the BLS.
24/7 Wall St. is a Paste BN content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of Paste BN.