Fastest Growing Jobs

Solar photovoltaic (PV) installers make solar energy possible. They do this by assembling and installing solar panel systems. These are attached to roofs and buildings to convert sunlight to power. PV installers may also do upkeep and fixes on solar panel systems, as needed.

This career path is growing simply because more people want solar energy. Falling costs of solar panels make this option even more popular. And, growth depends in part on government help. States and local areas often give tax rebates and other benefits to home owners who install solar panels.

Overall, 6,100 jobs in this career should arrive by 2028. Many of the jobs may be in California. 3,920 PV installers already work in this green state. But, it’s Michigan that pays the highest mean annual wage, at $57,610.

Most PV installers work for contractors. These are usually in the fields of plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning, or electrical. There are also companies that focus only on solar power. Check for ones in your state. Some solar panel installers even work for themselves!

Wind techs, play a key role in converting wind to energy. They install, maintain, and fix devices that do just that. These are called turbines. Most of wind techs’ work is on the maintenance side, since turbines need tune-ups a couple times a year. Wind techs inspect the machines and replace worn parts. They wear harnesses to stay safe on high turbine towers.

Job growth for wind techs is due to innovation in wind energy. Lately, taller towers with bigger blades have made wind power more efficient to generate. This has reduced costs. So, wind energy can now compete with other energy sources, like coal and gas. That means more technician jobs.

That said, it’s still not a huge field. 3,800 new jobs should be added between 2018 and 2028. The biggest employer is Texas, with 1,730 jobs. But, West Virginia offers the highest mean salary. There, wind techs earn an average of $78,010 per year.

Electric power generation companies are the biggest employers of wind techs. That includes big names like General Electric (GE). Some technicians work for companies that install and maintain turbines. One major player is FairWind, a global wind turbine company.

Home health aides help people with daily living. They work with older adults or those with a disability or chronic illness. They help patients bathe, dress, prepare meals, and more. And, they may help with simple medical tasks, depending on state laws where they work. These include things like changing bandages and checking vital signs.

This job is growing as baby boomers get older. An aging population means more need for home health services. There is also a shift in how Americans choose to live in old age. Instead of entering a nursing home, some may prefer to stay at home and use the services of a home health aide.

304,800 new jobs are projected by 2028. While home health aides are needed in every state, the biggest employer is New York. This state has 191,820 aides. Nevada has the highest mean salary, at $35,450.

Most home health aides work for home healthcare services companies. Some are national in scope. These include Kindred Healthcare, which has services across the U.S. Amedisys is another of the country’s largest home health services providers. But, aides can also work for other kinds of employers. Like, assisted living communities.

Personal Care Aide is another in demand career. They share duties in common with home health aides. (See above.) But, they don’t usually help with medical tasks. These aides stick to care giving. That means cleaning and cooking for patients, or driving them where they need to go. Personal care aides work with older adults and people who need help with day to day living.

881,000 new personal care aides may be needed by 2028. These workers are in demand around the country. But, the state with the most caregivers is California, employing 558,350 aides. Alaska pays the highest mean salary, at $33,840.

Most personal care aides work for companies that offer services for the elderly and people with disabilities. These include small, local employers. But, there are also large companies that provide personal care services. Right at Home is a national provider, with locations around the country. Comfort Keepers is a well-known provider with a global presence. And, there are many others.

Occupational Therapy Assistants help patients with injuries or disabilities. The goal is for them to build or recover the skills they need to live and work. Assistants work under the supervision of occupational therapists. They do some office tasks. But, a lot of their time is spent with patients. They may lead exercises and activities, plus teach patients to use devices that make tasks easier.

As with other jobs related to health and personal care, this career is growing along with our older population. As baby boomers age, they may run into health challenges, like stroke or arthritis. Therapy can help patients recover some abilities after an illness or injury.

By 2028, there should be 14,500 new roles for occupational therapy assistants. These pros are employed around the country. The most, 3,690, work in Ohio. Texas pays the most for this job, with a mean annual wage of $74,650.

Most assistants work in the offices of therapists. These include physical, occupational and speech therapists. And, audiologists are included in this category. Some assistants work in nursing care facilities, hospitals, and other places.

Information Security Analyst keep companies’ computer networks and systems safe. Part of that is watching for security breaches and responding when one happens. They also take proactive measures. That includes using firewalls, data encryption, and other tools and tactics. And, they make recovery plans in case of disaster.

Demand in this career has kept pace with cyber attacks. As these attacks become more frequent, companies with sensitive data need more analysts to stop hackers. Banking, finance, and health care are a few of the industries with the most cyber security concerns.

35,500 new jobs are expected to arrive by 2028. Virginia employs the most information security analysts: 14,180. New York pays the best, with a mean annual wage of $122,000.

IT security pros work in many industries, like finance and insurance. Many work for companies that provide computer systems design and related services. Global IT consulting firms like CGI Inc. and Booz Allen Hamilton often employ analysts.

PAs practice medicine on teams with doctors and other health care workers. While they must be supervised, PAs can do many of the same tasks as doctors. These include examining, diagnosing, and treating patients. They can be found in all areas of medicine, from primary care to surgery and psychiatry.

PA roles are growing as the American population gets older. There’s also been an increase in patients with chronic diseases, like diabetes. And, greater access to health care means people are more likely to seek help. All this will increase demand for health care pros who can help busy doctors. This is especially true for rural areas, or places with low access to medical services. PAs may provide primary care when a doctor can’t be there.

37,000 new physician assistant jobs should be added by 2028. Right now, the most jobs are in New York: 12,060. Connecticut pays the highest average salary, at $125,610. The majority of PAs work in doctor’s offices. Others work for state, local, or private hospitals. And, others work in outpatient care centers.

Statisticians use math to solve real-life problems. They may collect data using means like surveys. Then, they analyze data with methods like statistics and data modeling. This lets them spots trends and patterns. Fields like business, engineering, and healthcare benefit from the work of statisticians as they plan new strategies.

This career is growing due to an increase in data and its use. More businesses have started collecting info through means like social media or mobile devices. They want to use this info to improve products, inform future decisions, and more. So, they need statisticians to turn data into insights.

We should see 13,600 more statistician jobs by 2028. Right now, the most jobs are in states with a lot of industry. California employs the most statisticians: 5,650. New Jersey pays the most, with a mean average salary of $116,090.

Statistician jobs occur across many industries. A lot of them work in research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences. Some big employers include Johnson & Johnson and Merck. Both make pharmaceuticals and medical products. The federal government also hires quite a few statisticians.

Nurse Practitioners provide primary and specialty care for patients. This could be in areas like adult and geriatric health, kids’ health, or mental health. Job functions for NPs vary by state. But, they can often do many of the same things doctors do. That includes prescribing medicine and diagnosing health issues.

Job growth for NPs is high due to more demand for health care. As mentioned, NPs can do many of the tasks doctors do. So, they have become a major source of primary and preventative care. NPs are most needed in underserved areas – like rural and inner city communities. And, they are needed to treat aging adults.

53,300 new nurse practitioner jobs are expected by 2028. New York currently employs the most NPs: 13,710. California pays the highest mean salary, at $133,780. Doctor’s offices were the biggest employer for NPs. They also work in local, state, and private hospitals. Some work at outpatient care centers.

Speech Language Pathologists work with people who have problems with communicating or swallowing. Sometimes called speech therapists, they diagnose issues and treat patients with therapy. For instance, they could help people overcome stuttering or re-learn speech after a stroke.

Speech therapist jobs should grow for a couple reasons. One is increased awareness of speech problems in kids – like those with autism. The earlier these issues are treated, the better. Speech therapists also treat conditions that affect older people, like strokes or dementia. So, they are needed to work with the aging population.

These needs should create 41,900 new jobs by 2028. Right now, Texas is home to the most speech therapists, at 14,330. New Jersey pays the highest mean salary: $95,000. Most work for providers of educational services. These could be local, state, or private. Others work at therapists’ offices and hospitals.

PTAs help patients recover from injury or illness. They work under physical therapists, who outline a treatment plan. PTAs then help carry out that plan. They use methods like exercise, massage, and balance training. The goal is to help patients regain strength and movement, plus manage pain.

PTAs are an in demand career as older adults need physical therapy after strokes and falls. Plus, medical advances mean patients like trauma victims are more likely to survive. They need therapy to recover. And, people with chronic issues like obesity may have effects like mobility problems. Physical therapy can help with that, too.

There should be 26,700 new PTA jobs added by 2028. At the moment, Texas is the state with the most jobs: 7,550. It’s also the state with the highest mean salary for physical therapist assistants: $69,890. Most PTAs work in physical therapists’ offices. They also work in places like hospitals and nursing care facilities.

Genetic Counselors assess risk for conditions that can be passed down. These include genetic disorders and birth defects. Counselors inform patients about their risk of having or passing on a condition. This involves taking family histories and doing DNA tests to study patients’ genes.

Advances in the field have led to job growth for genetic counselors. It used to be much harder to predict inherited conditions. Today, better lab tests offer more insights. It’s even possible to predict risk for getting some kinds of cancer. And, many insurance companies pay for genetic testing. All this has led to more work for genetic counselors.

But, it’s still a pretty small field. In spite of fast job growth, only 800 new jobs should be added by 2028. Jobs are concentrated in states with major urban centers and top health care services. California employs the most counselors, at 490. Nevada pays the highest mean salary, at $95,830. Hospitals and medical labs are the top employers for this role. Larger health care companies tend to employ genetic counselors. Think, Kaiser Permanente and Quest Diagnostics.

Mathematicians use math to solve real world problems. They collect data and analyze it, using math techniques. Some even come up with new math theories and concepts. Mathematicians could make an impact in fields ranging from business to the sciences. Their work could help improve products or make companies more efficient.

Growth in this career comes from the popularity of using data to solve problems. More businesses collect data, and they need mathematicians to analyze it. This is particularly true in growing fields. For instance, pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing.

800 new mathematician jobs should appear by 2028. Note that it’s a small field, and only select states employ these pros. California has the most jobs: 530. The District of Columbia pays the highest mean salary: $133,870.

Operations Research Analysts help companies make decisions. They do so by gathering info, like customer feedback and sales data. Then, they use math and statistics to gain insights into problems and opportunities. This helps companies improve processes, set prices, and more.

This career is in demand due to greater demand for data insights. Businesses have more access to data. They are eager to use this information to improve how they run. Plus, advances in tech and analytical software put operations research in reach for more companies. As a result, analysts are in demand everywhere from marketing to health care.

The US should see 28,100 new jobs by 2028. The most jobs are currently in California, which has 11,340 analysts. The District of Columbia pays the highest mean salary: $109,400.

As mentioned, these operations experts help companies in many industries. The biggest is finance and insurance. This field employs nearly a third of analysts. Examples are banks such as JPMorgan Chase and investment management firms like Invesco.

Software Developers are the masterminds who make computer programs. They design software based on user needs. Then, they work with programmers and others to build and test it. Applications developers could make anything from databases to games. They also create apps for mobile devices.

This career is in demand because of demand for software and mobile apps. The health insurance field needs programs to manage enrollment, driving growth. And, concerns about cyber threats means new security software is always in the works. All this leads to jobs for software developers.

Applications developers should see 241,500 new jobs by 2028. Right now, it’s no surprise that the most jobs are in California. This tech-forward state has 148,550 developers. It also pays the second highest mean salary. But Washington wins out, with a mean salary of $131,790.

Many developers work for companies that do computer systems design and related services. Some work in industries like finance and insurance. And, some work for software publishers. Many big tech companies hire software developers. These include all the major ones, like Amazon, Google, eBay, and more.