We know many people make career advancement a new year’s resolution. Whether you’re looking to change careers or get a promotion, the new year is an excellent time to start pursuing your goal. We also know that many people are unsure which career pathway is the right one for them. There are several factors to consider and our Career Pathways Explorer helps you navigate your options. A couple weeks ago, we also shared the top 10 career pathways saved by Knowledge to Work users in 2018 to help give you some ideas to start your exploration. Today, we’re sharing the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) projections for the fastest growing occupations from 2016-2026. This information can provide valuable insight into which career pathways will be most in-demand in the near future, giving you a better shot at employment once you’ve received the necessary credentials for that position. This data also includes the 2017 median pay for individuals in these positions in the U.S., which is also important information to consider when planning for your future.
Listed below are the “20 occupations with the highest percent change of employment between 2016-2026.” The information provided below was last updated by the BLS April 13, 2018. Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/fastest-growing.htm
Occupation |
Growth Rate, 2016-26 |
2017 Median Pay |
Solar Photovoltaic Installers |
105% |
$39,490 per year |
Wind Turbine Service Technicians |
96% |
$53,880 per year |
Home Health Aides |
47% |
$23,210 per year |
Personal Care Aides |
39% |
$23,100 per year |
Physician Assistants |
37% |
$104,860 per year |
Nurse Practitioners |
36% |
$103,880 per year |
Statisticians |
34% |
$84,060 per year |
31% |
$57,430 per year |
|
31% |
$101,790 per year |
|
Mathematicians |
30% |
$103,010 per year |
Physical Therapist Aides |
29% |
$25,730 per year |
Bicycle Repairers |
29% |
$28,390 per year |
29% |
$32,480 per year |
|
Genetic Counselors |
29% |
$77,480 per year |
29% |
$59,310 per year |
|
28% |
$95,510 per year |
|
Physical Therapists |
28% |
$86,850 per year |
Operations Research Analysts |
27% |
$81,390 per year |
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists |
27% |
$37,380 per year |
Massage Therapists |
26% |
$39,990 per year |
Sign up for your free personalized learning plan to get started on the career pathway you’ve chosen, find learning resources to learn the skills you’ll need in that career, favorite learning resources, save searches, and more. You may also be interested in our blog post on the top 10 learning resources saved on Knowledge to Work in 2018.