25 Fastest-Growing Jobs in the U.S. (2026): Ranked by Growth
If you are deciding what to study, where to steer your career, or whether your current field has room to grow, one number is worth paying attention to more than almost any other: how fast an occupation is projected to add jobs. I have spent years coaching people through career moves, and the ones who bet early on a rising field almost always have more options later than the ones who chased whatever was hot last year. Growth is not everything, but it is a powerful tailwind.
This guide ranks the 25 fastest-growing jobs in the United States based on the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, covering 2024 through 2034. For each one you get the projected growth rate and the median annual pay, so you can weigh momentum against money. We refresh this page as new government data lands, so it stays current rather than frozen in the year it was written.
How We Ranked These Jobs
The ranking below comes straight from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections program, which models how many people will be working in each occupation a decade out. We sorted by projected percentage growth from 2024 to 2034, the cleanest measure of momentum. Median wage figures are 2024 data from the same source. We also cross-checked the themes against labor-market signals from LinkedIn and Indeed, which track where hiring is actually accelerating right now, and the two pictures line up closely: healthcare, data and AI, and clean energy dominate.
One caveat worth keeping in mind. A high growth rate on a small occupation adds fewer total jobs than a modest growth rate on a huge one. Wind turbine technicians top the list on percentage, but home health aides, further down, will add far more actual positions. We flag both angles as we go.
The 25 Fastest-Growing Jobs in the U.S. (2024 to 2034)
| Rank | Job | Projected Growth | Median Pay (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wind turbine service technicians | 49.9% | $62,580 |
| 2 | Solar photovoltaic installers | 42.1% | $51,860 |
| 3 | Nurse practitioners | 40.1% | $129,210 |
| 4 | Data scientists | 33.5% | $112,590 |
| 5 | Information security analysts | 28.5% | $124,910 |
| 6 | Medical and health services managers | 23.2% | $117,960 |
| 7 | Physical therapist assistants | 22.0% | $65,510 |
| 8 | Actuaries | 21.8% | $125,770 |
| 9 | Operations research analysts | 21.5% | $91,290 |
| 10 | Physician assistants | 20.4% | $133,260 |
| 11 | Psychiatric technicians | 20.0% | $42,590 |
| 12 | Ophthalmic medical technicians | 19.8% | $44,080 |
| 13 | Computer and information research scientists | 19.7% | $140,910 |
| 14 | Occupational therapy assistants | 19.2% | $68,340 |
| 15 | Financial examiners | 18.5% | $90,400 |
| 16 | Hearing aid specialists | 18.4% | $61,560 |
| 17 | Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 17.3% | $105,620 |
| 18 | Home health and personal care aides | 17.0% | $34,900 |
| 19 | Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary | 16.8% | $79,940 |
| 20 | Substance abuse and mental health counselors | 16.8% | $59,190 |
| 21 | Logisticians | 16.7% | $80,880 |
| 22 | Epidemiologists | 16.2% | $83,980 |
| 23 | Industrial machinery mechanics | 16.1% | $63,760 |
| 24 | Software developers | 15.8% | $133,080 |
| 25 | Massage therapists | 15.4% | $57,950 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034. Growth is projected change in employment; median pay is 2024 median annual wage.
The Data and AI Jobs
If you want the combination of fast growth and high pay, this cluster is the sweet spot. Data scientists rank fourth overall with 33.5 percent projected growth and a median wage north of $112,000, and the driver is obvious: every industry is trying to make sense of more data with AI. Information security analysts follow close behind at 28.5 percent as cyberattacks keep rising and every company scrambles to defend itself. Computer and information research scientists, the people pushing the frontier of what software can do, pay the most in this group at nearly $141,000.
Software developers deserve a special mention. At 15.8 percent growth the rate looks modest next to the leaders, but it sits on an enormous base, so it will add more than a quarter of a million jobs, one of the largest absolute gains on the entire list. Actuaries and operations research analysts round out the quantitative roles, both paying well and both growing above 21 percent. The through-line is comfort with numbers, code, and increasingly AI tools.
If this is your direction, the fastest way in is a focused course path. Start with our guides to the best data science courses, the best AI engineering courses, and the best cybersecurity courses, then map the full route with how to become a data engineer.
The Healthcare Wave
Healthcare is the single biggest theme on the list, and it is easy to see why: an aging population needs more care, and it needs it across the board. Nurse practitioners are the standout, ranking third overall with 40.1 percent growth and a median wage above $129,000, one of the best pay-to-growth ratios anywhere. Physician assistants are right there too, at 20.4 percent and $133,260. These advanced-practice roles keep expanding because they deliver a lot of care at lower cost than physicians.
Below the top earners sits a deep bench of support and technician roles: physical therapist assistants, occupational therapy assistants, psychiatric technicians, ophthalmic medical technicians, and hearing aid specialists, all growing between 18 and 22 percent. Many require an associate degree or a certificate rather than a four-year path, which makes them some of the most accessible high-growth careers available. Medical and health services managers, at 23.2 percent and nearly $118,000, show that the demand extends into leadership, not just hands-on care.
And do not overlook home health and personal care aides. The pay is low, but at 17 percent growth on a base of more than four million workers, it is projected to add the most jobs of any occupation in the entire economy. If sheer availability of work matters most to you, few fields can match it.
The Clean Energy Boom
The two fastest-growing jobs in the country by percentage are both in renewable energy. Wind turbine service technicians lead the entire list at 49.9 percent growth, and solar photovoltaic installers follow at 42.1 percent. As the grid shifts toward wind and solar, someone has to build, install, and maintain all that equipment, and there simply are not enough trained people yet.
The honest caveat: these are small occupations, so even at eye-popping growth rates they add relatively few total jobs. But for someone who likes hands-on technical work, does not want a desk career, and wants strong pay without a bachelor’s degree, they are among the most attractive options on the board. Both typically start with a technical certificate or on-the-job training rather than years of college.
Skilled Trades, Finance, and Everything Else
A few strong roles do not fit the big three themes but earn their place. Industrial machinery mechanics, at 16.1 percent, reflect the push to reshore manufacturing and keep increasingly automated factories running. Logisticians, at 16.7 percent, ride the continued complexity of global supply chains. On the finance side, financial examiners and actuaries both grow above 18 percent with comfortable six-figure or near-six-figure pay, driven by regulation, risk management, and the insurance industry’s appetite for people who can price uncertainty.
Education makes the list too, in a targeted way. Health specialties teachers and nursing instructors are both growing fast, a downstream effect of the healthcare boom: someone has to train the next wave of clinicians. It is a reminder that when a field surges, the roles that teach and support it surge with it.
What These Jobs Have in Common
Step back from the individual titles and a few patterns jump out. First, most of these roles are hard to automate, because they involve human care, physical skill, or judgment that AI complements rather than replaces. Second, many of the highest-growth options do not require a traditional four-year degree; certificates, associate degrees, and technical training open a lot of these doors. Third, the fields riding the biggest structural shifts of the decade, aging demographics, the AI and data explosion, and the energy transition, are exactly where the growth concentrates.
The practical lesson for anyone planning a move is to aim at one of those structural waves rather than a single job title. If you position yourself inside healthcare, data and AI, or clean energy, you get the tailwind even if your specific role shifts over time. That is the difference between chasing a trend and building on a foundation.
How to Break Into a Fast-Growing Field
You do not need to go back to school for years to pivot into most of these fields. The fastest route is usually a focused, credential-backed course path that gets you job-ready skills and something concrete to show employers. For the data and AI roles, that means structured programs in data science, machine learning, and security. For healthcare support and the trades, it means the specific certificate or associate program the role requires, followed by hands-on training.
Wherever you are aiming, start by building the underlying skills. Our roundup of high-income skills to learn in 2026 is a good starting map, and the how to get hired in 2026 guide walks through turning new skills into an actual offer. For the technical tracks specifically, the best machine learning courses and best data science courses are the highest-leverage places to begin.
Should You Chase Growth Alone?
Growth is a tailwind, not a guarantee, and it is worth being clear-eyed about that before you uproot your career. A fast-growing occupation means more openings, more employer competition for talent, and usually better pay leverage over time. Those are real advantages. But a projection is a forecast, not a promise, and the job still has to fit you. The best-paid role on this list will make you miserable if the day-to-day work drains you, and no growth rate fixes that.
The way I coach people through this is to treat growth as one input among three. The first is fit: does the work play to your strengths and hold your interest? The second is barrier to entry: how much time and money does it take to become qualified, and can you realistically clear it? The third is momentum, which is what this list measures. When all three line up, you have found something worth committing to. When they conflict, fit and feasibility usually matter more than a headline growth number, because you will out-earn a reluctant specialist in a hot field almost every time by being genuinely good at something you care about.
One more practical note: you can often capture the growth of a rising field without holding its single hottest title. The AI boom needs project managers, writers, and salespeople who understand the technology, not only engineers. The healthcare wave needs administrators and trainers, not only clinicians. If a field is surging, look for the adjacent role that matches your existing strengths, and you get the tailwind with a much shorter runway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single fastest-growing job in the U.S.?
By projected percentage growth from 2024 to 2034, it is wind turbine service technicians at 49.9 percent, followed by solar photovoltaic installers at 42.1 percent. Both are in renewable energy, though they are small occupations, so they add fewer total jobs than larger fields lower on the list.
Which fast-growing jobs pay the most?
Among the fastest growers, computer and information research scientists lead at about $140,910, followed by physician assistants at $133,260, software developers at $133,080, nurse practitioners at $129,210, and actuaries at $125,770. The data, AI, and advanced-healthcare roles combine high pay with strong growth.
Do these jobs require a four-year degree?
Many do not. Wind turbine technicians, solar installers, and several healthcare support roles typically start with a certificate, associate degree, or on-the-job training. The data, AI, finance, and advanced-practice healthcare roles usually do expect a bachelor’s or higher, though focused courses and certifications increasingly open doors too.
Are these fast-growing jobs safe from AI?
Most are relatively resilient. Healthcare, skilled trades, and clean-energy roles involve human care or physical work that AI complements rather than replaces. The data and AI jobs are growing because of AI, not despite it. The safest bet in any field is to learn the AI tools that make you more productive rather than compete with them.
How often is this list updated?
We refresh it as the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases new employment projections and as labor-market signals from LinkedIn and Indeed shift. The current figures reflect the 2024 to 2034 projection cycle, the most recent official data available.
