With 2021 in our rear-view mirror, many job seekers are asking where there will be job growth in 2022. With the pandemic and Great Resignation still factors, and them being as much of a wildcard this year as they were in the last one, near-term job growth is hard to predict accurately.
10 fastest-growing occupations
But, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and even after factoring in today’s employment issues, these are still the 10 fastest-growing occupations between now and 2030, which gives you time to prepare education-wise for any of them:
Below is a short comparison of the above occupations using some key indicators the BLS uses when predicting job growth. These ten are in no particular order:
1. Wind turbine service technicians
Installs, services and repairs wind turbine generators
- Percent of change: 68.2%
- Employment change: 4,700
- Median wage: $56,230
- Education required: Certificate from community college or technical school
2. Nurse practitioners
Provides primary or specialty patient care in various healthcare settings, including clinics, physician offices and hospitals.
- Percent of change: 52.2%
- Employment change: 121,400
- Median wage: $117,670
- Education required: Master’s degree in one of the APRN roles
3. Solar photovoltaic installers
Installs, maintains and repairs systems that converts sunlight into energy – both heat and electric.
- Percent of change: 52.1%
- Employment change: 6,100
- Median wage: $46,470
- Education required: OJT or technical or community college certificate
4. Statisticians
Analyzes data and applies computational techniques and theories to solve problems.
- Percent of change: 35.4%
- Employment change: 14,900
- Median wage: $93,290
- Education required: At least a master’s degree
5. Physical therapist assistants
Works under the supervision of a Physical Therapist to help patients regain movement and manage pain.
- Percent of change: 35.4%
- Employment change: 44,900
- Median wage: $49,270
- Education required: Associate degree
6. Information security analysts
Plans and applies security measures to computer networks and systems.
- Percent of change: 33.3%
- Employment change: 47,100
- Median wage: $103,590
- Education required: Bachelor’s degree in IS or a computer-related field
7. Home Health and personal care aides
Assists and helps people with disabilities or chronic illnesses with their daily living activities.
- Percent of change: 32.6%
- Employment change: 1,129,900 (not a typo!)
- Median wage: $27,080
- Education required: If working in certified home health or hospice, formal training; otherwise a high school diploma and OJT
8. Medical and health services managers
Plans, directs and supervises business activities in healthcare settings – clinics, hospitals and physician’s offices.
- Percent of change: 32.5%
- Employment change: 139,000
- Median wage: $104,280
- Education required: At least a bachelor’s degree
9. Data scientists and other mathematical sciences
Much like a statistician, they analyze data and use computational techniques and theories to solve problems, but usually in a team setting working with engineers and other scientists.
- Percent of change: 31.4%
- Employment change: 15,000
- Median wage: $93,290
- Education required: At least a master’s degree
10. Physician assistants
Practices medicine under the supervision of a physician and usually in a team healthcare setting, such as a clinic, hospital or physician’s office.
- Percent of change: 31.0%
- Employment change: 40,100
- Median wage: $115,390
- Education required: Master’s degree from an accredited PA program
Plan Your Career Around Job Growth
While half of the jobs in this list are in the healthcare field, the downside to some of the jobs is that while they are in demand, and easy to get into, some of them do not pay well. However, others like NPs and PAs pay well, but take about six years of education before entering the field.
In looking at the data, an occupation that pays around $50,000 per year, doesn’t require a lot of education, and has good job growth potential, is the alternative energy field. For jobs paying in excess of $100,000/year, that has good projected growth, and requires only a four-year bachelor’s degree, the two top choices from this list are either Information Security Analyst or Medical Manager. If you have an interest in math, either of those two occupations in this list would be good choices. But because they generally require at least six years of college, you have to plan ahead so that your education requirement is in place when you want to get into the field.
The job marketplace will probably remain very volatile for the next few years, but even so (and with this data), you can make a plan in any of these fields and work on getting the requirements in place so that you can hit your target date to enter that filed of work.
