The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released its 10-year projections for occupations, highlighting the fastest-growing jobs from 2024 to 2034. The list features a mix of expected and surprising occupations, including clean-energy trades, healthcare roles, data scientists, and information security analysts. Wind turbine service technicians and solar photovoltaic installers top the list, with 50% and 42% growth rates, respectively. These clean-energy trades are driven by deployment incentives, falling equipment costs, and policy investments.
The healthcare sector is also experiencing significant growth, with nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and home health aides in high demand. This is due to an aging population, post-pandemic service demand, and policy changes expanding access to care. Data scientists and information security analysts are also among the fastest-growing college-level occupations, with median pay reaching six figures. The demand for these roles is driven by the need for analytics and cybersecurity in various industries.
Other surprising entries on the list include hearing-aid specialists, tire builders, and photographic process workers. These niche roles are experiencing rapid growth due to demographic trends, technological shifts, and supply-chain changes. Actuaries, operations research analysts, and other analytical specialists are also in high demand, with strong projected growth and high median pay.
The drivers behind these growing occupations are simple: aging populations, health-policy changes, a national pivot towards clean energy, and digital transformation. These factors create job openings across skill levels and education pathways. For individuals choosing training or advising students, matching real employer needs to these growth pockets can lead to job opportunities. The fastest-growing occupations from 2024 to 2034 point to real opportunities in clean energy trades, healthcare, data analytics, and cybersecurity, among other niche roles.
The BLS projections combine historical trends, demographic shifts, and industry forecasts, providing a standard baseline for job-market planning in the US. The median pay for each occupation is also included, with wind turbine service technicians earning around $62,580 in 2024. The clean energy sector added hundreds of thousands of jobs in 2023, with clean energy employment increasing by 142,000 jobs, accounting for more than half of net new electric power generation employment.
Overall, the fastest-growing occupations from 2024 to 2034 offer a range of opportunities for individuals with varying skill levels and educational backgrounds. By understanding the drivers behind these growing occupations and matching real employer needs to these growth pockets, individuals can increase their chances of finding job opportunities in these rapidly expanding fields.