20 high-paying and fast-growing jobs in the US
Nurse practitioners ranked No. 6 in B-17 analysis of high-paying and fast-growing US jobs.
Employment for software developers, a job with a median pay of $132,270, could rise by over 300,000 from 2023 to 2033.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published new projection data, including what employment is expected to look like for various occupations. Wind turbine service technicians, which have a median pay of $61,770, are projected to grow the quickest from 2023 to 2033, BLS found, based on percent increases.
Plus, home health and personal care aides are projected to see the largest job growth, BLS found, based on numeric increases. These healthcare support roles have a median pay of $33,530, under the median for all occupations of $48,060, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program data shows.
However, B-17 wanted to see which jobs that have relatively high pay — higher than the median annual wage or salary for all occupations — are expected to see large job growth over a decade.
B-17 calculated the geometric mean of employment changes and wages for each job that’s projected to see employment rise from 2023 to 2033 and has a median annual wage above the median for all occupations. We excluded job categories that said “all other” in their titles. We ranked jobs based on the geometric means, and the occupation with the highest figure was our No. 1 job.
Based on our methodology, software developers held the top spot. The jobs that made the top eight are projected to see employment surge by over 100,000 from 2023 to 2033. A majority of the jobs part of the top 20 typically pay near or over six figures, based on median annual wages.
Below are the 20 jobs that made the top of our list. For each job, we noted the median annual pay, how much employment is projected to rise from 2023 to 2033, and what BLS said is the “Typical education needed for entry.”
20.Electricians
Projected employment increase: 84,300
Median annual wage: $61,590
Education usually needed: High school diploma or equivalent
19.Personal financial advisors
Projected employment increase: 55,000
Median annual wage: $99,580
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
18.Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Projected employment increase: 102,000
Median annual wage: $54,320
Education usually needed: Postsecondary nondegree award
17.Market research analysts and marketing specialists
Projected employment increase: 74,900
Median annual wage: $74,680
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
16.Postsecondary health specialties teachers
Projected employment increase: 53,300
Median annual wage: $105,650
Education usually needed: Doctoral or professional degree
15.Physician assistants
Projected employment increase: 43,700
Median annual wage: $130,020
Education usually needed: Master’s degree
14.Computer systems analysts
Projected employment increase: 56,500
Median annual wage: $103,800
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
13.Lawyers
Projected employment increase: 44,200
Median annual wage: $145,760
Education usually needed: Doctoral or professional degree
12.Project management specialists
Projected employment increase: 69,900
Median annual wage: $98,580
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
11.Information security analysts
Projected employment increase: 59,100
Median annual wage: $120,360
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
10.Accountants and auditors
Projected employment increase: 91,400
Median annual wage: $79,880
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
9.Data scientists
Projected employment increase: 73,100
Median annual wage: $108,020
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
8.Management analysts
Projected employment increase: 107,900
Median annual wage: $99,410
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
7.Registered nurses
Projected employment increase: 197,200
Median annual wage: $86,070
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
6.Nurse practitioners
Projected employment increase: 135,500
Median annual wage: $126,260
Education usually needed: Master’s degree
5.Medical and health services managers
Projected employment increase: 160,600
Median annual wage: $110,680
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
4.Computer and information systems managers
Projected employment increase: 106,900
Median annual wage: $169,510
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
3.General and operations managers
Projected employment increase: 210,400
Median annual wage: $101,280
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
2.Financial managers
Projected employment increase: 138,300
Median annual wage: $156,100
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
1.Software developers
Projected employment increase: 303,700
Median annual wage: $132,270
Education usually needed: Bachelor’s degree
