WageDex guide
Fastest-Growing Occupations, 2024–2034
A reproducible comparison of BLS percentage growth, numeric employment change, annual openings, pay, and typical entry education.
Projection fields use the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 matrix; wages in this table use the matrix's 2024 reference year. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2024–2034
The measured answer
Wind Turbine Service Technicians has the largest published percentage increase among detailed occupations in the maintained BLS 2024–2034 matrix: +49.9%. That percentage corresponds to 6,800 projected additional jobs over the decade and 2,300 projected openings per year.
- +49.9%
- Projected percentage change
- 6,800
- Projected job change
- 2,300
- Annual openings
These are separate BLS measures. The all-occupations projected growth baseline is 3.1%; a high percentage on a small employment base can still produce fewer jobs and openings than a slower-growing large occupation.
The ten highest projected growth rates
WageDex ranks detailed occupations by the BLS-published percentage change from 2024 to 2034. The table keeps the other projection fields beside that rate so percentage growth is not mistaken for job volume, replacement demand, pay, or an entry requirement.
Fastest-growing US occupations
Projected employment change, 2024–2034
- Wind Turbine Service Technic…
Wind Turbine Service Technicians
50 % growth
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers
Solar Photovoltaic Installers
42 % growth
- Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioners
40 % growth
- Data Scientists
Data Scientists
34 % growth
- Information Security Analysts
Information Security Analysts
29 % growth
- Medical and Health Services …
Medical and Health Services Managers
23 % growth
- Physical Therapist Assistants
Physical Therapist Assistants
22 % growth
- Actuaries
Actuaries
22 % growth
- Operations Research Analysts
Operations Research Analysts
22 % growth
- Physician Assistants
Physician Assistants
20 % growth
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all five measures.
| Rank | Occupation | Growth | Job change | Annual openings | 2024 median pay | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wind Turbine Service Technicians | +49.9% | 6,800 | 2,300 | $62,580 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 2 | Solar Photovoltaic Installers | +42.1% | 12,000 | 4,100 | $51,860 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 3 | Nurse Practitioners | +40.1% | 128,400 | 29,500 | $129,210 | Master's degree |
| 4 | Data Scientists | +33.5% | 82,500 | 23,400 | $112,590 | Bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Information Security Analysts | +28.5% | 52,100 | 16,000 | $124,910 | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Medical and Health Services Managers | +23.2% | 142,900 | 62,100 | $117,960 | Bachelor's degree |
| 7 | Physical Therapist Assistants | +22% | 24,500 | 19,800 | $65,510 | Associate's degree |
| 8 | Actuaries | +21.8% | 7,300 | 2,400 | $125,770 | Bachelor's degree |
| 9 | Operations Research Analysts | +21.5% | 24,100 | 9,600 | $91,290 | Bachelor's degree |
| 10 | Physician Assistants | +20.4% | 33,200 | 12,000 | $133,260 | Master's degree |
Employment and openings are published in thousands and converted here to estimated job counts. “Annual openings” combines growth with openings from occupational transfers and labor-force exits; it is not the same measure as the decade-long job change.
How to read the five measures
- Percentage change
- Projected employment change divided by 2024 employment. This is the field used to rank the table.
- Numeric job change
- The projected difference between 2024 and 2034 employment. It shows the scale behind the percentage.
- Annual openings
- The annual average of openings from growth and worker separations. An occupation can have many openings even when projected employment grows slowly or declines.
- Median annual wage
- The May 2024 national median wage included in the projection matrix. The underlying OEWS scope covers nonfarm wage-and-salary workers and excludes self-employed workers, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, and household workers. It is not an offer or an individual outcome.
- Typical entry education
- BLS's typical education category for entering the occupation. It is not a universal legal requirement and does not measure tuition, training duration, or eligibility in a specific state.
What the projections do not establish
The BLS projections are produced through linked assumptions and models for the labor force, aggregate economy, final demand, industry output, industry employment, and occupational staffing patterns. They do not establish why one occupation changes, guarantee openings in a particular metro, identify remote-compatible work, estimate education cost, or determine whether an occupation is a good choice for a person.
The ranking is national. WageDex state and metro pages describe observed OEWS wages by geography, but the national Employment Projections matrix does not provide a matching 2034 occupation forecast for every state or metro. The two sources should not be blended into a local forecast.
Frequently asked questions
What does “fastest growing” mean on this page?
It means the largest BLS-projected percentage increase in employment from 2024 to 2034 among detailed occupations with a published projection. It does not mean the largest number of new jobs, the most annual openings, or the best occupation for an individual.
Why are annual openings larger than projected employment growth?
BLS annual openings include openings from employment growth plus openings created when workers leave an occupation, including occupational transfers and labor-force exits. Numeric employment change measures only the difference between projected 2024 and 2034 employment.
Are the 2034 employment figures guarantees?
No. They are model-based BLS projections built from assumptions about the labor force, the economy, industry output, and occupational staffing patterns. They describe a projection scenario, not a promise for a worker, employer, or local labor market.
Which wage year does the table use?
The table uses the 2024 median annual wage published with the BLS 2024–2034 Employment Projections matrix. WageDex occupation profiles separately show the newer May 2025 OEWS wage release, so the two surfaces are labeled with different reference periods.
Primary sources
Projection cycle: 2024–2034. Wage reference in the table: May 2024. Page reviewed and materially updated July 29, 2026.