Jobs with the Most Openings

Occupations with the highest projected annual job openings, 2024–2034 – Bureau of Labor Statistics Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics across all 50 states; see our methodology.

Most Openings

904,300

Fast Food and Counter Workers

Top 25 Total

8.0M

annual openings

Top Job Salary

$31,200

median for #1

Total Occupations

830

with projections

Key Takeaways

  • 1. Service and support roles dominate – food prep, retail, and home health aides have the most openings due to large workforces and high turnover.
  • 2. Openings ≠ growth – most openings come from replacement needs (retirements, career changes) rather than new positions. Even declining occupations can have many openings.
  • 3. Wide salary range – the top openings list spans from minimum wage to six figures, offering opportunities at every skill and education level.
  • 4. Healthcare is everywhere – nurses, home health aides, and medical assistants appear prominently, reflecting sustained demand.

Top 50 Jobs by Annual Openings (2024–2034)

# Occupation Annual Openings
1 Fast Food and Counter Workers 904,300
2 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 765,800
3 Retail Salespersons 555,800
4 Cashiers 542,600
5 Stockers and Order Fillers 472,300
6 Waiters and Waitresses 456,700
7 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 384,300
8 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 351,300
9 Customer Service Representatives 341,700
10 General and Operations Managers 308,700
11 Office Clerks, General 282,400
12 Cooks, Restaurant 250,700
13 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 237,600
14 Nursing Assistants 204,100
15 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 202,800
16 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 193,500
17 Registered Nurses 189,100
18 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 183,900
19 Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 170,400
20 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 170,000
21 Security Guards 161,000
22 Childcare Workers 160,200
23 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 159,800
24 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 158,200
25 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 156,300
26 Food Preparation Workers 148,000
27 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 144,500
28 Bartenders 129,600
29 Construction Laborers 129,400
30 Receptionists and Information Clerks 128,500
31 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 125,100
32 Accountants and Auditors 124,200
33 Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 123,000
34 Light Truck Drivers 120,200
35 Software Developers 115,200
36 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 114,800
37 Medical Assistants 112,300
38 Business Operations Specialists, All Other 108,200
39 Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop 107,700
40 Managers, All Other 106,700
41 Amusement and Recreation Attendants 102,400
42 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers 99,600
43 Management Analysts 98,100
44 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 91,000
45 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 87,200
46 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 85,900
47 Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers 85,500
48 Cooks, Fast Food 82,100
49 Human Resources Specialists 81,800
50 Electricians 81,000

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About This Data

Annual openings represent the projected average number of job openings per year over the 2024–2034 decade. Openings arise from three sources: employment growth (new positions), replacement needs (retirements and permanent exits), and occupational transfers (workers changing careers).

For most occupations, replacement needs account for the majority of openings – even in occupations with little or no growth, thousands of positions open each year as workers retire or leave the field.

Salary data comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and OEWS May 2025.