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Between 2014 and 2024, U.S. employment is projected to increase by about 9.8 million – equal to a growth rate of 6.5 percent. Healthcare support occupations and healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are projected to be the two fastest growing occupational groups, adding a combined 2.3 million jobs, about 1 in 4 new jobs. Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are expected to grow 16.4 percent adding 1,348,100 jobs over the 10-year span. They also were among the highest paying occupations with 2014 median annual wages of $61,710. Healthcare support occupations are expected to add 974,200 jobs (+23.0 percent) and had a 2014 median wage of $26,440.
Occupational Group | Projected employment percent change, 2014–24 | Median annual wage, 2014 | Projected employment change, 2014–24 |
---|---|---|---|
Management |
5.5% | $97,230 | 505,400 |
Business and financial operations |
8.4 | 64,790 | 632,400 |
Computer and mathematical |
13.1 | 79,420 | 531,400 |
Architecture and engineering |
2.7 | 75,780 | 67,200 |
Life, physical, and social science |
7.4 | 61,450 | 97,600 |
Community and social service |
10.5 | 41,290 | 257,700 |
Legal |
5.1 | 76,860 | 64,600 |
Education, training, and library |
7.6 | 46,660 | 697,600 |
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media |
4.1 | 45,180 | 107,500 |
Healthcare practitioners and technical |
16.4 | 61,710 | 1,348,100 |
Healthcare support |
23.0 | 26,440 | 974,200 |
Protective service |
4.5 | 37,180 | 153,900 |
Food preparation and serving related |
6.5 | 19,130 | 812,900 |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance |
6.2 | 23,270 | 349,800 |
Personal care and service |
13.2 | 21,260 | 792,100 |
Sales and related |
5.0 | 25,360 | 778,000 |
Office and administrative support |
2.0 | 32,520 | 466,500 |
Farming, fishing, and forestry |
-5.9 | 20,250 | -57,200 |
Construction and extraction |
10.1 | 41,380 | 659,000 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair |
6.4 | 42,110 | 365,500 |
Production |
-3.1 | 31,720 | -282,100 |
Transportation and material moving |
4.8 | 29,530 | 466,800 |
In 2014, management occupations were the highest paying occupational group with a median annual wage of $97,230. These occupations are expected to add 505,400 jobs (+5.5 percent) over the next 10 years. Computer and mathematical occupations were the next highest paying group with a median wage of $79,420. They are also projected to be among the largest sources of job growth, adding 531,400 jobs from 2014 to 2024, an increase of 13.1 percent. Food preparation and serving related occupations ($19,130) and personal care and service occupations ($21,260) were the lowest paying occupational groups. Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations (-5.9 percent) and production occupations (-3.1 percent) are the only occupational groups projected to lose jobs. Both of these groups also had median wages that were lower than the median wage of $35,540 for all workers in 2014.
For more information, see “Occupational employment projections to 2024” by Andrew Hogan and Brian Roberts in the December 2015 Monthly Labor Review. Visit Employment Projections for the 2014–24 news release and related data.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment projections by occupational group 2014–24 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2015/employment-projections-for-occupational-groups-2014-to-2024.htm (visited November 13, 2024).