In some cases, the pandemic has accelerated labor trends that were already underway, such as the increasing automation and digitization of jobs. In others, post-pandemic changes in the workforce will have less to do with the effects of the pandemic than with the underlying demographic and economic trends. This complex set of factors is evident in recent projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which estimated that total employment in the United States will increase 7.7% by 2030, but only 1.7% if the the recovery of the economy after the loss of jobs linked to the pandemic is excluded.

One of the demographic trends driving workforce shifts is the aging of the population. The baby boomers, those Americans born between 1946 and 1964, number more than 75 million and were the largest generation in American history until the arrival of the Millennials. Baby boomers have until recently tended to represent the largest sections of the workforce and work later in life than previous generations. As a result, people aged 55 and over are expected to make up around a quarter of the labor force for at least the next decade.

But the aging of the baby boomer generation will also have wider effects on employment and the economy. Finally, as this generation ages in the workforce and retires, more businesses will have vacancies and potentially find themselves struggling to fill the positions that baby boomers once held. This scenario will put pressure on many employers, but could also position young workers for better employment opportunities. A larger population of older Americans will also put greater pressures on health care, so more of the economy will need to be geared towards supporting older Americans in their later years of life.

The latter trend is one of the main reasons why the health and social service professions are expected to be among the fastest growing fields in the years to come. Health care support jobs are the main area of ​​growth, with an expected total growth rate of 23.1% between 2020 and 2030. The related areas of community and social services and health professionals are also leading the way. list, with growth rates of 12.4%. and 10.8%, respectively.

Another major area of ​​growth is in computer and math occupations, a category that includes occupations such as programming, data science, software development, and network and systems administration. As society and the economy become increasingly dependent on technology, these positions are poised for rapid growth. In addition to good job prospects, computer and math positions also offer some of the highest pay of any occupational group, with a median salary of over $ 91,000.

At the level of individual occupations, occupations related to health and technology are unsurprisingly among the fastest growing. But two of the three fastest growing individual occupations are in the lower growing category of installation, maintenance and repair occupations: wind turbine service technicians and solar PV panel installers. . The field of renewable energy has experienced significant growth in recent years and is expected to continue as the costs of renewable energy decline, consumer demand increases and the shift to low carbon energy sources becomes more difficult. more and more urgent. For job seekers interested in reliable jobs and growth opportunities in the years to come, a career in wind or solar power may be one of the best options.

The data used in this analysis comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Job projections program. To identify the fastest growing occupations over the next decade, Smartest Dollar researchers reported the projected percentage change in employment between 2020 and 2030, excluding occupations with employment declines. above average due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are the occupations that are expected to grow the most over the next decade.

The fastest growing jobs between 2020 and 2030

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15. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 27.4%
• Projected change in employment (total): 7,400
• Employment (2020): 27,100
• Employment 2030: 34,500
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 57,740
• Typical education required for entry: Non-degree post-secondary scholarship

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14. Animal trainers

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 28.5%
• Projected change in employment (total): 17,200
• Employment (2020): 60,200
• Employment 2030: 77,400
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 31,520
• Typical education required for entry: High school diploma or equivalent

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13. Speech therapists

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 28.7%
• Projected change in employment (total): 45,400
• Employment (2020): 158,100
• Employment 2030: 203,500
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 80,480
• Typical education required for entry: Master’s degree

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12. Logisticians

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 29.5%
• Projected change in employment (total): 56,400
• Employment (2020): 191,000
• Employment 2030: 247,300
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 76,270
• Typical education required for entry: Licence

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11. Epidemiologists

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 29.6%
• Projected change in employment (total): 2,300
• Employment (2020): 7,800
• Employment 2030: 10,200
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 74,560
• Typical education required for entry: Master’s degree

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10. Physician assistants

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 31.0%
• Projected change in employment (total): 40,100
• Employment (2020): 129,400
• Employment 2030: 169,500
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 115,390
• Typical education required for entry: Master’s degree

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9. Data Scientists and Mathematical Science Professions

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 31.4%
• Projected change in employment (total): 19,800
• Employment (2020): 63,200
• Employment 2030: 83,000
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 98,230
• Typical education required for entry: Licence

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8. Managers of medical and health services

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 32.5%
• Projected change in employment (total): 139,600
• Employment (2020): 429,800
• Employment 2030: 569,400
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 104,280
• Typical education required for entry: Licence

Photo credit: Dmytro Zinkevych / Shutterstock

7. Home helpers and nursing aides

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 32.6%
• Projected change in employment (total): 1,129,900
• Employment (2020): 3,470,700
• Employment 2030: 4,600,600
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 27,080
• Typical education required for entry: High school diploma or equivalent

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6. Information security analysts

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 33.3%
• Projected change in employment (total): 47,100
• Employment (2020): 141,200
• Employment 2030: 188,300
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 103,590
• Typical education required for entry: Licence

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5. Statisticians

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 35.4%
• Projected change in employment (total): 14,900
• Employment (2020): 42,000
• Employment 2030: 56,900
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 92,270
• Typical education required for entry: Master’s degree

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4. Physiotherapist assistants

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 35.4%
• Projected change in employment (total): 33,200
• Employment (2020): 93,800
• Employment 2030: 126,900
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 59,770
• Typical education required for entry: Associate degree

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3. Photovoltaic solar installers

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 52.1%
• Projected change in employment (total): 6,100
• Employment (2020): 11,800
• Employment 2030: 17,900
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 46,470
• Typical education required for entry: High school diploma or equivalent

Photo credit: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

2. Nurse practitioners

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 52.2%
• Projected change in employment (total): 114,900
• Employment (2020): 220,300
• Employment 2030: 335,200
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 111,680
• Typical education required for entry: Master’s degree

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1. Wind turbine maintenance technicians

• Projected change in employment (percentage): 68.2%
• Projected change in employment (total): 4,700
• Employment (2020): 6,900
• Employment 2030: 11,700
• Median annual salary (2020): $ 56,230
• Typical education required for entry: Non-degree post-secondary scholarship

Methodology and detailed results

The data used in this analysis comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Job projections program. To identify the fastest growing occupations over the next decade, the researchers reported the projected percentage change in employment between 2020 and 2030, excluding occupations with greater than average employment declines. average due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only the top 30 fastest growing occupations were included in the analysis.

This article first appeared on LatticePublishing.com.