The newest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections cover 2025–2035. They do not predict which exact company will hire next Tuesday, but they are useful for seeing where long-term demand is expected to grow.
Fast-growing occupations
BLS projects especially strong percentage growth for nurse practitioners, solar photovoltaic installers, data scientists, wind turbine service technicians and medical and health services managers. The required education varies dramatically—from high school plus training in some technical trades to graduate education and licensing in advanced clinical roles.
Occupations adding many jobs
Growth rate and number of jobs are different. Home health and personal care aides are projected to add a very large number of jobs. Stockers and order fillers, registered nurses, general and operations managers and software developers also appear among occupations with substantial projected numeric growth.
What this means for a job seeker
Do not chase a “hot” occupation only because a percentage looks impressive. Compare the training cost, licensing, local demand, schedule, physical requirements and the kind of work you actually want to do.
Skills that travel between jobs
- nurse practitioners
- data science
- solar
- healthcare
- software
Adaptability, attention to detail, interpersonal skill, problem solving and digital fluency appear repeatedly across growing fields. Build them in real projects and show them with evidence.
Check the latest BLS Employment Projections before making a major education or career decision.
What the newest national projections actually say
The latest BLS projections cover 2025–2035. Total U.S. employment is projected to grow 3.5 percent over the decade, adding about 5.9 million jobs. Healthcare support is projected to grow 13.3 percent as a major occupational group, while healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are projected to grow 8.0 percent. Computer and mathematical occupations are projected at 7.3 percent growth. Those numbers describe national trends; they do not tell you which employer will have an opening next Tuesday.
Among individual occupations, BLS lists nurse practitioners at 41 percent projected growth, solar photovoltaic installers at 36.5 percent, data scientists at 34.6 percent and wind turbine service technicians at 29.5 percent. Medical and health services managers are also among the faster-growing occupations. See the BLS fastest-growing occupations table for the current national figures.
Fast growth does not mean easy entry
Nurse practitioner roles require advanced education and licensure. Data science commonly expects substantial quantitative and technical preparation. Solar installation can have a much shorter formal education path, but employers still care about safety, physical ability, electrical knowledge and local requirements. Put differently: demand cannot erase the training path.
Healthcare is a broad story, not one job
Healthcare growth includes clinical roles, support roles and management. Someone who does not want a nursing career might still find paths in medical records, patient access, pharmacy support, health-services operations, therapy support or technical work. Each has its own education and licensing rules, so compare the occupation profile before paying for training.
Technology is changing, not disappearing
BLS projects growth in computer and mathematical occupations overall, but that does not mean every technology title will rise at the same rate. Employers increasingly combine software, data, cloud, cybersecurity and AI-related skills. A useful preparation plan focuses on fundamentals plus evidence that you can build, analyze or secure something—not on collecting tool names for a skills section.
Use three filters before making a career move
- Entry requirements: degree, license, apprenticeship, certification or on-the-job training.
- Local demand: national growth can be concentrated in particular states or metros.
- Work reality: schedule, physical demands, customer contact, travel and stress level.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good next stop because it combines outlook with typical duties, pay, education and work environment. Read the whole profile. A growth percentage by itself is never enough to choose a career.
