America’s Hottest Jobs on Center Stage    

“And the award goes to…”

Last month, “1917” won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture-Drama. Just one week later, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” took the Critic’s Choice Award. So which one was the real winner? That’s a tough question to answer since each film earned its accolades based on different scorecards: Hollywood Foreign Press Association members voted to decide who grabbed the Golden Globe and film critics named “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” as the Critic’s Choice top movie. Therefore, it seems that the best film depends on which winner’s list you reference.

Along similar lines, when you shine the spotlight on the job market, you’ll see that several different “winner’s lists” are used to rank America’s top jobs. So, how can you tell which jobs deserve a 4-star rating? Well, for starters, check to see which playbill you’re reading.

Setting the Stage

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) makes 10-year employment projections every two years. Covering more than 800 occupations and 290 industries, projections for the 2018-2028 decade indicate that employment is expected to grow by 5.2% (an increase of 8.4 million jobs). While employment in nearly all major occupational groups is projected to increase, many of the fastest growing occupations are in these fields:

• healthcare and related services,
• computers and mathematics,
• and renewable energy.

To get a clearer picture of the employment outlook, you need to know that “hot jobs” are ranked in many different ways. Perhaps the most well-known are two key job growth measures used by BLS: fastest growing occupations (measured by percent change of employment from 2018-2028) and most new jobs (measured by numeric change of employment). (For more information: Understanding BLS Employment Projections video.)

Ready for the Close-up?

The chart below lists the top 10 fastest growing occupations as well as the top 10 occupations with the most new jobs (based on BLS projections for 2018-2028). When reading the chart, keep in mind that the term “fast-growing” may be somewhat misleading. That’s because, if small numbers of people are employed in this occupation currently, even a 100% growth rate may translate to only a few new openings.

• Take, for example, the healthy 63% projected increase in solar photovoltaic installers. It’s important to note that this increase equates to only 6,100 new jobs over the next decade (based on 9,700 jobs in 2018 and 15.800 jobs projected through 2028).
• Furthermore, the statistics shown below reflect national data. Yet, some occupations are more prevalent in certain geographic regions of our country. For instance, California leads our nation in the use of solar power. Therefore, of the 6,100 new jobs expected for solar photovoltaic installers over the next decade, there will be greater opportunity for installers in Golden State than in Illinois.

It’s important to note that the BLS “winner’s lists” shown above includes high-growth jobs regardless of level of training / educational requirements. Large numbers of openings are projected in low-skilled occupations (e.g., personal care and home health aides, food preparation workers and servers, janitors).

And there’s no denying that education pays! Of course, workers with higher levels of education earn more money. What’s more, BLS statistics show that occupations requiring more education for entry are expected to grow faster and have lower unemployment rates than average.

Should You Audition for One of These Roles?

Employment projection data, while important, is only one of many factors you should consider in the career decision-making process. To make great career choices, you need to know who you are so that you can choose roles that are good fits for you. Therefore, if you’re looking for an occupation that offers plenty of opportunity for growth and advancement, be sure you understand the criteria used to determine the “winner’s list”. While it’s certainly important to take employment trends into consideration as you explore career options, the best direction to follow is one that lets you showcase your natural talents, skills, and interests.