As our job market continually evolves, our technology steadily grows and companies save money by laying off employees and outsourcing labor, obtaining a career with job security has become increasingly vital.
“100 Fastest Growing Careers,” a part of the JIST Top Careers Series, lists the top growing careers based on the most recent statistics available from the US Department of Labor, and provides growth projections for the 288 major jobs that make up 90% of the work force through 2018. Michael Farr, the book’s author, sorted all of these jobs based on their growth percentage and the projected number of new job openings each year.
The most recent data shows that nearly half of the top ten growing careers belong to the health-care sector, which can be attributed to the incapacity for medical and emergency-response work to be outsourced. In addition, each of the top ten growing careers requires some sort of advanced education.
“100 Fastest Growing Careers” can be found at any Barnes & Noble location. Additionally, detailed descriptions can be found at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website at www.bls.gov.
Top Ten Fastest-Growing Careers
(In Descending Order of Popularity)
1. Home Health Aides
Percentage Growth thru 2018: 48 Annual Job Openings: 103,050
Training requirements vary by state, the type of home-services agency and funding source covering the cost of services. Many home health aides work part-time, on the weekends or in the evening to suit the needs of their clients.
- Computer Network, Systems and Database Administrators
Percentage Growth thru 2018: 30 Annual Job Openings: 46,080
Employment is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, and applicants can enter this field with varying levels of formal education, but relevant computer skills are always needed.
- Registered Nurses
Percentage Growth thru 2018: 22 Annual Job Openings: 103, 900
RNs constitute the largest health-care occupation with 2.6 million jobs. About 60% of RN jobs are in hospitals. Typically, nurses hold a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree and a diploma from an approved nursing program; advanced practice nurses need a master’s degree. Some employers report difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs.
