The 12 Jobs Set to Explode Over the Next Decade
Nurse practitioners and solar installers are leading a job boom — and six-figure salaries come with several of them.
New projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal which careers will soar between 2025 and 2035 — and which will shrink. The fastest-growing roles cluster in three areas: **healthcare, clean energy, and tech.**
The Fastest-Growing Jobs in America (2025–2035)
| Job | Growth | 2025 → 2035 | Median Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners | **41.0%** | 336K → 474K | $132K |
| Solar photovoltaic installers | **36.5%** | 31K → 42K | $53K |
| Data scientists | **34.6%** | 276K → 371K | $120K |
| Wind turbine technicians | **29.5%** | 12K → 15K | $64K |
| Medical & health services managers | **24.2%** | 640K → 796K | $124K |
| Physical therapist assistants | **23.0%** | 114K → 140K | $68K |
| Psychiatric technicians | **22.3%** | 162K → 198K | $45K |
| Computer & info research scientists | **21.8%** | 39K → 47K | $140K |
| Occupational therapy assistants | **21.5%** | 52K → 63K | $72K |
| Ophthalmic medical technicians | **21.4%** | 73K → 88K | $46K |
| Physician assistants | **21.1%** | 169K → 205K | $136K |
| Information security analysts | **21.0%** | 193K → 233K | $129K |
*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
Why These Jobs Are Booming
**Nurse practitioners top the list at 41% growth** — more than 11 times the national average of 3.5%. As more states allow them to handle duties once reserved for physicians, demand is surging.
**Clean energy is on the rise.** Solar installers rank No. 2, wind turbine techs rank No. 4. As solar costs keep falling, BLS expects more households to go solar — meaning more workers needed to install and maintain the systems.
**AI and data are fueling tech hiring.** Data scientists are projected to grow ~35% as businesses scramble to manage exploding data volumes, while computer and information research scientists are needed to build AI tools.
What It Takes to Get In
The education bar varies widely. Solar installers can enter with just a high school diploma. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and computer research scientists typically need a master's degree.
The Big Picture
Total US employment is projected to grow by just 3.5% (5.9 million jobs) over the decade — a sharp slowdown from the 10.9% growth of the prior ten years. But there are bright spots:
- **Healthcare and social assistance** will add the most jobs overall, driven by an aging population and rising chronic illness.
- **Utilities** — supercharged by AI data centers' ravenous electricity appetite — will be the fastest-growing major sector at 10%.