Top Fastest Growing Jobs Requiring a Degree

Career Research

These are the fastest growing occupations nationally requiring a bachelors degree or higher projected by the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections). Most of these occupations are safe from outsourcing because of the type of work they require, such as service. Outsourcing is due to supply and demand for cheaper human talent than is available here in the United States. Positions, such as engineering and computer software, will see shifts as pressure continues on salaries and global competition grows. Even though there are large numbers of engineering and computer science occupations outsourced, there still remains a strong demand because there is such significant growth in the application of technology across most industries. This does not mean these are the occupations with the most openings in your locale. Select an occupation to learn more about it in the Occupation Profile developed by the BLS.

    Employment  
  Occupation 2008 2018 %Change
1 Biomedical engineers 16,100 27,600 72%
2 Network systems and data communications analysts 292,000 447,800 53%
3 Financial examiners 27,000 38,100 41%
4 Medical scientists, except epidemiologists 109,400 153,600 40%
5 Physician assistants 74,800 103,900 39%
6 Biochemists and biophysicists 23,200 31,900 37%
7 Athletic trainers 16,400 22,400 37%
8 Computer software engineers, applications 514,800 689,900 34%
9 Veterinarians 59,700 79,400 33%
10 Environmental engineers 54,300 70,900 31%
11 Computer software engineers, systems software 394,800 515,000 30%
12 Survey researchers 23,400 30,500 30%
13 Physical therapists 185,500 241,700 30%
14 Personal financial advisors 208,400 271,200 30%
15 Anthropologists and archeologists 5,800 7,400 28%
16 Market research analysts 249,800 319,900 28%
17 Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists 207,900 265,900 28%
18 Environmental scientists and specialists, including health 85,900 109,800 28%
19 Prosthodontists 500 700 28%
20 Cartographers and photogrammetrists 12,300 15,600 27%
21 Industrial-organizational psychologists 2,300 2,900 26%
22 Geographers 1,300 1,600 26%
23 Occupational therapists 104,500 131,300 26%
24 Museum Technicians and Conservators 11,100 13,900 26%
25 Cost estimators 217,800 273,000 25%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections

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