by Mary P Ivy

Created on: June 18, 2010   Last Updated: January 10, 2011

Young people just starting their careers or older workers considering starting a new career certainly want to know where the jobs will be in the future. After all, training takes time and money – often lots of both. So it is wise to look for high-growth areas, whether just starting out or just starting over.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a rich resource for planning employment strategies for the next decade. Keep in mind the BLS projections cover the years 2008-2018. These are not annual job rate increases.

BLS reports that of the “20 fastest growing occupations…half are related to healthcare.” There are several reasons for this tremendous growth.

Baby-boomers make up almost one-third of the U. S. population. As this large segment of the population ages, they will require more health-related services.

Another factor contributing to this rapid demand for healthcare workers is the need to control cost. According to the BLS, “work is increasingly being delegated to lower paid workers….tasks that were previously performed by doctors, nurses, dentists…are increasingly being performed by assistants and aides.”

A related trend that will demand more workers is home healthcare. This is growing in popularity because it is less costly. And some patients simply prefer to recover in their own homes.

The most interesting trend and a real bright spot: healthcare jobs with the most promising growth only require an associates degree. In fact 19% of the new jobs will go to those that hold only an associates. Further, jobs that require only on-the-job training are expected to grow by 8%. That is great news for those who cannot spend years preparing for a new career.

Within healthcare, there are specialties where demand is expected to be quite high.

Biomedical engineers. This field tops the list in future job growth by percentage. The median wage (2008) was $77,400 and requires a bachelor’s degree.

Network systems and data communications analysts. These careers are the second fastest growing in the healthcare field. The median wage is $71,100 and requires a bachelor’s degree.

Health care aide and home care aides. These two related fields take third and fourth place in percentage of change but top the list in actual number of new jobs expected. While these have a median pay of around $20,000, they only require short-term on the job training.

Other careers with high growth in the health care field include financial examiners, athletic trainers, physical therapist aides, and skin care specialists.

But fields other than healthcare show good growth as well.

Accountants and auditors. Jobs here are expected to see a 22% increase. Related jobs for bookkeepers and clerks should see a 10% increase.

Landscapers and groundskeepers. These jobs should see 18% growth.

Truck drivers and heavy equipment operators. 13% growth with 232,900 new jobs added.

Surprising as it may seem, job growth in the near future shows real strength, especially in certain areas.  

Source:

bls.gov. Report modified on December 17, 2009.

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