The Top 20 Fastest Growing Jobs by 2024

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently compiled a listing of the 20 occupations expected to experience the highest projected growth in employment to the year 2024.  If you are looking to enter the job market or are considering switching careers, this list is a "must read"! Ed4Career is proud to offer hundreds of Career Training courses as well as Professional Development courses designed to keep you up to date in your field. While it’s not possible to list all of our courses below, we invite you to peruse our course catalog to find the courses that will help you reach your educational and professional goals.

1.  Personal care aides

Most personal care aides are trained on the job. There are no formal education requirements for personal care aides, but most aides do have a high school diploma. Any additional education in the field is beneficial for job placement. The median annual wage for personal care aides was $20,980 in May 2015. Employment of personal care aides is projected to grow 26 percent by 2024. This rapid job growth is expected in part because of the projected rise in the number of elderly people, which will therefore increase the number of clients requiring assistance. The BLS estimates 458,100 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers a multitude of Medical and Healthcare career training courses:

2.  Registered nurses

Registered nurses usually take one of three education paths: a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program. Registered nurses also must be licensed. The median annual wage for registered nurses was $67,490 in May 2015. Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 16 percent by 2024. Growth will occur for a number of reasons, including an increased emphasis on preventive care; increasing rates of chronic health conditions, and demand for healthcare services from the baby-boom population. The BLS estimates 439,300 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers a multitude of Medical and Healthcare career training courses:

3.  Home health aides

Home Health Aides can receive both formal education and on-the-job training. Employment of Home Health Aides is expected to grow 38 percent by 2024. As the baby boom population ages, there will be an increase in the number of clients requiring home assistance, in part due to the pressure to contain health costs by moving patients out of hospitals and rehabilitation centers and back home sooner. The BLS estimates 348,400 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers the following career training course:

4.  Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food

Most food and beverage serving and related workers learn their skills on the job but the more knowledge you have about the field the better. The median hourly wage for food and beverage serving and related workers was $9.16 in May 2015. Employment of food and beverage serving and related workers is projected to grow 10 percent by 2024. The BLS estimates 343,500 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Visit Ed4Career’s Hospitality and Travel course catalog today to view our cooking and catering courses!

5.  Retail salespersons

Typically, there are no formal education requirements for retail sales workers. Most receive on-the-job training, which usually lasts a few days to a few months. The median hourly wage for retail sales workers was $10.60 in May 2015. Employment of retail sales workers is projected to grow 7 percent by 2024. The BLS estimates 314,200 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career’s Customer Service career training course will help you better understand your customer’s needs!

6.  Nursing assistants

Nursing assistants must complete a state-approved education program and must pass their state’s competency exam to become certified. Orderlies generally have at least a high school diploma. The median annual wage for nursing assistants and orderlies was $25,710 in May 2015. Employment of nursing assistants and orderlies is projected to grow 17 percent by 2024. The growing elderly population is particularly vulnerable to chronic and debilitating conditions that require care and the overall need for healthcare services is expected to rise. The BLS estimates 262,000 new jobs in this field by 2024.

7.  Customer service representatives

Customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma and receive on-the-job training. Anyone seeking employment as a customer service representative should be good at communicating with people. The median hourly wage for customer service representatives was $15.25 in May 2015. Employment of customer service representatives is projected to grow 10 percent by 2024.  The BLS estimates 252,900 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers dozens of Customer Service Training Courses for Career Training and Professional Development:

8.  Cooks, restaurant

Some cooks learn their skills through on-the-job training. Although no formal education is required, some restaurant cooks and private household cooks get formal cooking and culinary skills training. The median hourly wage for cooks was $10.44 in May 2015. Overall employment of cooks is projected to grow 4 percent by 2024.  The BLS estimates 158,900 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers the following career training course:

9.  General and operations managers

Although education and training requirements vary widely by position and industry, many top executives have at least a bachelor’s degree and quite a bit of work experience. Many people in this position continue to improve their skills with professional development training. The median annual wage for top executives was $102,690 in May 2015. Employment of top executives is projected to grow 6 percent by 2024. Employment growth will vary by industry and is largely dependent on the rate of industry growth. The BLS estimates 151,100 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers the following career training course:

10. Construction laborers

Construction laborers learn their trade through on-the-job training. Formal education is not typically required but some have apprenticeships. The median annual wage for construction laborers was $30,890 in May 2015. Employment of construction is projected to grow 13 percent by 2024. Laborers work in all fields of construction, and demand for these workers will mirror the level of overall construction activity. The BLS estimates 147,400 new jobs in this field by 2024.

11. Accountants and auditors

Most employers require a candidate to have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field. Certification within a specific field of accounting improves job prospects. The median annual wage for accountants and auditors was $67,190 in May 2015. Employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 11 percent by 2024. In general, employment growth of accountants and auditors is expected to be closely tied to the health of the overall economy. As the economy grows, more workers should be needed to prepare and examine financial records. The BLS estimates 142,400 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers the following career training courses:

12. Medical assistants

Most medical assistants have postsecondary education such as a certificate. Others enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training. The median annual wage for medical assistants was $30,590 in May 2015. Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 23 percent by 2024. The growth of the aging baby-boom population will continue to increase demand for preventive medical services. As their practices expand, physicians will hire more assistants to perform routine administrative and clinical duties, allowing the physicians to see more patients. The BLS estimates 138,900 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers the following career training courses:

13. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

Most janitors and building cleaners receive on-the-job training and formal education is not required. The median hourly wage for janitors and building cleaners was $11.27 in May 2015. Employment of janitors and building cleaners is projected to 6 percent by 2024. Many new jobs are expected in facilities related to healthcare, as that industry that is expected to grow rapidly. The BLS estimates 136,300 new jobs in this field by 2024.

14. Software developers, applications

Software developers usually have a bachelor’s degree in computer science and strong computer programming skills. The median annual wage for software developers was $100,690 in May 2015. Employment of software developers is projected to grow 17 percent by 2024. The BLS estimates 135,300 new jobs in this field by 2024.

15. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

Laborers and freight, stock and material movers usually receive short-term on-the-job training to learn the skills necessary to complete their jobs. In 2014, there were 3,719,300 jobs in this field. Employment of laborers and freight, stock and material movers is expected to grow 5% by 2024. The BLS estimates 125,100 new jobs in this field by 2024.

16. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

First-line supervisors and administrative support workers typically have entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent. The median annual wage in May 2015 was $52,630.  Employment of first-line supervisors and administrative support workers is expected to grow 8% by 2024. The BLS estimates 121,200 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers the following career training courses:

17. Computer systems analysts

A bachelor’s degree in a computer or information science field is common, although not always a requirement. Some firms hire analysts with business or liberal arts degrees who have skills in information technology or computer programming. The median annual wage for computer systems analysts was $85,800 in May 2015. Employment of computer systems analysts is projected to grow 21 percent by 2024. Growth in cloud computing, cyber-security, and mobile networks will increase demand for these workers. The BLS estimates 118,600 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers an extensive career training catalog in the IT field:

18. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses must complete a state-approved educational program and they must also be licensed. The median annual wage for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses was $43,170 in May 2015. Employment of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses is projected to grow 16 percent by 2024. LPNs and LVNs will be needed in residential care facilities and in home health environments to care for older patients. The BLS estimates 117,300 new jobs in this field by 2024.

19. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

Maids and housekeeping cleaners typically perform cleaning duties at private households or commercial establishments, such as hotels and hospitals. No formal education is usually required for this position and on-the-job training is often provided. The median annual wage was $20,740 in May 2015. Employment of maids and housekeeping cleaners is expected to grow 8% by 2024. The BLS estimates 111,700 new jobs in this field by 2024.

20. Medical secretaries

High school graduates who have experience using computer software applications usually qualify for entry-level secretarial positions. Although most secretaries learn their job in several weeks, many medical secretaries require additional training to learn industry-specific terminology. The median annual wage for medical secretaries and administrative assistants was $36,500 in May 2015. Employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to grow 3 percent by 2024. The BLS estimates 108,200 new jobs in this field by 2024.

Ed4Career offers the following career training courses:

Ed4Career is proud to offer Career Training courses and Professional Development courses in support of these fields and more! Our goal is to provide the necessary training to will keep you on the forefront of today's and tomorrow's workplace needs. Visit our website today to learn more!

By Kris Powers | September 27th 2016

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