Best Careers For the Next 10 Years

When thinking about your future, consider which career paths have the strongest job prospects. These in-demand roles project a much faster than average growth rate compared to other jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By researching job market trends for the next decade, you can determine which promising careers best suit your interests or abilities and start working toward them. In this article, we provide over 30 jobs that will be in high demand over the next 10 years.

32 in-demand jobs for the next ten years

The following list contains over 30 promising careers to consider, including their projected growth rate based on Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, average salary and primary duties:

1. Home health aide

National average salary: $12.28 per hour

Job growth outlook: 34%

Primary duties: A home health aide is responsible for assisting clients who are ill, elderly or have disabilities with their healthcare needs. They may administer medications, check vitals and help with other day-to-day tasks such as bathing, getting dressed or going to doctor's appointments.

Related: Learn About Being a Home Health Aide

2. Phlebotomist

National average salary: $12.85 per hour

Job growth outlook: 17%

Primary duties: A phlebotomist is a healthcare professional who draws blood for diagnostic, research and transfusion purposes. Their responsibilities include properly labeling and organizing blood samples, maintaining medical equipment and sanitizing their work area.

Related: Learn About Being a Phlebotomist

3. Grounds maintenance worker

National average salary: $13.54 per hour

Job growth outlook: 10%

Primary duties: A grounds maintenance worker is responsible for the upkeep of outdoor environments at parks, homes and public facilities. They remove dead or damaged plants, water and mow lawns and plant and monitor the health of flowers, trees and shrubs.

4. Nursing assistant

National average salary: $15.16 per hour

Job growth outlook: 8%

Primary duties: A nursing assistant works under the supervision of a licensed nurse to provide care to patients. Their responsibilities include checking vitals, administering medications and reporting on patients' progress while assisting with their daily needs such as bathing, dressing and serving meals.

Related: Learn About Being a Nursing Assistant

5. Medical assistant

National average salary: $15.51 per hour

Job growth outlook: 19%

Primary duties: A medical assistant works with doctors and other healthcare professionals to perform administrative and clinical tasks. Their responsibilities include recording patients' medical history and relevant personal information, assisting with examinations, scheduling appointments and filling out billing and other forms.

Related: Learn About Being a Medical Assistant

6. Solar installer

National average salary: $20.41 per hour

Job growth outlook: 51%

Primary duties: A solar installer, also called a solar photovoltaic installer, is responsible for building, installing and maintaining rooftop and other solar panel systems. They must obtain relevant permits and follow building codes and standards during installations while also considering their customers' needs.

7. Physical therapist assistant

National average salary: $22.96 per hour

Job growth outlook: 29%

Primary duties: A physical therapist assistant works under the direction of a physical therapist to help patients recover from illnesses or injuries. Their responsibilities include treating patients using exercises, massages or stretches, observing and reporting on their progress and providing guidance on post-treatment techniques.

Related: Learn About Being a Physical Therapist Assistant

8. Electrician

National average salary: $23.95 per hour

Job growth outlook: 8%

Primary duties: An electrician is responsible for installing, testing and repairing electrical systems and components. They provide installation and repair estimates for clients, conduct routine maintenance following manufacturer guidelines and use blueprints to plan installations.

Related: Learn About Being an Electrician

9. Massage therapist

National average salary: $29.36 per hour

Job growth outlook: 21%

Primary duties: A massage therapist works with clients to relieve pain, support recovery from injuries or reduce stress by using massage techniques. Their responsibilities include discussing symptoms and medical history with clients, identifying trouble areas and providing guidance on exercises related to posture, relaxation and stretching.

Related: Learn About Being a Massage Therapist

10. Speech language pathologist

National average salary: $34.35 per hour

Job growth outlook: 25%

Primary duties: A speech-language pathologist works with patients to diagnose and treat communication or swallowing disorders. Their responsibilities include developing personalized treatment plans and teaching muscle-building exercises and techniques to improve patients' vocabulary, sentence structure or ability to make sounds.

11. Substance abuse counselor

National average salary: $44,741 per year

Job growth outlook: 25%

Primary duties: A substance abuse counselor is a mental health professional who works with clients experiencing dependency issues with alcohol, drugs or eating disorders. Their responsibilities include assessing patients' mental and physical health, creating treatment goals and helping patients develop skills or behaviors that support recovery.

12. Translator

National average salary: $46,743 per year

Job growth outlook: 20%

Primary duties: A translator is responsible for accurately converting speech or text from one language to another while upholding its context and flow. They often create terminology glossaries for use on future projects, proofread documents and use client feedback to make edits.

13. Wind turbine technician

National average salary: $52,532 per year

Job growth outlook: 61%

Primary duties: A wind turbine technician is responsible for performing maintenance and repairs on wind turbines. They climb turbine towers and inspect their physical integrity, test and troubleshoot their components and collect data for use in research or analysis.

14. Family therapist

National average salary: $55,338 per year

Job growth outlook: 22%

Primary duties: A family therapist works with clients to help them manage issues related to familial relationships. Their responsibilities include discussing clients' emotions, providing coping strategies for managing difficult situations and referring clients to resources such as support groups or treatment facilities.

15. Market researcher

National average salary: $56,049 per year

Job growth outlook: 18%

Primary duties: A market researcher, or market research analyst, is responsible for studying market conditions to help companies sell products or services. Their responsibilities include developing methods of consumer data collection, identifying target markets and assessing the effectiveness of marketing strategies.

16. Social worker

National average salary: $59,936 per year

Job growth outlook: 13%

Primary duties: A social worker is responsible for helping individuals cope with challenges, such as domestic abuse or mental health issues. They provide counseling, direct clients to private and public resources to aid their well-being and maintain case files and records.

Related: Learn About Being a Social Worker

17. Occupational therapy aide

National average salary: $60,518 per year

Job growth outlook: 32%

Primary duties: An occupational therapy aide works under the supervision of an occupational therapist, providing support to patients in treatment for injuries, illnesses or disabilities. Their responsibilities include setting up therapy equipment, preparing treatment areas, transporting patients and scheduling appointments.

18. Finance manager

National average salary: $62,164 per year

Job growth outlook: 15%

Primary duties: A finance manager is responsible for overseeing the financial health of an organization. They prepare financial statements, supervise budgeting and financial reporting tasks, advise management on financial decisions and analyze data and market trends for expansion and investment opportunities.

Related: Learn About Being a Finance Manager

19. Forensic scientist

National average salary: $64,927 per year

Job growth outlook: 14%

Primary duties: A forensic scientist is responsible for assisting criminal investigations by examining crime scenes and analyzing evidence. They record observations using audio, video, photographs or notes, follow proper handling protocols to collect evidence and create reports to present in court, sometimes serving as expert witnesses.

20. Health services administrator

National average salary: $68,173 per year

Job growth outlook: 32%

Primary duties: A health services administrator is responsible for overseeing the operations of facilities such as hospitals, healthcare systems or physician offices. They manage budgets and spending, ensure facilities comply with laws and regulations and develop departmental goals to improve the efficiency and quality of services.

21. Industrial engineer

National average salary: $76,191 per year

Job growth outlook: 10%

Primary duties: An industrial engineer works for manufacturing plants or service providers to improve the efficiency of their production systems and processes. Their responsibilities include evaluating existing procedures and processes to form recommendations, performing analyses to identify problems and developing quality control measures.

Related: Learn About Being an Industrial Engineer

22. Web developer

National average salary: $78,399 per year

Job growth outlook: 8%

Primary duties: A web developer works with clients to build and design websites and web applications. Their responsibilities include using research or user feedback to ensure accessibility and functionality, identifying and fixing webpage issues and working with designers to determine website graphics and layouts.

Related: Learn About Being a Web Developer

23. Physical therapist

National average salary: $83,896 per year

Job growth outlook: 18%

Primary duties: A physical therapist is a healthcare professional who helps ill or injured patients improve mobility, restore motor functions or manage pain. Their responsibilities include developing personalized treatment plans and providing hands-on therapy through the use of exercises, equipment and stretches.

24. Construction manager

National average salary: $85,618 per year

Job growth outlook: 8%

Primary duties: A construction manager is responsible for planning, coordinating and supervising construction projects. They prepare cost estimates, budgets and schedules for projects, hire and train laborers, communicate progress updates to clients and work with construction specialists such as engineers and architects.

Related: Learn About Being a Construction Manager

25. Management analyst

National average salary: $88,357 per year

Job growth outlook: 11%

Primary duties: A management analyst, also called a management consultant, works with clients to advise them on improving organizational efficiency. Their responsibilities include performing interviews and onsite observations, analyzing financial and employee data and developing solutions or strategies to reduce costs and increase revenues.

26. Application developer

National average salary: $90,793 per year

Job growth outlook: 22%

Primary duties: An application developer is an IT professional who creates software applications for computers and mobile devices. Their responsibilities include consulting with customers to make design changes, creating user-friendly experiences, performing maintenance tests and recommending updates on existing software.

27. Information systems manager

National average salary: $92,790 per year

Job growth outlook: 10%

Primary duties: An information systems manager, also called an IT manager, is responsible for coordinating and overseeing an organization's computer and information systems. They identify information technology goals and corresponding strategies, provide IT recommendations to upper management and maintain the security of company networks.

28. Information security analyst

National average salary: $95,921 per year

Job growth outlook: 31%

Primary duties: An information security analyst is responsible for developing and executing security measures to protect computer networks and systems. They monitor networks for breaches, perform tests to identify vulnerabilities, recommend security improvements and stay updated on the latest cyberattacks and prevention tactics.

Related: Learn About Being an Information Security Analyst

29. Statistician

National average salary: $101,779 per year

Job growth outlook: 33%

Primary duties: A statistician is responsible for analyzing and interpreting data through the use of mathematical and statistical techniques. They determine the best methods of data collection and use it to aid decision-making at organizations across various industries, including the healthcare and higher education sectors.

Related: Learn About Being a Statistician

30. Veterinarian

National average salary: $103,108 per year

Job growth outlook: 16%

Primary duties: A veterinarian is a medical professional who provides health services to animals. Their responsibilities include conducting diagnostic tests, administering medications or vaccines, treating wounds or injuries and performing surgeries.

Related: Learn About Being a Veterinarian

31. Physician assistant

National average salary: $106,421 per year

Job growth outlook: 31%

Primary duties: A physician assistant works within a team of physicians, surgeons and other healthcare workers to provide care to patients. Their responsibilities include performing physical exams, writing prescriptions and providing guidance on preventative care.

Related: Learn About Being a Physician Assistant

32. Nurse practitioner

National average salary: $117,594 per year

Job growth outlook: 45%

Primary duties: A nurse practitioner is a healthcare professional who provides primary or specialty care to patients. Their responsibilities include diagnosing and treating illnesses, developing treatment plans and ordering and analyzing tests such as X-rays or electrocardiograms (EKGs).

Related: Learn About Being a Nurse Practitioner