(STACKER) – As the coronavirus pandemic wanes, the number of jobs in the U.S. is expected to grow 5.3% across all occupations by 2031—but jobs that pay over $100,000 a year on average are expected to grow at double that rate, according to projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In fact, 1 in 4 jobs created over the next decade is expected to be in occupations making a six-figure average. With increasing health care demands from an aging population and technological breakthroughs abounding—as well as data-savvy workers to manage all the monitoring and reporting of information—jobs in those sectors will grow.
Out of more than 100 occupations earning over $100,000 annually, Stacker ranked the top 50 fastest-growing jobs, using 2021 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections and Occupational Employment Statistics. The jobs are ranked by their 10-year projected employment change, and ties are broken by projected employment in 2031.
The jobs listed in this article include transportation workers, lawyers, and a bevy of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related jobs—including chemical engineers, biomedical engineers, and computer and information research scientists. Different types of physicians and tech industry workers also make several appearances.
Many of these professions necessitate postsecondary education or on-the-job training. Of course, opportunities for lower-income citizens to gain access to these jobs are a growing concern for more Americans, as well as the need to invest in STEM education in communities that don’t have the same resources as more affluent communities.
Read on to find out which fast-growing jobs are of interest to you, a family member, or even a youngster you may know who’s planning for the future.
#50. Administrative services managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 6.7%
— Employment in 2021: 239,000
— Projected employment in 2031: 255,100
– 2021 mean annual wage: $113,030
#49. General and operations managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 6.7%
— Employment in 2021: 3,118,400
— Projected employment in 2031: 3,328,200
– 2021 mean annual wage: $115,250
#48. Facilities managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 6.9%
— Employment in 2021: 109,100
— Projected employment in 2031: 116,600
– 2021 mean annual wage: $101,970
#47. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.0%
— Employment in 2021: 4,400
— Projected employment in 2031: 4,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $124,380
#46. Advertising and promotions managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.1%
— Employment in 2021: 28,000
— Projected employment in 2031: 30,000
– 2021 mean annual wage: $142,860
#45. Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.2%
— Employment in 2021: 12,700
— Projected employment in 2031: 13,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $102,840
#44. Human resources managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.3%
— Employment in 2021: 174,200
— Projected employment in 2031: 186,900
– 2021 mean annual wage: $136,590
#43. Education administrators, postsecondary
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.4%
— Employment in 2021: 210,100
— Projected employment in 2031: 225,600
– 2021 mean annual wage: $111,260
#42. Nurse midwives
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.5%
— Employment in 2021: 8,100
— Projected employment in 2031: 8,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $114,210
#41. Training and development managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.5%
— Employment in 2021: 38,100
— Projected employment in 2031: 40,900
– 2021 mean annual wage: $128,800
#40. Public relations managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.6%
— Employment in 2021: 66,700
— Projected employment in 2031: 71,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $138,000
#39. Construction managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.6%
— Employment in 2021: 478,500
— Projected employment in 2031: 514,900
– 2021 mean annual wage: $108,210
#38. Producers and directors
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 7.7%
— Employment in 2021: 166,200
— Projected employment in 2031: 178,900
– 2021 mean annual wage: $101,950
#37. Financial risk specialists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.1%
— Employment in 2021: 56,500
— Projected employment in 2031: 61,100
– 2021 mean annual wage: $110,610
#36. Physicists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.2%
— Employment in 2021: 23,000
— Projected employment in 2031: 24,800
– 2021 mean annual wage: $151,580
#35. Anthropology and archaeology teachers, postsecondary
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.3%
— Employment in 2021: 6,400
— Projected employment in 2031: 6,900
– 2021 mean annual wage: $102,110
#34. Petroleum engineers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.3%
— Employment in 2021: 22,800
— Projected employment in 2031: 24,600
– 2021 mean annual wage: $145,720
#33. Economics teachers, postsecondary
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.4%
— Employment in 2021: 15,300
— Projected employment in 2031: 16,600
– 2021 mean annual wage: $124,090
#32. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.4%
— Employment in 2021: 150,700
— Projected employment in 2031: 163,400
– 2021 mean annual wage: $105,580
#31. Financial and investment analysts
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.6%
— Employment in 2021: 317,300
— Projected employment in 2031: 344,600
– 2021 mean annual wage: $103,020
#30. Psychiatrists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.7%
— Employment in 2021: 27,900
— Projected employment in 2031: 30,300
– 2021 mean annual wage: $249,760
#29. Law teachers, postsecondary
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 8.9%
— Employment in 2021: 19,100
— Projected employment in 2031: 20,800
– 2021 mean annual wage: $130,820
#28. Computer systems analysts
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 9.4%
— Employment in 2021: 538,800
— Projected employment in 2031: 589,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $102,210
#27. Optometrists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 9.6%
— Employment in 2021: 41,400
— Projected employment in 2031: 45,400
– 2021 mean annual wage: $125,440
#26. Lawyers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 9.6%
— Employment in 2021: 833,100
— Projected employment in 2031: 913,300
– 2021 mean annual wage: $148,030
#25. Fundraising managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 9.7%
— Employment in 2021: 31,400
— Projected employment in 2031: 34,500
– 2021 mean annual wage: $119,400
#24. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 9.8%
— Employment in 2021: 17,900
— Projected employment in 2031: 19,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $101,020
#23. Marketing managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 9.9%
— Employment in 2021: 319,000
— Projected employment in 2031: 350,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $153,440
#22. Database architects
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 10.3%
— Employment in 2021: 52,700
— Projected employment in 2031: 58,100
– 2021 mean annual wage: $121,840
#21. Management analysts
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 11.4%
— Employment in 2021: 950,600
— Projected employment in 2031: 1,059,000
– 2021 mean annual wage: $100,530
#20. Nurse anesthetists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 11.8%
— Employment in 2021: 45,200
— Projected employment in 2031: 50,500
– 2021 mean annual wage: $202,470
#19. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 13.3%
— Employment in 2021: 45,800
— Projected employment in 2031: 51,800
– 2021 mean annual wage: $115,590
#18. Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 13.8%
— Employment in 2021: 22,600
— Projected employment in 2031: 25,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $116,410
#17. Chemical engineers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 13.9%
— Employment in 2021: 26,900
— Projected employment in 2031: 30,700
– 2021 mean annual wage: $121,840
#16. Biochemists and biophysicists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 15.3%
— Employment in 2021: 37,500
— Projected employment in 2031: 43,200
– 2021 mean annual wage: $113,460
#15. Personal financial advisors
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 15.4%
— Employment in 2021: 330,300
— Projected employment in 2031: 381,200
– 2021 mean annual wage: $119,960
#14. Computer and information systems managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 16.2%
— Employment in 2021: 509,100
— Projected employment in 2031: 591,500
– 2021 mean annual wage: $162,930
#13. Financial managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 16.8%
— Employment in 2021: 730,800
— Projected employment in 2031: 854,000
– 2021 mean annual wage: $153,460
#12. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 17.4%
— Employment in 2021: 119,200
— Projected employment in 2031: 140,000
– 2021 mean annual wage: $104,050
#11. Veterinarians
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 19.4%
— Employment in 2021: 86,300
— Projected employment in 2031: 103,100
– 2021 mean annual wage: $109,920
#10. Actuaries
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 20.8%
— Employment in 2021: 28,300
— Projected employment in 2031: 34,200
– 2021 mean annual wage: $125,300
#9. Computer and information research scientists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 21.3%
— Employment in 2021: 33,500
— Projected employment in 2031: 40,600
– 2021 mean annual wage: $142,650
#8. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 24.1%
— Employment in 2021: 246,700
— Projected employment in 2031: 306,100
– 2021 mean annual wage: $133,310
#7. Software developers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 26.0%
— Employment in 2021: 1,425,900
— Projected employment in 2031: 1,796,500
– 2021 mean annual wage: $120,990
#6. Physician assistants
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 27.6%
— Employment in 2021: 139,100
— Projected employment in 2031: 177,500
– 2021 mean annual wage: $119,460
#5. Medical and health services managers
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 28.3%
— Employment in 2021: 480,700
— Projected employment in 2031: 616,900
– 2021 mean annual wage: $119,840
#4. Information security analysts
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 34.7%
— Employment in 2021: 163,000
— Projected employment in 2031: 219,500
– 2021 mean annual wage: $113,270
#3. Athletes and sports competitors
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 35.7%
— Employment in 2021: 15,800
— Projected employment in 2031: 21,500
– 2021 mean annual wage: $116,930
#2. Data scientists
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 35.8%
— Employment in 2021: 113,300
— Projected employment in 2031: 153,900
– 2021 mean annual wage: $108,660
#1. Nurse practitioners
– Projected employment change 2021-2031: 45.7%
— Employment in 2021: 246,700
— Projected employment in 2031: 359,400
– 2021 mean annual wage: $118,040
