In High Demand: Jobs in America with the Biggest Job Growth

Are you or someone you love just out of high school and considering a career? Or maybe you’re tired of your current position, and want to change to a new job? In either case, you may want to choose an occupation that will require the greatest number of workers. This ensures that your talent and skills will be in demand when you finish training. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts the following five jobs to grow with the biggest numbers from 2008 to 2018. They are listed from fewest to most jobs.

If they want to remain in their own homes, America’s rapidly aging population is going to require aides to help with everyday tasks such as cooking, shopping and cleaning. Aides also help those with chronic disabilities or illnesses. The job can be physically and emotionally demanding, since workers must be able to move their patients and often work alone with them. No education is necessary, since they are trained by nurses, more experienced aides or their supervisors.

For personal and home care aides, wages run a mean $9.82 per hour or $20,420 per year. No licensing is needed when working for private agencies or for themselves. But they need certification when working for public agencies that receive government funds. Jobs for these professionals will grow by almost 376,000 or 46 percents according to the Labor Department.

In contrast to cooks who prepare food, and servers who deliver meals to customer tables, combined food prep and serving workers perform a limited amount of both tasks. They follow a set procedure to prepare a limited number of food selections, and then serve these orders to customers who are typically waiting at windows or tables.

No skill is necessary since workers are trained on the job. The flexible scheduling and low educational requirements make it a popular first job for young people. Average salaries run $8.95 per hour or $18,610 per year. Jobs will increase by 394,300 or almost 14.6 percent because of an increasing U.S. population that has less time to prepare meals at home.

Customer service reps, also known as CSRs, handle customer questions and problems online, by phone, by letter, or in-person. They represent the company to many people, and must deal with issues using strict, corporate-defined procedures. A high school diploma is the minimum requirement, though those in more technical industries, such as computers, may need associate or bachelor’s degrees. Workers also typically undergo company training to learn products and company processes.

CSRs earn a mean $15.76 per hour or $32,780 per year, with employment increasing by 399,500 jobs or 17.7 percent. Growth will come as more and more companies emphasize the importance of customer relationships, and realize the cost effectiveness of keeping current customers versus looking for new one.

Like personal and home care aides, home health aides help the elderly, disabled or chronically ill with everyday tasks. However, they typically work for agencies that receive reimbursement from Medicare or Medicaid. They must thus receive at least 75 hours of federally mandated training so they can pass certification or competency exams. State requirements may add more hours.

Salaries for these aides run $10.46 per hour or $21,760 per year. Positions will increase by 460,900 or 50 percent, due to the growing elderly population, and because governments are finding in-home care to be more cost effective than expensive hospitalizations.

Registered nurses (RNs) take care of patients, provide emotional support and consult with doctors. They form the largest segment of the health-care profession, with over 2.6 million jobs. Their training can consist of a nursing program certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree, with advanced education necessary for specialization such as in acute care or management.

Nurses earn the highest pay of the high-growth jobs at a mean $32.56 per hour or $67,720 per year. Their positions will also grow by 581,500 jobs or 22.2 percent. The demand will come from a growing U.S. population, especially among the elderly. Technological advancement will also allow RNs to take care of a greater number of people for a wider array of medical conditions.