Recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the 20 fastest growing occupations in the United States.
The BLS is a fact-finding provider for the U.S. Department of Labor. The agency keeps track of what’s happening in industries across the country. It’s an excellent resource for determining pay potential and additional information about careers.
Why is this important to you? Being aware of the projected growth rate of a career helps you determine how many open positions will be readily available after training. You may be the best at what you do, but if an industry is seeing a decline in hiring, securing a job may become more difficult.
While the published list spans multiple industries, a good chunk of them are medical, healthcare, and allied health careers. Many are growing 4 to 7 times faster than the national average across all occupations, which is 4%. Learn more about why the healthcare field is a great one to pursue.
Medical Careers In Demand
Here are seven medical careers from the list of fastest growing occupations. We have included links to many accredited training programs from our national network of partner schools. It’s possible you have a training location right in your area!
1. Medical assistant | projected increase in employment by 2032: 14%
Training time: as few as 10 months
Medical assistants work with doctors and nurses on clinical duties, such as gathering vitals from a patient or taking notes on the reasons for the visit. They may also perform admin responsibilities, like setting up appointments and greeting patients on arrival. Find local or online medical assistant training.
2. Physical therapist aide | projected increase in employment by 2032: 19%
Training time: train on the job or in as few as 4 months
Physical therapist aides help physical therapists by cleaning treatment areas before and after each appointment, setting up equipment, and moving patients with a facility. They might answer phones and do other clerical work.
3. Phlebotomist | projected increase in employment by 2032: 8%
Training time: as few at 4-8 months
Phlebotomists draw blood from patients, label samples, and send them to the lab for testing. They usually do that work in a medical office or hospital, but they also can take blood from donors at blood drives. Find phlebotomist training near you.
4. Physical therapist assistant | projected increase in employment by 2032: 19%
Training time: approximately 2 years
Physical therapist (PT) assistants work alongside physical therapists, similar to how physical therapist aides do. However, PT assistants work directly with the patient as well, moving their limbs, observing the treatments, and teaching at-home care instructions. Find physical therapist assistant training near you.
5. Nurse practitioner | projected increase in employment by 2032: 28%
Training time: approximately 6-8 years
Nurse practitioners provide advanced nursing services to patients, typically in a certain niche, like pediatrics. They are able to prescribe medicines and perform other duties above and beyond those of registered nurses. Find nurse practitioner training near you.
6. Physician assistant | projected increase in employment by 2032: 27%
Training time: approximately 4-6 years
Physician assistants work in many areas of medicine, and can examine and treat patients. Like nurse practitioners, physician assistants are not doctors, but can provide similar services.
7. Personal care/home health aides | projected increase in employment by 2032: 22%
Training time: as few as 75 hours
Personal care/home health aides devote their time to caring for recovering, elderly, or disabled patients. Home health aides typically complete medical-based duties, such as helping patients bathe or dressing wounds, while personal care aides may help a patient with household tasks or grocery shopping. Find personal care/home health aide training near you.
Reference: Fastest Growing Occupations on BLS
