These 10 Jobs Are Primed for Explosive Growth Over the Next Decade

Over the next decade, job growth in the U.S. is expected to rise slightly, although a few professions are primed for massive gains, according to new federal data.

From 2025 to 2035, the U.S. economy is projected to add about 6 million jobs, the Labor Department said Thursday, for overall growth of 3.5%. By comparison, the number of jobs grew nearly 11% over the previous decade.

The latest estimate is a minor improvement from last year, when the Labor Department projected the economy would add 5.2 million jobs, for overall growth of 3.1% over the decade.

Artificial intelligence is expected to play a major role in several fields, adding jobs in industries related to the development and infrastructure of AI while reducing the demand for workers in other areas.

For instance, Labor Department said generative AI tools — such as ChatGPT and Claude — “may limit demand for some jobs in the arts, design, entertainment, sports and media.”

The jobs expected to grow the most by 2035

While AI looms over much of the employment report, the occupation with the largest growth has little to do with the technology.

1. Nurse practitioner: 41% job growth by 2035; $132,300 median wage; typically requires a master’s degree
2. Solar panel installer: 36.5% job growth; $53,140 median wage; typically requires a high school diploma
3. Data scientist: 34.6% job growth; $120,230 median wage; typically requires a bachelor’s degree
4. Wind turbine technician: 29.5% job growth; $64,120 median wage; typically requires a high school diploma and a career credential
5. Medical services manager: 24.2% job growth; $123,860 median wage; typically requires a bachelor’s degree
6. Physical therapist assistant: 23% job growth; $68,380 median wage; typically requires an associate’s degree
7. Psychiatric technician: 22.3% job growth; $45,130 median wage; typically requires a high school diploma and a career credential.
8. Research scientist: 21.8% job growth; $140,300 median wage; typically requires a master’s degree
9. Occupational therapy assistant: 21.5% job growth; $72,300 median wage; typically requires an associate’s degree
10. Ophthalmic (eye) medical technician: 21.4% job growth; $45,570 median wage; typically requires a high school diploma and career credential

The Labor Department noted that an increased demand for energy to power data centers is leading to a boom in jobs related to utilities, wind and solar energy. Meanwhile, an aging population is expected to give a boost to hands-on healthcare jobs.

Home health aides, for example, are expected to see the largest jump in the number of jobs, rising 847,300 by 2035 (18.1% growth rate).

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the jobs facing the steepest losses are those focused on routine, repeatable tasks, including typists, telephone operators and data entry keyers.

In terms of the sheer number of jobs lost, cashiers face the biggest decline, with over 200,000 jobs expected to dry up in the coming decade.