In its new report on the most in-demand jobs, CareerCast found that many of the professions with the brightest outlook are in the healthcare field. Topping the list of most in-demand jobs are Home Health Aide, Physical Therapist, Emergency Medical Technician and Nurse Practitioner, along with Occupational Therapist, Physician Assistant, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer and Optician. Web Developer and Operations Research Analyst were the only non-healthcare jobs in the top 10.
The most in-demand profession — Home Health Aide, with an outlook percentage of 38%, has an anticipated need for 348,400 new professionals by 2024. An aging Baby Boomer generation drives some of this high demand. Similarly, Physical Therapist ranks as the No. 6 most in-demand job, with a growth rate of 34% and an estimated 71,800 new positions expected by 2024. Demand for physical therapists is also on the rise commensurate with patients seeking more preventative and restorative healthcare options.
Home Health Aide has an outlook percentage of 38%, has an anticipated need for 348,400 new professionals by 2024.
CareerCast rated Emergency Medical Technician as one of the most in-demand jobs.
Other high-demand healthcare fields include Nurse Practitioner, with a projected growth of 53,400 new jobs; Physician’s Assistant, with 28,700 new jobs; Diagnostic Medical Sonographer at 27,600 new jobs; and Optician, at 17,800 new jobs through 2024.
“The number 5 most in-demand job, Web Developer, is also one of the most widely listed positions in the CareerCast.com jobs database with 19,441 current listings,” says Kyle Kensing, Online Content Editor, CareerCast. “Typically, a Web Developer earns an average of $66,000 a year and possesses an Associate’s Degree, so it’s a great opportunity for those with programming and graphic design skills.”
Operations Research Analyst is a burgeoning field that was added to the Jobs Rated report this year. But with an estimated 27,600 job openings expected through 2024, it’s a career you can expect to hear plenty more about in the near future. Among the most in-demand jobs of 2017, there are 7,684 listings for Operations Research Analysts in the CareerCast.com database. For those looking to use their analytic and technical skills in the business world, this flourishing career might be your gateway.
The following are CareerCast.com’s 10 most in-demand jobs for 2017, as determined by both growth percentage forecasts, and total number of new positions projected.
| Profession | Growth Outlook |
New Job Openings Expected Through 2024 |
| 1. Home Health Aide | 38% | 348,400 |
| 2. Physical Therapist | 34% | 71,800 |
| 3. Emergency Medical Technician | 24% | 58,500 |
| 4. Nurse Practitioner | 31% | 53,400 |
| 5. Web Developer | 27% | 39,500 |
| 6. Occupational Therapist | 27% | 30,400 |
| 7. Physician Assistant | 30% | 28,700 |
| 8. Operations Research Analyst | 30% | 27,600 |
| 9. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | 24% | 27,600 |
| 10. Optician | 24% | 17,800 |
Methodology: growth outlook and new positions are per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics metrics through 2024.
To read the full report, visit CareerCast.