Ranked list · 30 careers

The 30 Most In-Demand Jobs, Ranked by Annual Openings (2026)

Fast Food and Counter Worker has the most openings on this list: about 827,400 a year, as projected by BLS over 2025–2035, followed by Home Health Aide (760,500 openings a year) and Stocker and Order Filler (430,700 openings a year). Below are 30 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.

Careers on this list: 30From 1,731 in the bank
Median pay on the list: $43,170BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected to grow: 29 of 30BLS EP, 2025–2035
Openings a year: 6,662,200Combined, BLS EP

Method

How we built this list

Ranked by the average number of openings BLS Employment Projections expects each year over the projection decade: new jobs plus the positions people leave through retirement or a change of occupation.
Occupations projected to shrink are left out, so a job only ranks on turnover if it is not also contracting.
BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over.
Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.

The list

The top 30 most in-demand jobs

100% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.

1
1. Fast Food and Counter Worker
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$31,200median a year
Growth
+5.8%
Openings / yr
827,400
Education
No formal credential
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages.
2
2. Home Health Aide
Healthcare Support
Median pay
$35,800median a year
Growth
+18.1%
Openings / yr
760,500
Education
High school
Monitor the health status of an individual with disabilities or illness, and address their health-related needs, such as changing bandages, dressing wounds, or administering medication.
3
3. Stocker and Order Filler
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$37,330median a year
Growth
+8.9%
Openings / yr
430,700
Education
No formal credential
Receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other items from stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders.
4
4. Server
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$35,230median a year
Growth
+2.0%
Openings / yr
423,100
Education
No formal credential
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
5
5. Laborer and Freight, Stock, and Material Mover, Hand
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$40,240median a year
Growth
+1.8%
Openings / yr
340,500
Education
No formal credential
Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor.
6
6. Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Median pay
$36,840median a year
Growth
+2.2%
Openings / yr
321,800
Education
No formal credential
Keep buildings in clean and orderly condition.
7
7. General and Operations Manager
Management
Median pay
$105,770median a year
Growth
+5.0%
Openings / yr
285,000
Education
Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations.
8
8. Cook, Restaurant
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$37,390median a year
Growth
+12.1%
Openings / yr
218,600
Education
No formal credential
Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants.
9
9. Truck Driver
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$58,640median a year
Growth
+3.8%
Openings / yr
214,500
Education
Certificate
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).
10
10. Teaching Assistant, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education
Educational Instruction and Library
Median pay
$37,010median a year
Growth
0.0%
Openings / yr
201,900
Education
N/A
Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher with instructional duties.
11
11. Nursing Assistant
Healthcare Support
Median pay
$42,260median a year
Growth
+2.6%
Openings / yr
196,200
Education
Certificate
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff.
12
12. Registered Nurse
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Median pay
$97,550median a year
Growth
+5.6%
Openings / yr
180,800
Education
Bachelor's
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records.
13
13. Maid and Housekeeping Cleaner
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Median pay
$35,510median a year
Growth
+0.6%
Openings / yr
175,500
Education
No formal credential
Perform any combination of light cleaning duties to maintain private households or commercial establishments, such as hotels and hospitals, in a clean and orderly manner.
14
14. First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$44,080median a year
Growth
+5.4%
Openings / yr
171,500
Education
High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.
15
15. Security Guard
Protective Service
Median pay
$38,020median a year
Growth
+0.9%
Openings / yr
156,000
Education
High school
Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules.
16
16. Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Median pay
$39,150median a year
Growth
+4.7%
Openings / yr
149,500
Education
No formal credential
Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment.
17
17. Maintenance and Repair Worker, General
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Median pay
$49,590median a year
Growth
+4.2%
Openings / yr
148,700
Education
High school
Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair.
18
18. Team Assembler
Production
Median pay
$44,650median a year
Growth
+1.1%
Openings / yr
138,700
Education
High school
Work as part of a team having responsibility for assembling an entire product or component of a product.
19
19. First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers
Office and Administrative Support
Median pay
$69,500median a year
Growth
+0.1%
Openings / yr
127,400
Education
High school
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative support workers.
20
20. Bartender
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$34,340median a year
Growth
+5.0%
Openings / yr
121,200
Education
No formal credential
Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.
21
21. Construction Laborer
Construction and Extraction
Median pay
$47,120median a year
Growth
+7.3%
Openings / yr
120,000
Education
No formal credential
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites.
22
22. Sales Representative of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
Sales and Related
Median pay
$69,990median a year
Growth
+2.7%
Openings / yr
115,700
Education
High school
Sell services to individuals or businesses.
23
23. Accountant
Business and Financial Operations
Median pay
$83,680median a year
Growth
+5.0%
Openings / yr
115,300
Education
Bachelor's
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others.
24
24. Medical Assistant
Healthcare Support
Median pay
$45,690median a year
Growth
+12.9%
Openings / yr
109,700
Education
Certificate
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician.
25
25. Light Truck Driver
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$44,860median a year
Growth
+6.3%
Openings / yr
107,200
Education
High school
Drive a light vehicle, such as a truck or van, with a capacity of less than 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), primarily to pick up merchandise or packages from a distribution center and deliver.
26
26. Host and Hostess, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$31,200median a year
Growth
+3.4%
Openings / yr
107,100
Education
No formal credential
Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
27
27. Regulatory Affairs Manager
Management
Median pay
$141,900median a year
Growth
+4.9%
Openings / yr
100,900
Education
Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.
28
28. Amusement and Recreation Attendant
Personal Care and Service
Median pay
$32,150median a year
Growth
+3.7%
Openings / yr
100,400
Education
No formal credential
Perform a variety of attending duties at amusement or recreation facility.
29
29. Business Continuity Planner
Business and Financial Operations
Median pay
$83,050median a year
Growth
+3.9%
Openings / yr
98,700
Education
Bachelor's
Develop, maintain, or implement business continuity and disaster recovery strategies and solutions, including risk assessments, business impact analyses, strategy selection, and documentation of business continuity an…
30
30. Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor
Community and Social Service
Median pay
$60,320median a year
Growth
+10.9%
Openings / yr
97,700
Education
N/A
Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders.

Questions

Most In-Demand Jobs: FAQ

What are the most in-demand jobs for the next 10 years?

Which in-demand jobs pay the most?

Of the 30 careers here, the best-paid are Regulatory Affairs Manager ($141,900), General and Operations Manager ($105,770) and Registered Nurse ($97,550) (BLS OEWS May 2025). Openings and pay rarely line up: the jobs with the most openings are mostly large, lower-paid occupations with high turnover.

What in-demand jobs don’t require a degree?

23 of the 30 have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree (BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035). The best-paid of them: Sales Representative of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel ($69,990), First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers ($69,500) and Truck Driver ($58,640).

How is this list ranked?

Occupations ranked by the number of job openings BLS projects each year, on average, over the projection decade. Openings count new jobs plus the positions people leave through retirement and job changes, which is why large, high-turnover occupations lead. Only occupations not projected to shrink are included. Ranked by the average number of openings BLS Employment Projections expects each year over the projection decade: new jobs plus the positions people leave through retirement or a change of occupation. Occupations projected to shrink are left out, so a job only ranks on turnover if it is not also contracting. BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and O*NET 31.0 Database.