Nurse practitioner is projected to be the fastest-growing occupation in the U.S. economy over the next decade, and it leads a healthcare field that will account for 37% of all new American jobs through 2035, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections released Aug. 27.
Nineteen of the 30 fastest-growing occupations economywide are healthcare or health-related. Total U.S. employment is projected to grow 3.5% over the decade.
The 10 fastest-growing healthcare occupations, ranked by projected percent change from 2025 to 2035:
| Rank | Occupation | Growth | New jobs | Median wage (2025) |
| 1 | Nurse practitioners | 41.0% | 137,800 | $132,300 |
| 2 | Medical and health services managers | 24.2% | 155,100 | $123,860 |
| 3 | Physical therapist assistants | 23.0% | 26,200 | $68,380 |
| 4 | Psychiatric technicians | 22.3% | 36,000 | $45,130 |
| 5 | Occupational therapy assistants | 21.5% | 11,200 | $72,300 |
| 6 | Ophthalmic medical technicians | 21.4% | 15,500 | $45,570 |
| 7 | Physician assistants | 21.1% | 35,700 | $135,880 |
| 8 | Hearing aid specialists | 19.4% | 2,200 | $65,160 |
| 9 | Substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors | 18.4% | 98,000 | $59,350 |
| 10 | Home health and personal care aides | 18.1% | 847,300 | $35,800 |
Note: Percent change reflects projected total employment, including wage and salary employment and self-employment. Median wages are annual.
Three things to know:
1. Home health and personal care aides rank 10th by growth rate but add 847,300 positions, more than the other nine combined. The median wage is $35,800, the lowest on the list.
2. Nine of the 10 are clinical or direct-care roles. The exception, medical and health services managers, adds the second-most positions at 155,100.
3. Behavioral health appears twice, with psychiatric technicians fourth and counselors ninth.
The full ranking is in the BLS fastest-growing occupations table.
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