Health care professions top the list of most in-demand jobs for 2019, according to a new CareerCast report, with home health aides topping the list. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects there to be 47% growth in home health jobs through 2024. Other in-demand health professions include Medical Services Manager (20% growth outlook), Medical Technologist (14% growth outlook), Personal Care Aide (39% growth outlook), and Registered Nurse (15% growth outlook).
“In 2018, the U.S. labor market offered more openings than there were job seekers,” says Kyle Kensing, Online Content Editor, CareerCast. “2019 arrives with some economic uncertainty but continuing trends in the labor market offer insight into which jobs will have the highest demand for the new year.”
Healthcare begins 2019 as the industry with the highest percentage of job openings, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). Healthcare and professional/business services has historically been the two leading sectors in terms of openings, but healthcare dipped to third in early 2017, behind retail.
A dramatic increase for the rest of 2017 into 2018, combined with a decline in professional/business services from a 2018 high of 6.1% to 5.3%, puts healthcare at No. 1.
That aligns with forecasts from trade organizations and other, independent analysis — like the 2018 report from healthcare staffing consultancy Mercer. It estimates that 2.3 million new hires will be needed in healthcare over the next six years, but that’s a number that is outpacing professionals in the industry.
Some of the professions with potential shortfalls include Home Health Aide and Personal Care Aide. Both jobs boast BLS growth forecasts that rank among the largest of the careers tracked by the CareerCast.com Jobs Rated report, but both have low median annual salaries of about $23,000 per year.
Pay is indeed a contributing factor for a variety of jobs facing high demand to be filled. To attract applicants, industry-wide wages in construction are on the rise. Forbes published a report in the latter-half of 2018 spotlighting lucrative opportunities emerging, commensurate with construction’s painstaking return from steep drop-offs in employment during the recession.
Income alone isn’t a contributing factor for the jobs in need of applicants in the coming year. Application Software Developers can bring in $101,790 a year. Registered Nurses earn an annual median salary of $70,000. In both instances, demand is high but finding enough applicants with the education and experience necessary can be a challenge. Over the last decade, the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research recommended educational initiatives to attract and prepare more nursing school students.
At a time when projected growth outlook was more than 22%, these efforts did pay off. That number is 15% a decade later. However, concerns of labor shortages persist.
In the case of Application Software Developers, the proliferation of mobile-based internet usage exponentially outpaced the focus of professionals in the tech industry. Growth outlook for the field is a lofty 31%, in response to an ever-evolving app economy.
CareerCast’s Most In-Demand Jobs for 2019 are:
| Profession | Annual Median Salary | Growth Outlook Through 2024 |
| Application Software Developer | $101,790 | 31% |
| Construction Laborer | $34,350 | 12% |
| Home Health Aide | $23,210 | 47% |
| Medical Services Manager | $98,350 | 20% |
| Medical Technologist | $51,770 | 14% |
| Nursing Assistant | $27,520 | 11% |
| Personal Care Aide | $23,100 | 39% |
| Registered Nurse | $70,000 | 15% |
To read the full report, visit CareerCast.
