The United States had 7.3 million open jobs in the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job growth to slow over the next decade. Its new employment projections show 5.9 million jobs added between 2025 and 2035, a 3.5% increase. The previous decade grew 10.9%.

The seven careers are highlighted for their high demand and significant annual openings are home health aides lead with 760,500 openings. Registered nurses (180,800 openings) are in demand, yet nursing schools struggle with capacity. Software developers (106,100 openings) now prioritize experienced candidates. Electricians (72,700 openings) require long apprenticeships, while medical and health services managers (62,300 openings) are vital for expanding healthcare. Mental health counselors (50,500 openings) are needed but require extensive education. Data scientists (24,800 openings) show rapid growth.

1. Home Health Aides Have The Most Annual Openings

Home health and personal care aides have the largest annual hiring need on this list: about 760,500 openings a year through 2035.

The work includes helping clients bathe, dress, cook, get to appointments and manage daily life. Home health aides may also monitor a client’s temperature, pulse and breathing under a nurse’s supervision. Median pay is $35,800 a year.

The work is demanding, and the pay is a problem. Direct-care workers had median annual earnings just under $26,000 once part-time hours were included.

Employers can post the role all day. Filling it and keeping someone in it is the hard part.

2. Nursing Schools Can’t Admit Everyone Who Wants To Become A Nurse

Registered nurses have about 180,800 openings a year , a median wage of $97,550 and projected employment growth of 6%.

The pressure starts further up the pipeline.

Nursing schools turned away 93,176 qualified applications in the 2025-26 academic year due to limited faculty, clinical placements, preceptors, classroom space and funding.

Nearly 17,000 of the rejected applications were for graduate nursing programs. Those programs educate many of the people who later become faculty.

People want to enter nursing. The training system has a capacity problem.

3. Software Hiring Is Focusing On Experienced Developers

Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers have about 106,100 annual openings . Developers earn a median $135,980.

The work is still growing.

Senior roles accounted for 71% of the increase in postings between May 2025 and May 2026. More listings also included AI in the title.

Software is still hiring. Applicants are being asked to arrive with more proof they can do the work.

4. Electricians Face A Long Training Pipeline

The path starts with an apprenticeship. For four or five years, an apprentice spends the day on job sites pulling wire, reading blueprints and working alongside licensed electricians. Then comes classroom instruction in electrical theory, safety and code. They earn while they learn.

Once licensed, the work pays a median $63,190 with roughly 72,700 openings a year.

Data centers have added pressure to an already tight field with an estimated need for more than 300,000 additional electricians over the next decade.

5. Healthcare Needs People To Run The Growing System

Every physician group, outpatient clinic, nursing facility and hospital department needs someone to keep the place moving: staffing, schedules, budgets, records and the rules nobody can ignore.

That job is medical and health services management. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 62,300 openings a year through 2035. Median pay is $123,860, and employment is projected to rise 24%.

Healthcare and social assistance is expected to add more than 2.2 million jobs over the same period. More care sites mean more people needed to run them.

The role usually requires a bachelor’s degree, management experience and a tolerance for paperwork. It is an overlooked route into a growing part of the economy.

6. Mental Health Counselors Are Needed Across The Country

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors have about 50,500 annual openings. Median pay is $59,350. A master’s degree and state license are typical requirements.

The path takes time and tuition. Every new counselor still has to complete graduate education, supervised practice and licensing.

For anyone who wants a career based on direct human work, demand is clear. The question is whether the pay and training commitment work for the person entering the field.

7. Data Scientists Are Growing Fast

Data scientists have about 24,800 annual openings , projected growth of 35% and median pay of $120,230.

The work is collecting and cleaning data, building models and turning the results into information a business can use. A bachelor’s degree in math, statistics, computer science or a related field is common. Many employers prefer a master’s degree.

BLS projects 95,400 new data-scientist jobs over the decade.

It is a strong path for people who like technical work and can explain numbers to nontechnical decision-makers. The job is part analysis and part making the analysis useful to someone who has to make a decision.

What These Careers Have In Common

Healthcare appears four times on this list because the country needs more care workers, more nurses, more counselors and more people to run the systems around them.

Electricians and nurses face long training paths. Counselors need graduate education and licensing. Home health has a pay problem. Software is still hiring, with a higher bar for people trying to get in.

A national jobs number can’t tell you much about any one career. Look at the actual job, what it takes to enter, what it pays and why a company is still posting it.

Want the breakdown on the fastest growing industries? I wrote on the 6 Of The Fastest-Growing Industries To Start A Business In 2026, According To Data

Follow along for staying ahead with the latest business trends.