The Labor Department in May updated its annual and hourly pay data to go along with the employment projections, so let’s take a look at how much you can actually make working in the 10 fastest-growing jobs.
1. Solar photovoltaic installer
Median annual pay: $42,680
Projected job growth: 104.9%
Solar photovoltaic installers spend their days climbing onto roofs and installing green-energy panels. The job requires physical strength and endurance, as well as willingness to learn the technical aspects of the solar panels and how they fit into the electrical grid.
Click here for information on how to get into this career.
2. Wind turbine service technician
Median annual pay: $54,370
Projected job growth: 96.3%
Another job in the green energy sector slated to grow quickly in the coming years, wind turbine technician is more intense in terms of physical labor and on-the-job danger than that of solar installer. A short stint in technical school — as little as six months — can have you prepared for this occupation.
The job is not for those who are afraid of heights.
3. Home health aides and personal care aides
Median annual pay: $24,200
Projected job growth: 47.3%
Retirement homes can be expensive and most people would prefer to age in place . So as the U.S. population gets older, the demand for in-home care — which is cheaper — is going to rise.
Work as a home health aide doesn’t pay the best, but as Gimbel said, the annual wages may rise faster than most careers as companies find difficulty staffing positions. You only need a high school diploma for this occupation, but working for companies that receive Medicaid or Medicare reimbursements might require additional licensing .
4. Physician assistants
Median annual pay: $108,610
Projected job growth: 37.3%
Physician assistants serve as the right hand to doctors or surgeons, and might even be primary health care workers in rural areas. This is the first job of the list that requires a Master’s degree and carries licensing requirements.
Click here for a list of accredited programs. You might want to cross reference it with our list of the best bang-for-your-buck colleges by state .
See the rest of the list here …
