Most In-Demand Jobs in 2026: 25 Careers With the Most Openings – and How AI Is Changing Them

The most in-demand jobs in 2026 are in healthcare, clean energy, data and cybersecurity, and the skilled trades. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its 2025–35 projections on August 27, 2026. They name four fastest-growing occupations: nurse practitioners (+41.0%), solar photovoltaic installers (+36.5%), data scientists (+34.6%), and wind turbine service technicians (+29.5%). One job will add more positions than any other: home health and personal care aides, with 847,300 new jobs.

Many of these roles are also among the hardest for AI to automate. The best-paid people in them use AI tools every day.

Below are 25 in-demand jobs ranked by growth, with new jobs, median pay, training time, and how AI is changing each one.

Why does picking well matter more this time? BLS expects the whole economy to add 5.9 million jobs by 2035, which is growth of 3.5%. The previous decade grew 10.9%. Some fields are shrinking outright. Office and administrative support is projected to lose 752,100 jobs, the steepest drop of any occupational group, and BLS partly credits automation tools, including AI. If you want that side of the story, we’ve covered what jobs AI will replace by 2030. This page is about where the doors are opening. For the wider picture, see our breakdown of the AI job market in 2026.

How we ranked these jobs

• Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, released August 27, 2026. We used Table 1.3 (“Fastest growing occupations”) and Table 1.4 (“Occupations with the most job growth”), the 2025 median wage data in those tables, and typical entry education from the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
• Method: We took every occupation on both lists and kept only those growing faster than the 3.5% average. We dropped high-turnover entry roles such as fast food workers, stockers and restaurant cooks. Those jobs grow in headcount, but they rarely lead anywhere. Then we sorted by growth rate. These are the fastest growing jobs that also build a career.
• Note: “New jobs” means the net employment change over the decade. Total openings run higher, because people also retire and switch careers.
• AI column: This is based on the BLS release itself, its new AI exposure categories (which rank occupations relative to one another and are not a job-loss forecast), and tools workers already use. We use no invented risk scores.

Key terms used in this guide: AI literacy and workflow automation.

The 25 most in-demand jobs

Here’s the shortlist for anyone searching most in demand jobs 2026, at a glance.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Tables 1.3 and 1.4), released August 27, 2026. All-occupation median wage: $50,980.

Healthcare: the biggest engine of new jobs

Healthcare support and healthcare practitioners together are expected to create almost one-third of all new US jobs through 2035. The reasons are an aging population and more chronic disease. That’s why so many of the fastest growing careers are in this section.

Nurse practitioners

Nurse practitioners are nurses with graduate training. They diagnose, prescribe, and in many states practice independently. BLS projects 41.0% growth, the fastest of any occupation it tracks, and links it to team-based care models. The path is long but clear: RN license, then a master’s or doctorate, then national certification. Already a nurse? You’re halfway there.

The AI shift is happening at the keyboard. Ambient AI scribes such as Abridge or Microsoft’s Dragon Copilot listen to the visit and draft the note. That means fewer evenings lost to charting. The diagnosis is still yours.

Medical and health services managers

This role adds 155,100 jobs at 24.2% growth. Health services managers run clinics, departments and practices: budgets, staffing, compliance, billing. Most enter with a bachelor’s in health administration or business, and a lot of them move up from clinical roles. A master’s in health administration helps at larger systems.

This is probably the most AI-touched job in this section. Revenue-cycle software predicts claim denials, and staffing tools forecast patient volume. Hospitals want managers who know where those predictions go wrong.

Physical therapist assistants

The median pay is $68,380 for an associate’s degree, one of the best pay-to-training ratios on this list. Growth is 23.0%. PTAs carry out treatment plans: guiding exercises, tracking progress, adjusting equipment. You’ll need an accredited two-year program, a national exam and a state license.

On the AI side, some clinics send patients home with apps that use the phone camera to check exercise form. Software can’t catch a patient who wobbles on the stairs. A PTA can.

Ophthalmic medical technicians

Ophthalmic technicians run the tests before the ophthalmologist walks in: eye pressure, visual fields, retinal photos. BLS expects 21.4% growth, driven by aging and diabetes, which damages the retina. Training is usually a one- or two-year program or on-the-job learning, followed by certification.

This field has an interesting AI history. In 2018 the FDA authorized IDx-DR, the first autonomous AI system that screens for diabetic retinopathy without a doctor reading the image. The machine needs clean, usable photos to work, so the technician who captures them matters more than ever.

Physician assistants

PAs examine, diagnose and treat patients on teams with physicians. Growth is 21.1%, and the median pay of $135,880 is the highest in our healthcare group. You’ll need a bachelor’s with science prerequisites, patient-care hours, a master’s program (usually two to three years) and the PANCE certification exam.

AI is changing the paperwork side first. PAs use the same ambient documentation tools as NPs, plus electronic health record alerts that flag drug interactions or missed screenings. Knowing when to trust an alert, and when to override it, is now part of the job.

Registered nurses

Growth looks modest at 5.6%, but this is a huge occupation: 3.47 million nurses in 2025 and 194,700 new jobs on top of that. The path is an associate’s (about two years) or a bachelor’s (four years), then the NCLEX-RN exam.

Many hospitals now run predictive tools that warn when a patient may be sliding toward sepsis or deterioration. Nurses decide what to do with that warning, and they deal with the alert fatigue that comes with it.

Home health and personal care aides

This is the largest source of new jobs in the economy, with 847,300 added by 2035. Aides help older and disabled people at home with bathing, meals and medication reminders. The pay is low ($35,800 median), but the entry is fast. Aides at Medicare-certified agencies need at least 75 hours of federally required training. Many people use it as a first step toward CNA, LPN and RN roles.

AI shows up in scheduling apps and remote-monitoring devices. The care itself stays human.

Medical assistants

Medical assistants work both sides of a clinic: vitals and injections, plus scheduling and records. The job grows 12.9%, adding 107,600 positions. Most people complete a certificate program in about a year, and certification (CMA or RMA) is increasingly expected.

AI is taking over the admin half: smart scheduling, inbox triage, drafting prior-authorization forms. The likely result is a job that leans more toward patient care.

Tech, data and cybersecurity

BLS expects computer and math occupations to grow 7.3%, “largely” because of the spread of digital tools and AI. One detail stands out: the industry covering data processing and hosting, which includes data centers, is projected to grow 25.1%. If you’re curious about brand-new roles, we’ve mapped what new jobs AI will create.

Data scientists

Growth is 34.6%, with 95,400 new jobs and a $120,230 median. Data scientists build models, find patterns and explain them to people who don’t read code. A bachelor’s in statistics, computer science or math is typical, and a portfolio matters as much as the diploma.

AI coding assistants now write a lot of the routine Python and SQL. The value has moved to asking the right question and catching a model that’s confidently wrong. Our guide on how to get an AI job covers the portfolio side.

Computer and information research scientists

This is a small field with only 8,400 new jobs. But it grows 21.8% and pays a $140,300 median. Research scientists invent new computing methods, often the AI models themselves. A master’s is the usual entry, and a PhD is common.

How AI changes this job is a bit circular: they’re building it. Researchers now also use AI agents to run experiments and write code.

Information security analysts

Growth is 21.0% and the median is $129,180. Security analysts protect networks and data. Many start in IT support or network administration, earn a cert like CompTIA Security+, and move over.

AI works for both sides here. Attackers use generative AI for convincing phishing. Defenders use copilots such as Microsoft Security Copilot to sort through thousands of alerts. Securing AI systems themselves is a new area of work.

Software developers

Software development adds the most jobs of any tech role: 174,700, at 10.2% growth and a $135,980 median. A computer science degree is the standard route, but portfolios and bootcamps still open some doors.

GitHub Copilot, Cursor and Claude Code now draft a lot of everyday code. The job is shifting toward architecture, review and testing. Expect interview questions about how you use these tools, and how you catch their mistakes.

Computer and information systems managers

This is the top-paying job on our list, at a $175,140 median. Growth is 15.8%, adding 108,100 jobs. These are IT directors and CTOs, and the role usually takes a bachelor’s plus five or more years of experience.

Ten years ago this job meant cloud migration. Today it means deciding which AI tools the company adopts, how to govern them, and how to pay for the compute.

Clean energy and skilled trades

Utilities is the fastest-growing industry sector in the BLS projections (+9.8%). BLS links that to rising electricity demand, including demand from AI. Keep one thing in mind, though. Solar installers and wind techs grow fast from a small base, and together they’ll add fewer than 15,000 jobs.

Solar photovoltaic installers

Growth is 36.5%, but that comes to only 11,300 new jobs. The median is $53,140. Most installers learn on the job after high school, sometimes after a short course. NABCEP certification helps you stand out.

Design software now models roofs from satellite imagery and suggests panel layouts before anyone climbs a ladder. Someone still has to climb the ladder.

Wind turbine service technicians

Growth is 29.5% and the median is $64,120. Wind techs inspect, repair and maintain turbines, high off the ground and often in bad weather. Most complete a technical program at a community college, plus safety training such as GWO certification.

Drones paired with AI image analysis now scan blades for cracks, and sensor data predicts gearbox failures. Technicians fix what the algorithms flag.

Electricians

Electricians add 75,900 jobs, with 9.2% growth and a $63,190 median. The usual route is a paid apprenticeship of four to five years, so you earn while you learn.

AI creates work for electricians: every new data center has to be wired by people. Estimating and code-lookup tools speed up the office side.

Industrial machinery mechanics

Growth is 17.8%, adding 79,700 jobs. These mechanics keep factory equipment running. A high school diploma plus a year or more of on-the-job training is typical, and an associate’s degree helps.

Predictive-maintenance sensors tell them what’s about to break. There’s some irony here: the more automated a factory gets, the more it needs people who can fix the automation.

Construction managers

Growth is 9.1%, with 55,200 new jobs and a $114,990 median. Construction managers plan and run building projects. A bachelor’s in construction management is standard, though plenty of managers worked their way up from the trades.

AI now checks drawings for conflicts, builds schedules, and tracks site progress from drone photos.

Business and finance

The business picture is split. Routine office work is shrinking, while roles built on coordination and judgment keep growing.

Logisticians

Growth is 17.6%, with 44,900 jobs and an $82,320 median. Logisticians run supply chains: sourcing, shipping, delivery. A bachelor’s is typical.

AI handles demand forecasting and route optimization. Logisticians handle the exceptions, like a port strike, a tariff change or a supplier that suddenly goes silent.

Management analysts

This role adds 109,200 jobs, with 10.1% growth and a $101,860 median. Management analysts (essentially consultants) help companies run better. A bachelor’s is the entry point, and an MBA speeds things up.

AI now produces first-draft decks and market scans in minutes. Clients pay for judgment and for getting people to actually change.

Financial managers

The median is $166,570, with 9.7% growth and 84,900 new jobs. Financial managers oversee budgets, reporting and investment strategy. Expect a bachelor’s plus about five years of experience.

Automation is taking over the monthly close, reconciliations and forecasting models. Managers are responsible for explaining the numbers to the board.

Project management specialists

Growth is 6.7%, with 73,200 jobs and a $102,320 median. Project managers keep projects on time and on budget. A bachelor’s is common, and the PMP certification matters.

AI writes status reports, meeting notes and risk logs. That leaves PMs more time for the part people find hard: getting teams to agree.

Education and social services

Community and social service is the fourth-fastest-growing occupational group (+7.4%), and the demand comes from the same source as healthcare.

Mental health counselors

Growth is 18.4%, adding 98,000 jobs, with a $59,350 median. Counselors treat anxiety, depression and addiction. Licensure takes a master’s degree and thousands of supervised hours, with the exact number set by each state.

Some counselors use AI note-taking (with client consent), and some clients use chatbots between sessions. Trust between counselor and client remains the core of the work.

Nursing instructors

Growth is 17.1% and the median is $80,250. Nursing instructors train the nurses everyone is short of. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that schools turn away tens of thousands of qualified applicants every year, and faculty shortages are a big reason. A master’s in nursing is the minimum.

AI-driven simulation now lets students practice on virtual patients. Instructors design those cases and lead the debrief afterward.

Speech-language pathologists

Growth is 16.6%, with 32,100 jobs and a $97,870 median. Many SLPs work in schools, others in hospitals. The path is a master’s, a clinical fellowship and a state license.

Speech-analysis software and AI-generated practice materials save prep time. Diagnosing a stutter and building trust with a child remain the SLP’s job.

In-demand jobs you can start without a degree

Not every route needs four years of college. These high demand jobs from our table start with a certificate, an associate’s degree or paid training:

• Home health aide: 75+ hours of training, often weeks to start
• Medical assistant: certificate in about a year
• Solar PV installer: on-the-job training after high school
• Wind turbine technician: technical program, usually under two years
• Electrician: paid apprenticeship
• Industrial machinery mechanic: high school plus on-the-job training
• Physical therapist assistant: two-year associate’s

If you’d rather work at a desk, look at our lists of entry-level AI jobs with no degree and remote AI jobs that need no experience.

In-demand jobs that are also hard for AI to automate

Some jobs in high demand share a few traits. They require physical presence, they happen in unpredictable environments, or they depend on licensed human trust. “Hard to automate” isn’t the same as “untouched,” though. AI is already changing parts of all of these:

• Nurse practitioners and physician assistants
• Physical therapist assistants
• Home health and personal care aides
• Electricians and wind turbine technicians
• Mental health counselors
• Speech-language pathologists

We go deeper on this in our guide to AI-proof careers.

The skills that show up across all of them

Read the 25 descriptions again and you’ll notice a pattern. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030. It ranked AI and big data as the fastest-growing skill, followed by networks and cybersecurity and technological literacy. Creative thinking, resilience and curiosity also ranked high.

In practice, almost all of today’s in demand jobs reward the same few habits. You need to communicate clearly with people who are stressed or confused. You need to read data without getting fooled by it. And you need to use AI tools well: writing good prompts, checking outputs, and knowing what never to paste into a chatbot, such as patient data. That last skill is often what separates two otherwise equal candidates. We’ve collected the specific AI skills to add to your resume. For a longer-term view, see our jobs of the future 2030 roundup.

How to move into an in-demand job in 6–12 months

First, an honest note. You won’t become an NP or a data scientist in a year. You can, however, land an entry-level job in one of these in demand careers and start moving up. Here’s a plan that works for most people.

Month 1: pick a lane

Use the table above and the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Choose based on how long you can afford to train, not on which job pays most. Talk to two people already doing the job. A coffee chat will tell you more than ten articles.

Months 1–3: start the credential that gates entry

That might be a medical assistant certificate, an apprenticeship application, Security+ study, or an SQL course. Learn practical AI tools alongside it, because they now show up in nearly every field above. Our guide to the best AI certifications can help you choose.

Months 3–6: build proof

Proof looks different in each field: clinical hours, a GitHub portfolio, a few small electrical jobs under supervision, a documented process improvement at your current job. Employers trust evidence more than intentions.

Months 6–12: apply in the right places, then keep leveling up

Target employers that train people on the job: hospital systems, utilities, unions. Reframe your past experience in the language of the new field. Our guide on how to change careers with no experience covers that part step by step.

Ready to stand out in a growing field?

In almost every in-demand field, the people who use AI tools well get the better roles. That skill takes weeks to learn, not years.

Coursiv’s 28-Day AI Certificate Program teaches practical AI skills in short daily lessons. The AI Mastery Certificate Program is CPD-accredited. More than 3 million subscriptions have been purchased, and over 700,000 certificates have been issued. It won’t hand you a job, and nothing honestly can. It will give you a skill hiring managers across all 25 fields above are looking for. See the AI Certificate Program.

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