Jobs Expected to Grow by 2030, With the Forecasts Explained
Health, care, technology, data, security, green-energy and selected management roles appear repeatedly, but the forecasts answer different questions.
- Published
- 25 July 2026
- Reviewed
- 25 July 2026
- Next review
- 25 October 2026
- Reading time
- 9 minutes
On this page
Answer First
The practical answer
Occupations linked to health and care demand, data and software, cyber security, renewable energy and infrastructure, and selected professional and management services are expected to grow in major forecasts. Do not read that as a guaranteed route into a good job. WEF forecasts global net changes to 2030, while the current US BLS projections cover 2024 to 2034. Growth rate, number of openings, pay, entry requirements and local demand can point in different directions.
Who This Affects
Use this guide if any of these describe you
- Mid-career professionals considering a resilient direction
- Career changers comparing training options
- Workers evaluating forecasts about their occupation
- Managers planning capability and recruitment
Evidence Strength
ModerateEditorial format
Change TrackerPortfolio role
Change trackerKey takeaways
- A fast growth percentage can start from a small employment base.
- Replacement openings can matter more than net growth for actual opportunity.
- Use the forecast for your country, occupation code and time horizon before acting.
Where growth signals repeat
Current BLS projections show fast percentage growth in roles including wind turbine service, solar installation, nurse practitioners, data science and information security. Its largest-new-jobs list also includes care, software, nursing and general operations roles.
WEF's employer survey points to growth in technology, care, education, green-transition and delivery-related roles through 2030. Agreement on a broad theme raises confidence, but country demand and occupational definitions still differ.
Read four numbers, not one ranking
Check percentage growth, net new jobs, annual openings and current employment base. Then add pay distribution, qualification route and geography. A large occupation growing steadily may create more openings than a tiny occupation with a dramatic percentage.
Replacement openings arise when people retire or change occupations. They can create opportunity even when total employment barely grows.
Understand the forecast limits
BLS projections assume a model of the US economy and explicitly do not predict business cycles or every technology shock. WEF is a survey of employers across countries and industries. ILO exposure estimates describe tasks that generative AI could affect, not a headcount forecast.
For 2030, avoid splicing a 2034 percentage into a precise 2030 claim. Use direction and revisit each annual release.
Turn a forecast into a career test
Shortlist occupations that use your existing domain knowledge, then inspect actual tasks, local adverts and entry requirements. Speak with people doing the work and test a representative task before paying for long training.
Resilience is not only occupation growth. Employment concentration, physical demands, licensing, schedule, automation exposure and job quality all matter.
Related profession guidance
See how this reaches the work you do
Sources
Read the evidence behind this guide
- Official statistics2024 to 2034 projections, released 28 August 2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fastest Growing Occupations
- Primary report7 January 2025World Economic Forum: The Future of Jobs Report 2025
A global employer survey and forecast, not a guarantee about an individual job.
- Original research20 May 2025International Labour Organization: Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure
- Primary report11 July 2023Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: OECD Employment Outlook 2023: Artificial Intelligence and the Labour Market
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