Find out what jobs pay and what it takes to qualify.

Job outlook: where U.S. jobs are projected to grow

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the economy will add 5.9 million jobs from 2025 to 2035, growing total employment from about 170.3 million to 176.2 million (3.5%). Growth is not even across fields. Healthcare support is projected to grow fastest among major occupational groups (+13.3%), followed by healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (+8.0%); together these two groups account for close to a third of all new jobs through 2035. Computer and mathematical occupations rank fifth (+7.3%), driven largely by AI-related roles. Among individual occupations, nurse practitioners (+41%) and data scientists (+34.6%) are projected to grow fastest.

These are national projections, not a guarantee for any specific job or location. Once a role catches your interest, check current pay and openings in your own area using a wage-lookup tool, since both can differ a great deal by region.

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035 news release and Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Pay: how to find out what a job pays near you

A posted salary range or hourly rate is easier to judge once you can compare it with your local market. CareerOneStop's wage-lookup tool, built on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, breaks pay down by occupation and by state or metro area, which can differ substantially from a national median. Checking the local figure before accepting, or before deciding whether a posted range looks fair, is a reasonable step regardless of the role.

Source: CareerOneStop wage tools, built on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Skills and training

Comparing credential paths side by side — how long each takes, what it costs, and what it leads to — is covered in the Skills & Training guide, including where a paid Registered Apprenticeship fits.

Career change: using experience you already have

Moving fields doesn’t always mean starting over. Start by listing what you actually did in past roles — the tasks, tools, and outcomes, not just job titles — and compare that list against postings in the field you’re considering. Many roles share transferable skills (scheduling, customer communication, basic data work, project coordination) even when the job titles look unrelated. Where a gap remains, the Skills & Training guide covers common ways to close it.

Job search safety: how to spot a fake remote job listing

Fake and "ghost" postings are common enough that most job seekers now say they encounter one. A few checks reduce the risk before you spend time on an application:

• Look up the role on the employer’s own careers page, not just the board where you found it. A real opening is usually listed in both places.
• Treat any request for payment — a fee, a "starter kit," training costs, or a check to deposit and partly send back — as a stop sign. Legitimate employers do not charge applicants.
• Be cautious about sharing a Social Security number, bank details, or a copy of an ID before an offer is made in writing from a named, verifiable employer.
• Be skeptical of contact that happens only through a messaging app rather than a company email address or phone line.

Source: Federal Trade Commission job-scam consumer guidance.