The Fastest-Growing Jobs in Every State

Americans have a penchant for finding jobs wherever they might be, training for new careers and helping to grow expanding fields.

This versatility is evident in a recent SmartAsset analysis of the fastest-growing jobs in America.

The financial technology company examined employment data for 2014 through 2018, the most recent years for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics has released data, to determine the fastest-growing job in each state.

These jobs represent a diverse array — including bailiff, orderly, actor and biophysicist, just to name a few.

Click through our slideshow on SmartAsset’s findings, and perhaps you will be inspired to switch career gears.

Alabama

Fastest-growing job in the state: Molding, coremaking and casting machine setters, operators and tenders (metal and plastic)

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 174%

This line of work brings in a median hourly wage of $15.13, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS said there were 164,110 workers in this field nationwide as of May 2018.

Alaska

Fastest-growing job in the state: Industrial production managers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 129%

The largest segment of industrial production managers are emloyed in the transportation equipment manufacturing industry and the fabricated metal product manufacturing industry.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the median pay for this job is $49.70 per hour and $103,380 per year.

Arizona

Fastest-growing job in the state: Multiple machine tool setters, operators and tenders (metal and plastic)

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 503%

The SmartAsset job growth analysis called the expansion of these jobs in Arizona “the most impressive growth” among production occupations, the job category that led the way in seven states overall. Arizona had 300 workers in this field in 2014 and 1,810 in 2018, according to SmartAsset.

Arkansas

Fastest-growing job in the state: Statisticians

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 171%

Statisticians ply their trade for scientific research, the federal government and medical facilities. They earned a median wage of $42.20 per hour and $87,780 per year as of 2018, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

California

Fastest-growing job in the state: Personal care aides

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 460%

SmartAsset says this is the second-fastest-growing job in the country, growing by nearly 1 million jobs in the five-year period that SmartAsset analyzed for its study.

Personal care aides work with the elderly, convalescents and people with disabilities, helping them with daily living activities such as housekeeping and preparing meals.

Colorado

Fastest-growing job in the state: Computer and information research scientists

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 182%

These folks earn a relatively high wage — almost $60 per hour and $124,000 per year, on average. They mainly work in the federal government, on computer systems design and in scientific research and development.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 16% national rise in jobs in this field from 2018 to 2028.

Connecticut

Fastest-growing job in the state: Electrical and electronics repairers (powerhouse, substation and relay)

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 130%

These folks work on equipment such as industrial controls, transmitters, and antennas. They make an average wage of $28.47 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The states with the highest concentration of these workers are power-hungry California, Texas, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Delaware

Fastest-growing job in the state: Information security analysts

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 142%

These vital workers protect computer networks, help safeguard digital files and are first responders in case of security breaches and viruses.

Be your own security analyst by checking out Money Talks News’ article on “7 Retailers That Offer Extra Security to Online Shoppers” to protect yourself and your data from hackers.

District of Columbia

Fastest-growing job in the district: Transportation attendants (except flight attendants)

Job growth rate in the district from 2014 to 2018: 550%

Attendants help travelers on ships, buses and trains. They also work inside stations and terminals, serving meals, demonstrating safety equipment and answering travel questions.

Median pay for this work helping travelers on their journeys is less than $13 per hour.

Florida

Fastest-growing job in the state: Conservation scientists

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 386%

These workers are in demand in a world increasingly concerned about the environment and climate change.

Conservation scientists are among “8 High-Paying Eco-Friendly Jobs.” Their median salary is $61,310 per year, the BLS says.

Georgia

Fastest-growing job in the state: Audio-visual and multimedia collections specialists

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 686%

These workers are found mostly in schools at all levels, museums and historical sites. They earn a median wage of around $24 per hour.

Georgia and California are the states with the highest number of these workers, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hawaii

Fastest-growing job in the state: Orderlies

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 217%

It’s not high-paying work — the median wage being $13.49 per hour — but hospitals and other medical facilities would struggle without them.

Orderlies are primarily responsible for transporting patients for surgery or X-rays, restocking supplies and cleaning.

Idaho

Fastest-growing job in the state: Graduate teaching assistants

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 338%

SmartAsset found there were 570 graduate teaching assistants in the Gem State as of 2018, up from just 130 in 2014.

That 570 is just a drop in the bucket of the 131,490 positions nationwide. More than half of those jobs are in California, Florida, Michigan, New York and Texas.

Illinois

Fastest-growing job in the state: Bailiffs

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 278%

These law enforcement officers, in addition to providing security inside the courtroom, do myriad other duties such as assisting judges, guarding juries and delivering court documents.

Bailiffs must complete several months of training at an academy.

Indiana

Fastest-growing job in the state: Engine and other machine assemblers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 127%

The vast majority of these workers nationally are located in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says.

Their median hourly wage is $21.34.

Iowa

Fastest-growing job in the state: Adult basic and secondary education and literacy teachers and instructors

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 220%

These educators are a great help and hope for people who have dropped out of high school and adults from foreign lands who are learning English.

The pay isn’t great — a median hourly wage of $25.79 — but the rewards of teaching are invaluable to many.

Kansas

Fastest-growing job in the state: Physics teachers (postsecondary)

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 175%

The demand for post-secondary physics teachers in Kansas grew from 40 positions in 2014 to 110 jobs in 2018.

If you want to learn a bit about this important subject matter no matter where you live, you can take advantage of Open Yale Courses, which include Fundamentals of Physics I and II — at no cost. Several other universities offer freshman-level classes free to the public.

Kentucky

Fastest-growing job in the state: Camera operators (TV, video and motion picture)

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 182%

Get paid to work in movies and television? Not bad.

A bachelor’s degree is typically required to land this occupation, which paid a median salary of $58,990 in 2018.

Louisiana

Fastest-growing job in the state: Occupational health and safety technicians

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 253%

These folks, who make sure that safety, health and environmental regulations are being followed at workplaces, among other tasks, earn a median yearly salary of nearly $70,000 and a median hourly wage of $33.35.

Nearly half of these jobs are in government, manufacturing and construction.

Maine

Fastest-growing job in the state: Biochemists and biophysicists

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 130%

Get a Ph.D. in biochemistry with a background in engineering, and you could be on your way to earning big money in the growing cannabis industry, says this CNN report about a national trend that’s spread to the Pine Tree State.

Recreational use of marijuana is legal in Maine.

Maryland

Fastest-growing job in the state: Food scientists and technologists

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 511%

Are some foods naturally healthy? How can we make processed and packaged food safe? Those are the tasks for folks in this profession, which pays a median wage of about $31 per hour.

While this is a growing field in Maryland, the states with the largest numbers of these jobs are California and New Jersey.

Massachusetts

Fastest-growing job in the state: Traffic technicians

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 460%

The traffic light is a device that’s more than 150 years old, invented to bring order and safety out of the chaos of crowded roads.

With more than 1,000 people dying each year on London’s horse-and-buggy-clogged streets, the world’s first traffic light, a gas-powered one, was installed in that city in 1868, at an intersection near Parliament.

Traffic technicians work with traffic engineers, carrying out studies to measure the volume and speed of traffic, the effectiveness of signals and other factors influencing traffic conditions, the BLS says.

Michigan

Fastest-growing job in the state: Transportation attendants, except flight attendants

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 271%

These workers help people on ships, buses and trains, and also inside stations and terminals. Among their tasks: serving meals, showing how to use safety equipment and answering travel questions. Median pay for this job giving travelers a hand is less than $13 per hour.

Minnesota

Fastest-growing job in the state: Epidemiologists

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 188%

These disease detectives work in a variety of settings — labs, health departments, hospitals, colleges and universities — investigating causes and patterns of human diseases and injuries.

To become one, you will likely need at least a master’s degree. The median annual salary is $69,660.

Mississippi

Fastest-growing job in the state: Food batchmakers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 173%

These workers in the culinary field install and operate equipment used in food manufacturing. Their ranks include folks who crank out big batches of candy and cheese.

The chance to snack on yummy products is unlikely to compensate for the $14.29 per hour median wage.

Missouri

Fastest-growing job in the state: Real estate brokers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 309%

Before you relocate to the Show-Me State to become a real estate broker, check out our list of “The 15 Best Cities to Be a Real Estate Agent.”

The cities of Seattle, Salem and San Francisco top the survey with the best markets for agents these days.

Montana

Fastest-growing job in the state: Environmental engineers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 119%

This important job — it includes doing facility inspections, contamination cleanup and much more — pays a salary of about $87,620, as we report in “8 High-Paying Eco-Friendly Jobs.”

Nebraska

Fastest-growing job in the state: Parking lot attendants

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 490%

Plopping your vehicle onto a slab of asphalt or concrete isn’t as simple as you might imagine. The industry includes a National Parking Association, with its own magazine and annual convention.

The NPA explores the latest tech and market trends salient to its members. Whoever said parking was simple?

Nevada

Fastest-growing job in the state: Psychiatric technicians

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 410%

This occupation is one of the 25 most stressful jobs in America.

These workers need unlimited patience and compassion, as their work involves helping people cope with mental health issues such as psychosis or dementia.

New Hampshire

Fastest-growing job in the state: Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating and still machine setters, operators and tenders

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 188%

Try putting this job title on a resume. These technicians work with machines to “extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids” from other materials to create a refined product, according to the BLS.

Main industries for these workers include the manufacturing of beverages, dairy products, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

New Jersey

Fastest-growing job in the state: Aerospace engineers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 384%

Aerospace studies was one of the “25 Most Lucrative College Majors of 2019.”

With a bachelor’s degree, you stand to reach a median annual salary of nearly $130,000 for designing and testing aircraft and spacecraft.

New Mexico

Fastest-growing job in the state: Occupational health and safety technicians

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 260%

These folks, who make sure safety, health and environmental regulations are being followed at workplaces, earn a median yearly salary of nearly $70,000 and a median hourly wage of $33.35.

Nearly half of them work in government, manufacturing and construction.

New York

Fastest-growing job in the state: Financial examiners

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 190%

These workers are tasked with making sure financial institutions and transactions are in compliance with the law.

They mainly are employed in the credit and securities industries and government.

North Carolina

Fastest-growing job in the state: Financial examiners

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 223%

These workers are tasked with making sure financial institutions and transactions are in compliance with the law.

They mainly are employed in the credit and securities industries and government.

North Dakota

Fastest-growing job in the state: Property, real estate and community association managers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 179%

Property management is included in Money Talks News’ report on “25 Hobbies You Can Turn Into a Business.”

You need to be able to fix things, keep the grounds looking good and pick out the solid renters from the shaky ones.

Ohio

Fastest-growing job in the state: Community health workers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 234%

These tireless works are paid about $19 per hour. The service they give to their communities is invaluable.

They do outreach, provide social support, advocacy and administer blood pressure screening and first aid, among other jobs.

Oklahoma

Fastest-growing job in the state: Psychiatric aides

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 455%

This challenging occupation includes psychiatric orderlies and might involve restraining violent patients.

Other more mundane duties can include leading recreational activities, transporting patients to exams and treatments and assisting with day-to-day activities.

Oregon

Fastest-growing job in the state: Real estate brokers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 134%

Before you relocate to the Beaver State to become a real estate broker, check out our list of “The 15 Best Cities to Be a Real Estate Agent.”

Seattle, Salem and San Francisco top that ranking as the best markets for agents these days.

Pennsylvania

Fastest-growing job in the state: Bailiffs

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 243%

In addition to providing security inside the courtroom, these law enforcement officers do myriad other duties such as assisting judges, guarding juries and delivering court documents.

Bailiffs must complete several months of training at an academy.

Rhode Island

Fastest-growing job in the state: Credit analysts

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 270%

These analysts determine how risky an individual or commercial borrower is and provide reports to help with decision-making on lending money or extending credit.

They are employed mainly in the credit intermediation industry. The median annual wage is $71,520.

South Carolina

Fastest-growing job in the state: Occupational health and safety technicians

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 185%

These folks make sure that safety, health and environmental regulations are being followed at workplaces, among other tasks. For their efforts, they earn a median salary of nearly $70,000 and a median hourly wage of $33.35.

Nearly half of these jobs are in government, manufacturing and construction.

South Dakota

Fastest-growing job in the state: Software developers (system software)

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 187%

Median pay for this gig is in the six figures. People are flocking to this profession, which typically requires only a bachelor’s degree, in addition to a passion for all things code.

There were 1.37 million software developer jobs as of 2018.

Tennessee

Fastest-growing job in the state: Forging machine setters, operators and tenders (metal and plastic)

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 283%

These jobs operating forging machines that shape, taper or form parts from plastic or metal pay less than $19 per hour.

Tennessee, Indiana and Texas lead the way as the main states for employment in this field.

Texas

Fastest-growing job in the state: Grader and sorters (agricultural products)

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 172%

Crop production and animal slaughter are the main industries employing these workers.

They earn a median hourly wage of $11.75.

Utah

Fastest-growing job in the state: Graduate teaching assistants

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 328%

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says there were 2,140 graduate teaching assistants in the Beehive State as of May 2018, a big jump from the 500 in that job in 2014 but just a drop in the bucket of the 131,490 positions nationwide.

More than half of these positions are located in California, Florida, Michigan, New York and Texas.

Vermont

Fastest-growing job in the state: Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 158%

The metro areas in and surrounding New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., had the highest employment levels for these workers.

Mail clerks and mail machine operators earn a median wage of about $15 per hour for tasks including time stamping, sorting, routing, sealing, folding and stuffing.

Virginia

Fastest-growing job in the state: Actors

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 177%

The Old Dominion apparently is a great place to be a thespian, although the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts only a 1% growth in acting jobs nationally, from 2018 to 2028.

These actors, however, aren’t earning marquee movie-star salaries. Actors earn a median hourly wage of $17.54 per hour, working in various settings including production studios, theaters and theme parks, or on location.

Washington

Fastest-growing job in the state: Fashion designers

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 317%

Nationally, there were 25,800 fashion designer jobs as of 2018. The median pay is $72,720.

Fashion designers typically use computer software programs to help design their ideas for clothing and shoes.

West Virginia

Fastest-growing job in the state: Civil engineering technicians

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 210%

An associate’s degree is typically required for this job, which entails assisting civil engineers to plan, design and build infrastructural projects such as bridges and highways and residential and commercial developments.

Technicians might consider taking the next step: Becoming a civil engineer is one of the most lucrative college majors.

Wisconsin

Fastest-growing job in the state: Food and tobacco roasting, baking and drying machine operators and tenders

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 458%

Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing share the second-highest level of employment for this job.

Workers earn a median hourly wage of $14.14 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Wyoming

Fastest-growing job in the state: Insurance claims and policy processing clerks

Job growth rate in the state from 2014 to 2018: 146%

Although this insurance industry work is the fastest-growing occupation in Wyoming, the highest employment numbers for this job are found in the Los Angeles, Dallas and the New York metro areas.

The work includes processing new policies and making changes to existing policies and claim forms.