Of the 250 jobs that met our criteria for this book, this list shows the 100 jobs that are projected to have the largest number of job openings per year. They are ordered by the number of openings, so look to the top of the list for the occupations that will have the most job openings. Occupations that have equal figures for job openings are ordered alphabetically, but note that in some cases the figures are equal because two closely related occupations share the figure. We indicate all such occupations here in a footnote and list them one atop the other. If you are interested in job 99 or 100, you may also want to consider three related jobs-Program Directors, Talent Directors, and Technical Directors/Managers-that share economic data with 99 and 100 but had to be kept off this list to keep the number to 100.
Jobs with many openings present several advantages. Because there are many openings, these jobs can be easier to obtain. If part-time work is your goal, the odds of achieving that work arrangement are better when there are more openings. Although some occupations with many openings have low pay, all the jobs listed below met the criteria for this book and therefore have average earnings of at least $46,300.
It is interesting to note that high technology does not play a large role among most of the top 20 jobs on this list. Therefore it is not really true that nowadays you must master hightech skills to be employable. In fact, most of these jobs have so many openings precisely because they require hands-on work and workers cannot be replaced by technology. Most of these jobs also require on-site work, sometimes in-person work, and therefore cannot be outsourced to overseas workers.
| The 100 Best-Paying Jobs with the Most Openings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Teachers, Postsecondary | $55,100 | 32.2% | 329,000 |
| 2. Registered Nurses | $54,670 | 29.4% | 229,000 |
| 3. General and Operations Managers | $81,480 | 17.0% | 208,000 |
| 4. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $47,380 | 12.9% | 169,000 |
| 5. Accountants | $52,210 | 22.4% | 157,000 |
| 6. Auditors | $52,210 | 22.4% | 157,000 |
| 7. Management Analysts | $66,380 | 20.1% | 82,000 |
| 8. Financial Managers, Branch or Department | $86,280 | 14.8% | 63,000 |
| 9. Treasurers, Controllers, and Chief Financial Officers | $86,280 | 14.8% | 63,000 |
| 10. First-Line Supervisors and Manager/Supervisors- Construction Trades Workers | $51,970 | 10.9% | 57,000 |
| 11. First-Line Supervisors and Manager/Supervisors- Extractive Workers | $51,970 | 10.9% | 57,000 |
| 12. Computer Systems Analysts | $68,300 | 31.4% | 56,000 |
| 13. Computer Software Engineers, Applications | $77,090 | 48.4% | 54,000 |
| 14. Sales Representatives, Agricultural | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 15. Sales Representatives, Chemical and Pharmaceutical | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 16. Sales Representatives, Electrical/Electronic | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 17. Sales Representatives, Instruments | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 18. Sales Representatives, Mechanical Equipment and Supplies | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 19. Sales Representatives, Medical | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 20. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts | $61,750 | 54.6% | 43,000 |
| 21. Anesthesiologists | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 22. Family and General Practitioners | $140,400 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 23. Internists, General | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 24. Obstetricians and Gynecologists | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 25. Pediatricians, General | $136,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 26. Psychiatrists | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 27. Surgeons | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 28. Lawyers | $98,930 | 15.0% | 40,000 |
| 29. Sales Managers | $87,580 | 19.7% | 40,000 |
| 30. Chief Executives | $142,440 | 14.9% | 38,000 |
| 31. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $61,970 | 1.9% | 38,000 |
| 32. Government Service Executives | $142,440 | 14.9% | 38,000 |
| 33. Private Sector Executives | $142,440 | 14.9% | 38,000 |
| 34. Loan Officers | $49,440 | 8.3% | 38,000 |
| 35. Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software | $82,120 | 43.0% | 37,000 |
| 36. Sales Agents, Financial Services | $67,130 | 11.5% | 37,000 |
| 37. Sales Agents, Securities and Commodities | $67,130 | 11.5% | 37,000 |
| 38. Computer Security Specialists | $59,930 | 38.4% | 34,000 |
| 39. Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $59,930 | 38.4% | 34,000 |
| 40. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $51,980 | 12.4% | 33,000 |
| 41. Medical and Health Services Managers | $69,700 | 22.8% | 33,000 |
| 42. Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors | $46,440 | 14.8% | 32,000 |
| 43. Computer Programmers | $63,420 | 2.0% | 28,000 |
| 44. Construction Managers | $72,260 | 10.4% | 28,000 |
| 45. Financial Analysts | $63,860 | 17.3% | 28,000 |
| 46. Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School | $75,400 | 10.4% | 27,000 |
| 47. Administrative Services Managers | $64,020 | 16.9% | 25,000 |
| 48. Computer and Information Systems Managers | $96,520 | 25.9% | 25,000 |
| 49. Marketing Managers | $92,680 | 20.8% | 23,000 |
| 50. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators | $47,530 | 15.3% | 22,000 |
| 51. Central Office and PBX Installers and Repairers | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 52. Communication Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 53. Frame Wirers, Central Office | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 54. Station Installers and Repairers, Telephone | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 55. Telecommunications Facility Examiners | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 56. Agricultural Crop Farm Managers | $51,160 | 4.0% | 20,000 |
| 57. Fish Hatchery Managers | $51,160 | 4.0% | 20,000 |
| 58. Nursery and Greenhouse Managers | $51,160 | 4.0% | 20,000 |
| 59. Market Research Analysts | $57,300 | 19.6% | 20,000 |
| 60. Civil Engineers | $66,190 | 16.5% | 19,000 |
| 61. Postal Service Mail Carriers | $46,330 | 0.0% | 19,000 |
| 62. Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products | $49,030 | 8.1% | 19,000 |
| 63. Calibration and Instrumentation Technicians | $48,040 | 9.8% | 18,000 |
| 64. Electrical Engineering Technicians | $48,040 | 9.8% | 18,000 |
| 65. Electronics Engineering Technicians | $48,040 | 9.8% | 18,000 |
| 66. Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $70,350 | 21.3% | 18,000 |
| 67. Coroners | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 68. Environmental Compliance Inspectors | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 69. Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 70. Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 71. Licensing Examiners and Inspectors | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 72. Pressure Vessel Inspectors | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 73. Dental Hygienists | $60,890 | 43.3% | 17,000 |
| 74. Personal Financial Advisors | $63,500 | 25.9% | 17,000 |
| 75. Social and Community Service Managers | $49,500 | 25.5% | 17,000 |
| 76. Pharmacists | $89,820 | 24.6% | 16,000 |
| 77. Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | $48,870 | 20.4% | 15,000 |
| 78. Cost Estimators | $52,020 | 18.2% | 15,000 |
| 79. Engineering Managers | $100,760 | 13.0% | 15,000 |
| 80. Instructional Coordinators | $50,430 | 27.5% | 15,000 |
| 81. Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $61,730 | 34.1% | 15,000 |
| 82. Storage and Distribution Managers | $69,120 | 12.7% | 15,000 |
| 83. Transportation Managers | $69,120 | 12.7% | 15,000 |
| 84. Caption Writers | $46,420 | 17.7% | 14,000 |
| 85. Copy Writers | $46,420 | 17.7% | 14,000 |
| 86. Creative Writers | $46,420 | 17.7% | 14,000 |
| 87. Poets and Lyricists | $46,420 | 17.7% | 14,000 |
| 88. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | $47,710 | 20.5% | 14,000 |
| 89. Multi-Media Artists and Animators | $50,290 | 14.1% | 14,000 |
| 90. Industrial Engineers | $66,670 | 16.0% | 13,000 |
| 91. Industrial Production Managers | $75,580 | 0.8% | 13,000 |
| 92. Insurance Underwriters | $51,270 | 8.0% | 13,000 |
| 93. Physical Therapists | $63,080 | 36.7% | 13,000 |
| 94. Electrical Engineers | $73,510 | 11.8% | 12,000 |
| 95. Real Estate Brokers | $57,190 | 7.8% | 12,000 |
| 96. Aircraft Body and Bonded Structure Repairers | $47,310 | 13.4% | 11,000 |
| 97. Aircraft Engine Specialists | $47,310 | 13.4% | 11,000 |
| 98. Airframe-and-Power-Plant Mechanics | $47,310 | 13.4% | 11,000 |
| 99. Directors-Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio | $53,860 | 16.6% | 11,000 |
| 100. Producers | $53,860 | 16.6% | 11,000 |
Jobs 5 and 6 share 157,000 job openings. Jobs 10 and 11 share 57,000 job openings. Jobs 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 share 47,000 job openings. Jobs 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 share 41,000 job openings. Jobs 30, 32, and 33 share 38,000 job openings. Jobs 36 and 37 share 37,000 job openings. Jobs 38 and 39 share 34,000 job openings. Jobs 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 share 21,000 job openings. Jobs 56, 57, and 58 share 20,000 job openings. Jobs 63, 64, and 65 share 18,000 job openings. Jobs 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72 share 17,000 job openings with each other and with another job not included in this list. Jobs 82 and 83 share 15,000 job openings. Jobs 84, 85, 86, and 87 share 14,000 job openings. Jobs 96, 97, and 98 share 11,000 job openings. Jobs 99 and 100 share 11,000 with each other and with three other jobs not included in this list.