What Will the US Job Market Look Like in the Future?
The job market is constantly growing and evolving, with rapid advances in technology shaping the job search for prospective employees and shifting work patterns creating exciting new roles and ways of working. But what will the job market look like in five years’ time?
Using our internal job click data and Google searches over the last two years, we’ve looked into the current trends in the demand for jobs to find out which are booming right now, which are on the up, and what the future might hold for these roles.
The State of the Current Job Market
The Most In-Demand Job Categories in the US 
The US job market has grown rapidly recently, with job creation even outpacing official projections and offering plenty of opportunities for people looking for work. Using our internal data, we’ve taken a look at the most popular job categories for those seeking employment in the US over the last three months.
-
Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
4.7 million job clicks
Healthcare is a rapidly expanding industry in the US, with demand for jobs in this field skyrocketing thanks to the Affordable Care Act making medical care easier to access for millions of Americans.
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners, including doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals take the top spot as the most popular job category in the US with over 4.7 million clicks.
Health Practitioner Openings Across the US
The chart displays the current number of job postings for Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners in each state, emphasizing which state has the highest demand for these professionals. If you are searching for a job in the health industry, use this chart to understand the evolving landscape of the healthcare employment sector.
-
Computer Occupations
3.1 million job clicks
Up next are computer occupations, with roles ranging from software and app developers to computer forensics and data analysis bringing in 3.1 million job clicks over the last three months of 2022. With work shifting increasingly online, computer occupations are vital for many industries to run smoothly, creating a high demand for tech-savvy workers.
IT Openings Across the US
The chart displays the current number of job postings for computed-related occupations in each state, emphasizing which state has the highest demand for these professionals. If you are searching for a job in the IT industry, use this chart to understand the evolving landscape of the technology employment sector.
-
Motor Vehicle Operators
2.4 million job clicks
Taking third place are motor vehicle operators. Responsible for transporting materials and products around the country, motor vehicle operators are essential to the US economy, so it’s no surprise this job category racked up 2.4 million clicks from October to December 2022.
Motor Vehicles Operators Openings Across the US
The chart displays the current number of job postings for motor vehicle-related occupations in each state, emphasizing which state has the highest demand for these professionals. If you are searching for a job in the mobilization industry, use this chart to understand the evolving landscape of this employment sector.
The Most Searched-for Jobs in the US
-
Teacher
196% increase in searches 2021-2022
Teachers take the top spot as the most searched-for job in the US, with searches nearly doubling over the last two years. The country is currently facing high demand for teachers as many are leaving the profession thanks to low pay and stressful working conditions.
-
Flood Risk Engineer
167% increase in searches 2021-2022
Taking second place are flood risk engineers, who use their engineering expertise to help decrease the risk of flooding in towns and cities. Searches for this job have seen a 167% increase thanks to increased infrastructure spending from the government boosting job openings.
-
Customer Service Associate
134% increase in searches 2021-2022
In third place are customer service associates. Employed in nearly every industry, customer service associates provide assistance and answer any questions a customer may have about a product or service. Searches for this occupation have risen by 134% since 2021.
The Most Searched-for Industries in the US
-
Engineering
200% increase in searches 2021-2022
Engineering takes the top spot as the most popular industry with job searches doubling over the last two years. Demand for jobs in the engineering industry has risen in The US as it faces an infrastructure crisis along with a shortage of newly-qualified engineers.
-
Repair and Maintenance
131% increase in searches 2021-2022
Taking second place as the most popular industry for job searches in The US is repair and maintenance. Searches rose by more than 130% between 2021 and 2022. Industries like manufacturing rely on this sector to keep their equipment performing reliably and manage machines efficiently and with manufacturing production booming in the US, jobs in the repair and maintenance industry are in high demand.
-
Crop Production
50% increase in searches 2021-2022
Up next is crop production with interest in this agricultural sector rising by 50% over the last two years. The US is a leading global player in this industry, and demand for highly skilled college graduates in the industry is booming as the sector embraces new technologies.
The Most Searched-for Jobs across the Globe
-
Software Quality Assurance Analyst
155% increase in searches 2021-2022
Taking the top spot is software quality assurance analysts, who test software to make sure it’s free of bugs. Searches for job vacancies in this field rose by 155% between 2021 and 2022 thanks to the ever-expanding tech industry creating high demand.
-
Solar Consultant
106% increase in searches 2021-2022
With more and more people concerned about the impact of their everyday lives on the environment, the job market in the renewable energy sector has expanded rapidly over recent years. So it’s no surprise solar consultants, who provide sales and support for solar energy systems take second place with a 106% increase in job searches between 2021 and 2022.
-
Customer Service Associate
67% increase in searches 2021-2022
Customer service associates take third place with a 67% increase in searches globally. Demand for customer-facing roles is growing as many companies are shifting away from product innovation and focusing on customer satisfaction to grow their businesses in the face of a volatile global economy.
Most Searched-for Industries across the Globe
-
Administrative and Support Services
63% increase in searches 2021-2022
Administrative and support services take the top spot as the world’s most in-demand industry. This business sector supports the day-to-day functioning of other organizations with tasks like data processing, which allows management to concentrate on growing their business. Global searches for jobs in this industry have risen by 63% over the last two years.
-
Repair and Maintenance
62% increase in searches 2021-2022
Up next is the repair and maintenance industry, which deals with automotive and electronic repairs. Business in this industry is booming particularly in the manufacturing sector, as it helps cut down on operational expenses. The industry takes second place with a 62% increase in job searches between 2021 and 2022.
-
Wholesale Trade
46% increase in searches 2021-2022
Taking third place is the wholesale trade, with demand for jobs in the industry rising by 46% over the last two years. This vital step between manufacturers and retailers has seen increased demand for jobs over the past two years thanks to wholesale companies rearranging their business operations in the wake of supply chain disruptions.
Predictions for the Future of Work
Having considered today’s job market trends, we’ve gathered a list of some of the newest jobs and industries to predict what the job market will look like in five years’ time.
The US’s Most Searched-for Jobs in Five Years
Rapid advances in technology are constantly shaping the world of work. For example, more and more information is held on servers as offices are moving away from hard drive storage, so more roles will need to be created to deal with this new information infrastructure. But what do these technological changes mean for the future of work in the US?
We’ve put together a list of new and emerging jobs to find out which will have the best career prospects over the next five years, based on current search data.
-
Data Broker
227% increase in searches 2021-2022
Data brokers have the sharpest rise in job searches, increasing by 227% between 2021 and 2022. As the amount of data people produce will grow exponentially in the next five years, data brokers will become a popular way to facilitate deals between data companies and buyers looking to leverage this detailed data.
-
Cloud Engineer
102% increase in searches 2021-2022
As more and more businesses adopt cloud computing as an essential part of their operations, cloud engineers will become increasingly in demand to plan, design and manage these systems. Searches for cloud engineer jobs have already doubled over the last two years.
-
Customer Experience Specialist
100% increase in searches 2021-2022
This rapidly evolving field provides companies with solutions for improving their customer’s experiences at every touchpoint. Although advances in AI have diminished aspects of this job, making it easier to tailor customer experiences, customer experience specialists are still needed to implement this technology effectively. The job will become increasingly important over the next five years, as businesses become more customer-centric, and job searches have already doubled year-on-year.
The Most Searched-for Jobs in Five Years across the Globe
Technology is readily becoming integral to every aspect of everyday life, and with phones and wearables collecting even the tiniest details, we will soon generate huge amounts of data. Consequently, new roles that collect and interpret this data will spring up in the future. But how will this rapid adoption of new technology impact the work of work across the globe?
Using current job market trends, we’ve analyzed new and emerging jobs that we predict will see the biggest increase in interest from prospective workers over the next five years in response to this rapid adoption of new technologies.
-
Data Broker
168% increase in searches 2021-2022
Data brokers, who collect, analyze, and license user data to companies take the top spot as the fastest-growing job over the next five years, with demand increasing by 168%. Demand for data brokers will rise as companies look for big tech solutions to hone their targeted marketing and advertising by accessing detailed consumer data.
-
Customer Experience Specialist
100% increase in searches 2021-2022
With searches for job openings in this occupation doubling year-on-year, customer experience specialists will be one of the most in-demand jobs in 2028. The role will become more important as shopping moves increasingly online, with companies constantly honing their digital experience.
-
Cloud Engineer
89% increase in searches 2021-2022
Business in the cloud computing industry is booming, and as it becomes an even more essential part of IT infrastructure, so will the demand for jobs in the sector. So it’s no surprise cloud engineers will become one of the top jobs in the next five years, with demand already increasing by 89% since 2021.
The US’s Most Searched-for Industries in Five Years
-
Cloud Computing
80% increase in searches 2021-2022
Taking the top spot is cloud computing, with searches for roles in the sector already increasing by 80% since 2021. The sector will continue to grow in the next five years as it incorporates AI and machine learning, offering businesses more efficient solutions.
-
Cyber Security
62% increase in searches 2021-2022
With the internet already used for a range of business tasks so that require collecting and storing sensitive information, the cyber security industry will flourish in the next five years as digital threats become more sophisticated. The industry is one of the fastest growing on our list, with a 62% increase in job searches over the last two years.
-
Driverless cars
42% increase in searches 2021-2022
The automated car industry takes third place, with job searches in the US increasing by 42% year-on-year. This emerging sector will become one of the most popular industries for employment as continued innovation is needed to make driverless cars fully road-safe.
The Most Searched-for Industries in Five Years across the Globe
-
Cloud Computing
63% increase in searches 2021-2022
Taking the top spot as the most searched-for industry in 2028 is cloud computing, with searches already increasing by 63% over the last two years. The industry will continue to boom as it innovates even more efficient ways to store and access information.
-
Cyber Security
54% increase in searches 2021-2022
Up next is the cyber security industry, which will become increasingly important as more and more sensitive data will be stored online, making it vulnerable to hacking. With searches for jobs in the industry already growing by 54% over the last two years, it takes second place as one of the most important industries in five years’ time.
-
Sharing Economy
35% increase in searches 2021-2022
The sharing economy industry will take third place as one of the most popular sectors over the next five years, with job searches already increasing by 35% since 2021. The industry is continuing to grow as consumer trends are shifting towards renting or hiring products and services, rather than buying them outright.
Methodology
Beginning with a list of current and emerging jobs for a variety of sectors taken from list articles and internal data, we used Google Ads Keyword Planner to find the global search volumes for these occupations in 2021 and 2022.
Internal data was also used to find the most in-demand jobs in the US over the last three months.
