Occupations with the Most Annual Job Openings

Occupations projected to have the most average annual job openings (from growth plus replacement needs), per BLS Employment Projections.

The top-ranked entry is Fast Food and Counter Workers at 904,300 (+6.1% growth). The full top 100 is listed below.

Ranked list of U.S. occupations from BLS and DOL data.
# Occupation Annual Openings
1 Fast Food and Counter Workers 904,300 +6.1% growth
2 Retail Salespersons 555,800 -0.5% growth
3 Cashiers 542,600 -9.9% growth
4 Stockers and Order Fillers 472,300 +8.5% growth
5 Waiters and Waitresses 456,700 -0.7% growth
6 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 384,300 +1.5% growth
7 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 351,300 +2.0% growth
8 Customer Service Representatives 341,700 -5.5% growth
9 General and Operations Managers 308,700 +4.4% growth
10 Office Clerks, General 282,400 -6.7% growth
11 Cooks, Restaurant 250,700 +14.9% growth
12 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 237,600 +4.0% growth
13 Nursing Assistants 204,100 +2.3% growth
14 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 202,800 -1.6% growth
15 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 193,500 +0.4% growth
16 Registered Nurses 189,100 +4.9% growth
17 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 183,900 +6.0% growth
18 Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 170,400 -1.5% growth
19 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 170,000 -5.8% growth
20 Security Guards 161,000 +0.4% growth
21 Childcare Workers 160,200 -2.9% growth
22 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 159,800 +3.8% growth
23 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 158,200 +3.6% growth
24 Food Preparation Workers 148,000 -3.4% growth
25 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 144,500 -0.3% growth
26 Bartenders 129,600 +5.9% growth
27 Construction Laborers 129,400 +7.3% growth
28 Receptionists and Information Clerks 128,500 +0.0% growth
29 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 125,100 -5.0% growth
30 Accountants and Auditors 124,200 +4.6% growth
31 Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 123,000 +3.1% growth
32 Light Truck Drivers 120,200 +7.3% growth
33 Software Developers 115,200 +15.8% growth
34 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 114,800 +0.3% growth
35 Medical Assistants 112,300 +12.5% growth
36 Business Operations Specialists, All Other 108,200 +3.0% growth
37 Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop 107,700 -1.5% growth
38 Managers, All Other 106,700 +4.5% growth
39 Amusement and Recreation Attendants 102,400 +3.4% growth
40 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers 99,600 +6.3% growth
41 Management Analysts 98,100 +8.8% growth
42 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 91,000 -2.0% growth
43 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 87,200 +6.7% growth
44 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 85,900 +4.2% growth
45 Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers 85,500 -1.3% growth
46 Cooks, Fast Food 82,100 -13.5% growth
47 Human Resources Specialists 81,800 +6.2% growth
48 Electricians 81,000 +9.5% growth
49 Project Management Specialists 78,200 +5.6% growth
50 Dishwashers 76,800 +0.2% growth
51 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 76,400 +1.1% growth
52 Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists 75,800 +5.6% growth
53 Financial Managers 74,600 +14.8% growth
54 Animal Caretakers 74,600 +12.1% growth
55 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 74,400 +5.3% growth
56 Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors 74,200 +11.9% growth
57 Carpenters 74,100 +4.5% growth
58 Packers and Packagers, Hand 74,000 -5.4% growth
59 Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 71,700 -3.3% growth
60 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics 70,000 +4.2% growth
61 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 69,900 +0.0% growth
62 Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria 69,700 +2.0% growth
63 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks 69,300 -7.7% growth
64 Recreation Workers 68,100 +4.1% growth
65 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 67,700 +1.2% growth
66 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 66,200 -1.6% growth
67 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education 65,500 +4.1% growth
68 Medical and Health Services Managers 62,100 +23.2% growth
69 First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors 61,300 +3.7% growth
70 Substitute Teachers, Short-Term 61,100 +1.6% growth
71 Bus Drivers, School 61,000 +0.2% growth
72 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 56,200 +3.9% growth
73 Computer and Information Systems Managers 55,600 +15.2% growth
74 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 54,400 +2.6% growth
75 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers 53,700 +3.1% growth
76 Dental Assistants 52,900 +6.4% growth
77 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers 52,400 +3.1% growth
78 Self-Enrichment Teachers 51,400 +3.7% growth
79 Driver/Sales Workers 51,300 +8.8% growth
80 Social and Human Service Assistants 50,600 +6.4% growth
81 Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants 50,000 -1.6% growth
82 Sales Managers 49,000 +4.7% growth
83 Pharmacy Technicians 49,000 +6.4% growth
84 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors 48,300 +16.8% growth
85 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant 48,000 +3.0% growth
86 Insurance Sales Agents 47,000 +3.7% growth
87 Construction Managers 46,800 +8.7% growth
88 Counter and Rental Clerks 45,900 +3.2% growth
89 Industrial Machinery Mechanics 45,700 +16.1% growth
90 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 45,600 +2.2% growth
91 Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 45,300 +4.5% growth
92 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 44,000 +4.5% growth
93 Training and Development Specialists 43,900 +10.8% growth
94 Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks 43,600 +3.7% growth
95 Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers 42,700 +5.8% growth
96 Billing and Posting Clerks 42,200 -0.4% growth
97 Food Service Managers 42,000 +6.4% growth
98 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators 41,900 +3.6% growth
99 Coaches and Scouts 41,800 +6.4% growth
100 Computer User Support Specialists 40,800 -3.7% growth

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