The Top 10 Industries with the Most Job Openings in the US (2024)

New research has identified the industries with the most job openings, with the education and health services industry topping the list as of September 2023.

Personal finance experts atWealth of Geeks analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the job openings across industries in the US, seasonally adjusted for September 2023.

The BLS reveals that in September 2023 the total number of job openings in all industries across the US is 9.553 million, which is a decrease from the 10.854 million job openings in September 2022. However, there has been a marked increase from August this year which saw a total of 9.497 million job openings.

Job openings by industry

The Top 10 Industries with the Most Job Openings in the US (1)

The education and health services tops the list as the industry with the most job openings at a significant 1.931 million. Popular jobs within this sector include registered nurses with an average salary of $92,688, nursing assistants where the average salary is $44,614, and healthcare managers who earn approximately $77,714.

In second position is the professional and business services industry, with 1.632 million job openings. Common roles within this field include administrative assistants with an average salary of $50,625, accountants who earn $62,273, and lawyers with an average salary of $97,265.

Leisure and hospitality is next on the list, taking third place as the industry with the most job openings at 1.414 million. Typical positions within this sector include event managers with an average salary of $60,825, servers who earn approximately $46,007 annually, and hotel managers whose average salary is $60,911.

The trade, transportation, and utilities industry is fourth on the list with 1.397 million job openings. Typical roles within this field include electricians who earn approximately $62,442 each year, commercial drivers with an average salary of $78,898, and wholesale managers whose average salary is $73,349.

The government is the next industry on the list with 983,000 job openings as of September 2023. Examples of jobs within this sector include federal correctional officers who are paid approximately is $38,805 on a yearly basis, social workers whose average salary is $63,366, and border patrol agents who earn around $39,658.

Sixth on the list is the financial activities industry with 647,000 job openings. Typical positions in this industry include investment consultants with an average salary of $76,355, mortgage advisors who earn around $77,264 each year, and bank clerks with an average salary of $33,722.

The manufacturing industry closely follows behind with 627,000 job openings. Example positions within this industry include manufacturing engineers whose average salary is $84,746, production workers who earn approximately $38,836 annually, and operations managers with an average salary of $72,797.

Construction places eighth among the industries with the most job openings with 431,000 in total. Jobs within this sector include construction laborers earning $39,009 on average, construction project managers with an average salary of $92,967, and quantity surveyors who are paid approximately $48,684 each year.

The information industry takes the ninth spot with 160,000 job openings. Popular roles within this sector include information technology specialists with an average salary of $45,314, help desk analysts who earn approximately $52,831, and security systems engineers with an average salary of $104,820.

And lastly, the mining and logging industry takes tenth place with 35,000 job openings in total. On average, miners earn $98,260 and loggers earn $31,556.

Michael Dinich, a spokesperson for Wealth of Geeks, commented on the findings: “It is valuable to be aware of the job market by industry in today’s current climate. If you’re looking for a change in industry or a new endeavor, then this data can be useful to steer you in the right direction.

“Despite the number of job openings decreasing from September 2022, it is promising that they are on the rise again from August 2023.” Dinich added.

The Top 10 Industries with the Most Job Openings in the US (2024)

FAQs

What industry has the most job openings? ›

5 Industries With The Most Job Openings, Least Competition And Six-Figure Salaries
  • More Job Opportunities With Less Competition. ...
  • 1-Education and Health Services. ...
  • 2-Professional Business Services. ...
  • 3-Leisure and Hospitality. ...
  • 4-Trade, Transportation and Utilities. ...
  • 5-Government.
Mar 27, 2024

What industry employs the most workers in the US? ›

Biggest Industries by Employment in the US in 2024
  • Public Schools in the US. ...
  • Hospitals in the US. ...
  • Fast Food Restaurants in the US. ...
  • Professional Employer Organizations in the US. ...
  • Colleges & Universities in the US. ...
  • Office Staffing & Temp Agencies in the US. ...
  • Supermarkets & Grocery Stores in the US. ...
  • Commercial Banking in the US.

Which field has more job opportunities in the USA? ›

Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the job category with the most openings in the USA is healthcare and social assistance.

Which industry has highest jobs? ›

Management, finance, healthcare, AI and ML, and human resources are vital sectors that drive the global economy and society forward. These highest paying job industries continue to progress due to technological advancements, changing demographics, and the need for skilled professionals in various specialized roles.

What field is hiring the most right now? ›

Most New Jobs
OCCUPATIONNUMBER OF NEW JOBS (PROJECTED), 2022-322023 MEDIAN PAY
Software developers410,400$132,270 per year
Cooks, restaurant277,600$35,780 per year
Stockers and order fillers178,600$36,390 per year
Registered nurses177,400$86,070 per year
16 more rows

What is the easiest industry to get a job in? ›

Key Takeaways
  • Sales, nursing, home health, and manufacturing are all sectors with opportunities for job seekers. ...
  • Home healthcare workers often work an hourly schedule, although some are on an annual salary.
  • Salaries in sales vary widely depending on sector and performance, but bonuses are often part of the job's appeal.

What jobs are declining in America? ›

Fastest declining occupations
2022 National Employment Matrix title2022 National Employment Matrix codeEmployment change, numeric, 2022–32
Watch and clock repairers49-9064-0.6
Roof bolters, mining47-5043-0.5
Cutters and trimmers, hand51-9031-2.3
Telephone operators43-2021-1.1
28 more rows

What is the strongest industry in US? ›

Biggest Industries by Revenue in the US in 2024
  • Health & Medical Insurance in the US. ...
  • Pharmaceuticals Wholesaling in the US. ...
  • New Car Dealers in the US. ...
  • Life Insurance & Annuities in the US. ...
  • Public Schools in the US. ...
  • Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling in the US. ...
  • Retirement & Pension Plans in the US.

What industries have the largest workforce? ›

Global Biggest Industries by Employment in 2024
  • Global Commercial Real Estate. 18,094,031.
  • Global Consumer Electronics Manufacturing. 17,828,885.
  • Global Fast Food Restaurants. 13,171,666.
  • Global Tourism. 11,769,965.
  • Global HR & Recruitment Services. ...
  • Global Apparel Manufacturing. ...
  • Global Engineering Services. ...
  • Global Hotels & Resorts.

Which job is shortage in the USA? ›

These occupations across various industries offer ample employment opportunities for qualified individuals. The shortage list includes professions such as registered nurses, engineers, therapists, healthcare, business management, human resources, marketing, and sales, etc.

What career is most in demand right now? ›

12 high-demand jobs
  • Web developer. ...
  • Technical writer. ...
  • Paralegal. ...
  • Statistician. ...
  • Medical assistant. ...
  • Substance abuse counselor. ...
  • Health services manager. ...
  • Nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners are advanced in their field, having achieved higher education than a registered nurse in order to consult with and diagnose patients.
Apr 5, 2024

What are the top 3 fastest growing careers in the USA? ›

The five fastest-growing careers are wind turbine service technicians, nurse practitioners, data scientists, statisticians and information security analysts.

What industries are hiring the most people? ›

Which industries are hiring most in the job market today? According to a recent study by Resume.io, healthcare, IT and defense lead the way. That's good information to know, especially if you're on the lookout for a new job, considering a college major or wondering which city pays the most for your line of work.

What is the hardest industry to get a job in? ›

11 in-demand jobs employers find hard to fill
  1. Home health aide. ...
  2. Construction laborer. ...
  3. Electrician. ...
  4. Medical services manager. ...
  5. Financial adviser. ...
  6. Registered nurse. ...
  7. Physical therapist. ...
  8. Application software developer.

What industry is high in demand? ›

Computer and Information Technology Jobs

Computer and information technology occupations remain in our top in-demand industries from 2021 into 2022. These jobs are expected to grow 13% from 2020 to 2030, which is higher than last year's growth rate of 11%.

Which career currently has the most job openings? ›

50 Careers With The Most Job Openings
#OccupationEarning
1Cashiers, except gamingShort-term on-the-job training
2Retail salespersonsShort-term on-the-job training
3Waiters and waitressesShort-term on-the-job training
4Customer service representativesModerate-term on-the-job training
46 more rows

What career area will have the most job openings? ›

Jobs with the fastest-growing demand: frontline roles, sales specialists, and technical services
  • Deli Clerk.
  • Sales Manager.
  • Barista.
  • Optometrist.
  • Inside Sales Specialist.
  • Customer Engineer.
  • Hospice Nurse.
  • Security Architect.

What industry has the most vacancies? ›

Official numbers from the Office for National Statistics show that the job sector with the most vacancies in the UK is health and social care. As of July 2023, around 182,000 positions were open in the field, accounting for almost one in five of all open positions nationally.

What industry needs the most workers? ›

When taking a look at the labor shortage across different industries, the education and health services sector, and the professional and business services sector, consistently exhibit the highest number of job openings.

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