- An analysis of employment data relating to over 1,100 job titles has revealed the roles that experienced the biggest increase in employment over five years, with Farm Labor Contractor roles taking the top spot nationally.
- Employment in the renewable energy sector saw huge growth, with Solar Photovoltaic Installers ranking second with a 115% increase.
- The national mean wage for Solar Photovoltaic Installers was revealed to be $53,140, but the mean annual salary for the role in Michigan is $63,120, according to data.
New findings have revealed the job roles that have seen the biggest increase in employed persons between 2019 and 2023 in the U.S.
The study by the university ranking site Research.com analyzed employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to identify which occupations are the most sought-after across the U.S. Over 1,100 occupations were analyzed and then ranked based on the percentage change in employment per 1,000 jobs over five years, from 2019 to 2023.
According to the findings,
the number of Farm Labor Contractors employed in 2023 was a staggering 200% higher than in 2019. This was revealed to be the biggest employment growth across all 1,100 roles examined. While only making up a small percentage of the national workforce at an estimated 0.003 per 1,000 jobs, this is triple the figure just five years prior.
Solar Photovoltaic Installers, or Solar Panel Installers, saw a growth rate of 115% over the five years analyzed. The data highlights the dramatic incline in these roles across the States, and if estimates by the International Energy Agency that solar power will be the world’s biggest renewable energy source in the coming years materialize, this employment rate may continue to grow.
The analysis revealed that the annual mean wage for Solar Photovoltaic Installers across the U.S. at $53,140. However, latest BLS figures outline that the annual mean wage for the role in Michigan is an estimated 19% more at $63,120.
Mathematical Science Occupations rank the third-most sought-after roles in the U.S., experiencing an 85% employment increase over five years.
Several other STEM roles also rank among the most sought-after jobs, such as Industrial-Organizational Psychologists (75% increase), Wind Turbine Service Technicians (59%), and Biological Scientists (48%).
Table: The Top 20 Occupations with Biggest Employment Growth (2019-23)
| Rank | Occupation Title | Employment per 1,000 Jobs % Change (2019-23) |
Employment per 1,000 Jobs (2019) |
Employment per 1,000 Jobs (2023) |
Annual Mean Wage (2023) |
| 1 | Farm Labor Contractors | 200% | 0.001 | 0.003 | $51,400 |
| 2 | Solar Photovoltaic Installers | 115% | 0.075 | 0.161 | $53,140 |
| 3 | Mathematical Science Occupations | 85% | 1.324 | 2.453 | $111,340 |
| 4 | Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | 75% | 0.004 | 0.007 | $154,380 |
| 5 | Cooks, Private Household | 67% | 0.003 | 0.005 | $49,790 |
| 6 | Airfield Operations Specialists | 66% | 0.073 | 0.121 | $62,140 |
| 7 | Wind Turbine Service Technicians | 59% | 0.041 | 0.065 | $65,380 |
| 8 | Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other | 55% | 0.031 | 0.048 | $34,670 |
| 9 | Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | 50% | 0.111 | 0.166 | $56,680 |
| 10 | Biological Scientists, All Other | 48% | 0.273 | 0.403 | $99,060 |
| 11 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | 46% | 0.304 | 0.443 | $245,450 |
| 12 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | 46% | 0.899 | 1.309 | $111,870 |
| 13 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | 45% | 0.130 | 0.189 | $54,260 |
| 14 | Funeral Home Managers | 45% | 0.064 | 0.093 | $84,800 |
| 15 | Food Processing Workers, All Other | 44% | 0.292 | 0.421 | $37,630 |
| 16 | Psychiatric Technicians | 43% | 0.534 | 0.764 | $43,650 |
| 17 | General and Operations Managers | 41% | 16.342 | 23.100 | $129,330 |
| 18 | Financial Clerks, All Other | 41% | 0.208 | 0.293 | $52,690 |
| 19 | Sales Managers | 38% | 2.741 | 3.792 | $157,610 |
| 20 | Natural Sciences Managers | 38% | 0.461 | 0.636 | $169,120 |
In contrast, the study also identified occupations with the biggest decline in employment, revealing Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters saw the steepest decline in employment with a 67% decrease, over the five years analyzed.
This is followed by several manual labor roles and roles in the manufacturing and production sectors, as well as roles such as Extraction Workers (-58%) in the mining and/or oil and gas industries, as opposed to the growth revealed in renewable energy employment.
Table: The 10 Occupations with Highest Employment Decline (2019-23)
| Rank | Occupation Title | Employment per 1,000 Jobs % Change (2019-23) |
Employment per 1,000 Jobs (2019) |
Employment per 1,000 Jobs (2023) |
Annual Mean Wage (2023) |
| 1 | Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters | -67% | 0.01 | 0.003 | $52,840 |
| 2 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | -59% | 0.20 | 0.081 | $41,490 |
| 3 | Communications Equipment Operators, All Other | -59% | 0.02 | 0.009 | $53,240 |
| 4 | Helpers-Extraction Workers | -58% | 0.11 | 0.048 | $46,990 |
| 5 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | -57% | 0.04 | 0.016 | $57,580 |
| 6 | Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers | -55% | 0.04 | 0.018 | $66,750 |
| 7 | Hoist and Winch Operators | -55% | 0.03 | 0.015 | $65,810 |
| 8 | Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators | -53% | 0.08 | 0.038 | $41,900 |
| 9 | Helpers-Roofers | -51% | 0.06 | 0.030 | $42,280 |
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