The 30 most in-demand jobs in America in 2017
Now hiring in the USA
Wonder which careers have the most job openings? Recruitment platform Betterteam has analyzed the national labor market and pinpointed America's most in-demand occupations in 2017. Take a look at the top 30 and get searching.
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30) Accounts payable: 1,400 job openings a month
If you have experience crunching numbers, paying out invoices and balancing the books, you'll be pleased to discover accounts payable job openings are hitting 1,400 a month right now and are especially plentiful in California, Florida and Texas. Salary-wise, you can expect to earn $44,600 a year.
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29) Computer systems analyst: 1,500 job openings a month
IT jobs are in high demand nationwide. At the current time, around 1,500 computer system analysts jobs are open and available each month. Not only can candidates pick and choose from the hundreds of jobs advertised, they can command a very respectable median annual salary of $85,800.
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28) Nurse practitioner: 1,600 job openings a month
Nurse practitioners provide specialized care and can prescribe medication, much like a doctor. These highly-trained health practitioners average a generous annual salary of $104,000 and with 1,600 job openings a month, they're certainly not lacking in employment opportunities.
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27) Business analyst: 1,700 job openings a month
If working with organizations and making them more efficient is your thing, you're in luck. Business analyst roles are abundant across the US right now, particularly in Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia, and the job outlook is rosy. You can expect to earn $81,300 a year in this job.
26) Software developer: 1,900 job openings a month
Into computer programming? Good move. There are currently a hefty 1,900 software developer job openings a month in the US. Hotspot states include Maryland, Washington and Virginia. A well-paid role, the average annual salary for a software developer is $100,700.
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Joint 23rd) Retail sales associate: 2,100 job openings a month
Retail sales jobs may be more lower paid – the average salary nationwide is $22,000 a year – but one thing's for sure: you shouldn't have a problem finding a job in this field. Right now, as many as 2,100 retail sales associate jobs are available every month.
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Joint 23rd) Medical assistant: 2,100 job openings a month
Medical assistants help doctors and nurses with a variety of tasks from maintaining patient records to collating lab samples. Earning an average salary of $30,600 per year, they are in hot demand with a total 2,100 job openings a month nationwide, and states like Florida, Virginia and New York are crying out for candidates.
Joint 23rd) Sales representative: 2,100 job openings a month
Sales rep jobs abound in the US right now. Whether you have experience selling advertising, insurance or kitchen mops, you shouldn't have trouble finding available roles. In fact, as many as 2,100 sales rep jobs are in the offing every month, paying an average of $22,000 per year, with commission on top.
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22) Restaurant hostess/host: 2,300 job openings a month
If meeting and greeting diners and organizing bookings sounds like your idea of fun, job hunting shouldn't be too much of drama given the large number of hostess/host job openings in the US each month, particularly in New York and Florida. Annual salaries average $20,500 but it's a good first step into the hospitality industry.
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21) Administrative assistant: 2,600 job openings a month
Decent office skills are highly sought-after by employers and admin assistants are in hot demand – a total of 2,600 roles are advertised every month in the US. If you have the required skills and experience, you can expect a salary of $36,500 per year.
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20) Social worker: 2,900 job openings a month
Social work job openings aren't hard to come by in the US, especially in California, Florida and New York. According to Betterteam, 2,900 openings become available every month. Social workers are paid $45,900 a year on average, and can earn up to $71,000 with experience.
Joint 18th) Receptionist: 3,100 job openings a month
The classic foot in the door job, reception work is plentiful and while you won't earn a fortune – the median annual salary is $27,300 – you tend to need few qualifications and little, if any, experience to land a receptionist position.
Joint 18th) Construction laborer: 3,100 job openings a month
California has a glut of unskilled labor jobs and nationwide, a total of 3,100 openings are advertised every month. Basic salaries average $30,800 but general construction workers can boost their income with lucrative overtime payments.
17) Computer and information systems manager: 3,600 job openings a month
IT department head honchos oversee all computer activity in an organization and are rewarded handsomely for their efforts, $131,000 a year on average, the highest-paid role in the top 30. If you're after a job in the field, the states to head to include California, New York and Texas.
Joint 15th) Restaurant cook: 3,800 job openings a month
Top chefs aside, restaurant cooks don't tend to earn a lot of money – $21,700 a year on average – and more than often they work long shifts in hot, sweaty kitchens. Still, a good restaurant cook should always have plenty of work given the amount of job openings in the field.
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Joint 15th) Maid and housekeeper: 3,800 job openings a month
If you're interested in working as a maid and housekeeper, you shouldn't have an issue coming across advertised roles. A good 3,800 positions are available every month in the US, paying an average of $22,900 a year.
14) Accountant: 4,100 job openings a month
Trained accountants who are good at their job should never be out of work if these figures are anything to go by. They shouldn't find it hard to find well-paid positions either: accountants earn $67,100 a year on average.
Joint 12th) Chief financial officer: 4,400 job openings a month
A highly paid in-demand job, the typical chief financial officer (CFO) commands a bumper salary of $117,000 a year, and that's just the basic – many CFOs receive generous bonuses to boot. States with the highest demand include California and New York.
Joint 12th) Social media manager: 4,400 job openings a month
If looking after companies' social media accounts is your specialty, bagging your dream job shouldn't be too much of an effort. A relatively new field, social media managing is booming with 4,400 jobs available every month paying an average annual salary of $47,100 a pop.
11) Home health aide: 4,600 job openings a month
An ageing population in the US means more jobs for home health aides in the coming years – as if there weren't a lot already. Right now, there are 4,600 job openings a month in the field. Home health aides can expect to earn an average annual salary of $21,900.
10) Certified nursing assistant: 4,900 job openings a month
Nursing assistants with the right qualifications can pretty much walk into a job judging by the amount of openings in the field. In any given month, 4,900 certified nursing assistant jobs are available. The position pays an average of $25,700 a year.
Joint 8th) Personal care aide: 5,000 job openings a month
Like nursing, this role, which involves caring for older people or people with disabilities, is in high demand. According to Betterteam, 5,000 personal care aide jobs are advertised each month in the US, paying an average salary of $20,900 a year.
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Joint 8th) Janitor/cleaner: 5,000 job openings a month
Robots are predicted to take over many jobs in the next 20 years, and cleaning roles may be some of the first to go. Still, there are plenty of janitor/cleaner jobs in the States right now with 5,000 job openings a month. In terms of salary, you can expect to earn $23,400 a year.
7) Operations manager: 5,700 job openings a month
If overseeing company operations is your chosen career, don't fret about there not being enough work out there. Nationwide, a total of 5,700 operation manager jobs become available each month paying a healthy average annual salary of $86,100.
Joint 5th) Office assistant: 6,300 job openings a month
Similar to an admin assistant, an office assistant deals with clerical and organizational tasks. Jobs in the field are plentiful with 6,300 openings a month and the employment hotspots include California and New York. Office assistants can expect to earn a salary of $36,500 a year on average.
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Joint 5th) Office manager: 6,300 job openings a month
Charged with the smooth running of an office, the typical office manager earns $52,000 a year. Every mid to large-sized office needs one and as a result there are always a lot of jobs available. States with a particularly high demand include Georgia and Virginia.
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4) Customer service agent: 7,400 job openings a month
A career in call center customer service may not offer excitement or glamour but you can be rest-assured you won't be out of the employment market for long if your job falls through. A total of 7,400 customer service job openings are available every month, paying $31,700 a year on average.
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3) Registered nurse: 9,100 job openings a month
When it comes to healthcare staff, registered nurses are the most in-demand. Every month, a whopping 9,100 job openings arise with states like California, Florida and Texas the most in-need. The typical registered nursing job pays $67,400 a year.
2) Restaurant server: 10,400 job openings a month
Want to wait tables for a living? Securing a job shouldn't be too taxing at all. In fact, each month 10,400 restaurant server jobs become available in the US. The average salary is just $19,200, the lowest in the top 30, but most wait staff supplement their income of course with tips.
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1) Cashier: 12,600 job openings a month
Cashier jobs, mostly supermarket checkout roles, are ubiquitous in the US. As many as 12,600 positions are advertised every month, spread fairly evenly over the states but more so in Florida, Maryland and Virginia. Just don't expect to take home a big salary. Cashiers earn an average of $19,300 a year.