Top jobs in 2019: Tech and health care lead the way
- As the unemployment rate dips to historic lows, Americans seeking work can find opportunities in the booming technology and health care sectors in 2019.
- Nearly half of the 10 fastest-growing jobs compiled by job search company Monster require extensive knowledge of computers.
- The company also listed top cities for job openings and companies that are hiring.
As the U.S. unemployment rate dips to the lowest it's been in a half-century, Americans seeking work can find opportunities in the booming health care and technology sectors in 2019. Those two areas were the leaders among the top 10 jobs over the past six months, according to a report released Thursday by job search company Monster.
Nearly half of the jobs that made the list require extensive knowledge of computers, including software developer, computer support specialist and network systems administrator positions. Other top jobs include registered nurse, computer support specialist, product demonstrator, maintenance and repair technician, industrial engineer, tractor-trailer driver and customer-service representative.
The Monster report also revealed the companies that are doing the most hiring and the cities with the most jobs available.
Growth: The positions projected to have the most growth over 10 years, from 2016 to 2026, include software developer (31%), registered nurse (15%) and computer support specialist (11%). Jobs that are projected to have the least growth in the top 10 include tractor-trailer truck driver and network systems engineering jobs (both 6%) and customer-service representative jobs (5%).
Salary: The highest salaried jobs include software developer with $99,000 median pay, systems analysts at $84,000 and network systems administrators at $77,000. Jobs with the lowest pay include computer support specialists at $42,000, product demonstrator at $31,000 and customer-service representatives at $30,000.
Top cities
When it comes to where the employment hot spots are, the engine driving job growth in the top 10 cities turned out to be health care. Although flourishing tech meccas like San Francisco failed to make the cities list, a growing health sector boosted midsize and smaller jobs markets like Phoenix and St. Louis. Both made the top 10 for the first time.
The boom in health care is good news for job seekers, even if they aren't medical professionals: Opportunities in the sector also include customer service and accounting jobs.
By far, the largest number of jobs were found in New York City, which listed more than 102,000, according to Monster. Other top cities were Houston; Atlanta; Chicago; Phoenix; Dallas, Washington, D.C.; St. Louis; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Boston. Charlotte clocked in last with just about 20,000 jobs.
Top companies
Here are the leading companies for hiring so far in 2019:
Advantage Solutions Group — Business services
Honeywell — Electrical and electronic manufacturing
Johnson Controls — Mechanical and industrial engineering
U.S. Army — Defense
UPS — Logistics and supply chain
Mercy Health — Health care
Brookdale — Health care
Pfizer — Pharmaceuticals
NTT Data — Info tech
Walgreens — Retail