Career Explorer
Compare 290 careers by pay, growth and job openings using official BLS Employment Projections (2025–35). Filter by the education you plan to get, then follow links to matching scholarships, trade programs and apprenticeships.
Updated
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers | $232,140 | +8.3% | 11,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Chief executives | $213,990 | +3.2% | 19,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer and information systems managers | $175,140 | +15.8% | 53,500 | Bachelor's degree |
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | 14,900 | Bachelor's degree |
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | 9,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Marketing managers | $166,790 | +6.9% | 34,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial managers | $166,570 | +9.7% | 65,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| Lawyers | $159,670 | +4.7% | 28,700 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Human resources managers | $149,280 | +5.5% | 16,800 | Bachelor's degree |
| Sales managers | $148,270 | +4.5% | 47,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| Purchasing managers | $148,080 | +4.0% | 6,400 | Bachelor's degree |
| Public relations managers | $146,910 | +5.7% | 6,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| Pharmacists | $140,910 | +5.2% | 12,500 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Software developers | $135,980 | +10.2% | 95,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| Physician assistants | $135,880 | +21.1% | 11,500 | Master's degree |
| Computer network architects | $134,050 | +7.7% | 9,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| Nurse practitioners | $132,300 | +41.0% | 29,400 | Master's degree |
| Information security analysts | $129,180 | +21.0% | 14,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial production managers | $126,060 | +2.6% | 17,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| Medical and health services managers | $123,860 | +24.2% | 62,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| Commercial pilots | $123,220 | +5.2% | 5,200 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Electrical engineers | $120,630 | +9.9% | 11,400 | Bachelor's degree |
| Data scientists | $120,230 | +34.6% | 24,800 | Bachelor's degree |
| Construction managers | $114,990 | +9.1% | 49,700 | Bachelor's degree |
| Art directors | $114,850 | +4.2% | 12,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Administrative services managers | $114,130 | +5.2% | 22,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | 24,900 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers | $107,230 | +6.1% | 18,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Facilities managers | $106,660 | +4.6% | 14,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary | $105,870 | -0.3% | 20,600 | Master's degree |
| Computer systems analysts | $105,850 | +7.9% | 32,900 | Bachelor's degree |
| General and operations managers | $105,770 | +5.0% | 285,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| Personal financial advisors | $105,070 | +1.4% | 17,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products | $104,920 | +1.2% | 23,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| Education administrators, postsecondary | $104,590 | +1.8% | 14,500 | Master's degree |
| Software quality assurance analysts and testers | $104,300 | +5.7% | 10,700 | Bachelor's degree |
| Mechanical engineers | $104,110 | +11.2% | 17,800 | Bachelor's degree |
| Web and digital interface designers | $104,000 | +6.0% | 8,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $103,410 | +12.6% | 10,500 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Physical therapists | $102,760 | +11.9% | 13,400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Curated lists
- Fastest-growing careers (Nurse practitioners leads)
- Careers with the most job openings (Fast food and counter workers leads)
- Best-paying careers without a bachelor's degree (Commercial pilots leads)
- Best-paying careers (Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers leads)
- Quick-entry careers (certificate programs) (Commercial pilots leads)
- High-paying skilled trades (Electrical power-line installers and repairers leads)
- Hot industries (Solar electric power generation leads)
By education
- Careers with no college degree required
- Careers that need a certificate
- Careers that need an associate degree
- Careers that need a bachelor's degree
- Careers that need a graduate degree
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025 ↗. Employment is for 2025, projections to 2035; median annual wage is for 2025; openings are the projected annual average for 2025–35. Figures are national, not local. Data last downloaded Oct 16, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Where does this data come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections program (Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025), which we cache and update when BLS publishes new projections.
Which career is projected to grow fastest?
Among the 290 careers we profile, nurse practitioners (+41.0%, 2025–35).
Which career has the most openings?
Fast food and counter workers, with about 827,400 openings a year projected for 2025–35.