25 Best Jobs for Millennials
Oh millennials… (Anchiy/Shutterstock)
Millennials (ages 18-34) now make up the largest group of workers in the United States with a cool 53.5 million people. But navigating their careers hasn’t been easy. Many began working in the worst recession in modern history and took lower paying jobs outside their areas of study. Plus, millennials suffered an unemployment rate that was 40 percent higher than the rate for other groups (7.5 percent vs. 5.3 percent.)
So Young Invincibles —a Washington, D.C.-based think tank — examined which jobs are best for millennials, attempting to determine which industries are paying the most competitive salaries and offering the most growth potential. (Click here to learn more about the organization’s methodology.)
Some interesting findings:
- 13 of the top 25 positions are STEM occupations (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics jobs). Another five are in health care-related fields.
- 15 out of the top 25 occupations employ more men than women.
- Some jobs — like physician’s assistants, dental hygienists and dietitians — are made up of more than 70 percent women.
- “Elevator Installer and Repairer” made the list, even thought it requires no postsecondary education. Still, it’s highly in demand and offers significant growth and a competitive salary.
Here’s a table with the top 25 jobs for millennials. Jobs with an asterisk (*) denote occupations where more than 50 percent of the workforce is made up of women.
| Job Title Median | Growth by 2022 | Income | Millennial Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Physician assistants* | 38% | 90,930 | 45% |
| 2. Actuaries | 26% | 93,680 | 57% |
| 3. (tie) Statisticians | 27% | 75,560 | 44% |
| 3. (tie) Biomedical engineers | 27% | 86,960 | 43% |
| 5. Computer and information research scientists | 15% | 102,190 | 45% |
| 6.Market research analysts and marketing specialists* | 32% | 60,300 | 44% |
| 7. (tie) Nuclear engineers | 9% | 104,270 | 60% |
| 8. Elevator installers and repairers | 25% | 76,650 | 41% |
| 9. Petroleum engineers | 26% | 130,280 | 35% |
| 10. (tie) Therapists* | 27% | 70,000 | 37% |
| 10. (tie) Dental hygienists* | 33% | 70,210 | 37% |
| 12. Logisticians | 22% | 72,780 | 37% |
| 13. Financial analysts and advisors | 16% | 71,770 | 41% |
| 14. Software developers and programmers | 19% | 87,100 | 36% |
| 15. Pharmacists* | 15% | 116,670 | 35% |
| 16. Public relations and fundraising managers* | 13% | 95,450 | 35% |
| 17. (tie) Public relations specialists* | 12% | 54,170 | 44% |
| 17. (tie) Credit analysts | 10% | 61,080 | 43% |
| 19. Agents and business managers of artists, performers, athletes | 10% | 63,370 | 42% |
| 20. (tie) - Geological and petroleum technicians | 15% | 52,700 | 40% |
| 20. (tie) Dietitians and nutritionists* | 21% | 55,240 | 36% |
| 20. (tie) Medical scientists* | 13% | 76,080 | 35% |
| 22. (tie) Agricultural and food scientists | 9% | 58,610 | 42% |
| 22. (tie) Surveyors, cartographers, and photogrammetrists | 12% | 56,530 | 39% |
| 22. (tie) Fundraisers* | 17% | 50,680 | 37% |
