We\u2019re planning follow-up coverage related to some of the growing fields on these lists. Which job or jobs would you like to learn more about? What questions do you have? Fill out this short Google form<\/a> to let us know.<\/p>\n Which jobs are growing the fastest in Wisconsin?<\/p>\n Some of Wisconsin\u2019s fastest-growing jobs are jobs in health and green energy fields, as you might expect. That includes the top four:\u00a0<\/p>\n Wind turbine service technicians<\/a>, projected to grow by 75% in Wisconsin from 2022 to 2032, adding 30 jobs.<\/p>\n Nurse practitioners<\/a>, projected to grow by 51%, adding 2,530 jobs.<\/p>\n Computer and information research scientists<\/a>, projected to grow by 44%, adding 40 jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Data scientists<\/a>, projected to grow by 43%, adding 1,230 jobs.<\/p>\n Others on the list seem more surprising. Despite the prevalence of online booking platforms and travel influencers hyping up their favorite spots, the ranks of travel agents<\/a> are growing as Americans resume travel post-pandemic<\/a> and want someone else to do the planning<\/a>. In Wisconsin, the number of travel agents is projected to increase by 350, or 38%. The state is also projected to add 430 jobs for animal trainers<\/a>, a 36% increase that comes as Americans own a growing number of pets and spend more on them<\/a>.<\/p>\n Six of the jobs that ranked in the top 10 fastest-growing have median salaries of $85,000 or more. Seven of the top 10 typically require a college degree, and four typically require a graduate degree.<\/p>\n Of the jobs that ranked in the top 10, just two (nurse practitioner and data scientist) are projected to add more than 1,000 jobs. Several are projected to add fewer than 200. By comparison, the state\u2019s most common job, home health and personal care aide, is projected to have 14,150 annual openings, in part because of high turnover among those workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Three jobs were tied with physician assistants<\/a> for 10th place. One is rail yard engineers<\/a>, also known as hostlers or dinkey operators, who inspect train equipment and drive small locomotives to move railcars. The others are aircraft service attendants<\/a>, who re-fuel planes and service them between flights, and administrative law judges or adjudicators<\/a>, who rule on government matters. But while all three are projected to grow by 33% in Wisconsin, the number of physician assistants is projected to grow by 970, and the ranks of aircraft service attendants are projected to grow by just 50. Administrative law judges and rail yard engineers are projected to grow by just 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n One note: These projections may not account for the latest developments in the job landscape, including how artificial intelligence might change the way Americans work, or what kinds of workers are needed. Gov. Tony Evers in 2023 appointed a task force to study how AI might transform Wisconsin\u2019s labor market. The group found that bookkeepers, data entry keyers, credit analysts and insurance claims processors are among those whose work most overlaps with AI capabilities. They note that that doesn\u2019t mean those workers will necessarily be replaced by AI; they could instead end up using AI tools to make their jobs easier or more efficient.<\/p>\n The task force also did the same analysis for the state\u2019s 10 most common jobs. It found all had \u201cmiddling\u201d levels of AI exposure, suggesting they may not experience as much change with AI as some occupations will.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, President Donald Trump\u2019s administration has taken steps to reverse renewable energy initiatives, a move that could threaten the projected job growth for wind turbine service technicians. Twice this year the federal government halted construction of offshore wind farms<\/a>.<\/p>\n Which jobs will have the most openings in Wisconsin?<\/p>\n Some occupations have lots of openings each year\u00a0not because the industry is growing but because turnover is high. The jobs projected to have the most future openings in Wisconsin also pay some of the lowest wages. The top four have median annual salaries of less than $35,000 a year, and all of the top 10 have salaries under $46,000. None require education beyond a high school diploma, and most don\u2019t require any formal education.<\/p>\n One in 10 Wisconsin workers holds one the top five jobs on this list, all with a 2022 median wage under $46,000. About 215,000 of those people work in jobs with a median wage under $35,000.<\/p>\n Of the 10 most common jobs, two stand out for higher average wages: registered nurse ($86,070) and truck driver ($57,380).\u00a0<\/p>\n The state\u2019s most common job involves caring for older adults or people with disabilities in their homes, helping with tasks like bathing, medication and grocery shopping. Across the country, demand for these workers is growing as more Americans choose to age in their homes rather than in assisted living or nursing facilities. In Wisconsin, the number of residents over 65 is expected to almost double by 2040, increasing demand. Industry leaders and disability advocacy groups say they already struggle to hire and retain enough workers as wages in other entry-level jobs rise, and they\u2019ve called on the state to raise the Medicaid reimbursement rate<\/a>, which pays for most of this care. The 2025-27 state budget allocates $19 million to raise that rate, less than half of what Evers requested.<\/p>\n Declining employment<\/p>\n Many of the jobs shrinking the fastest are ones you might expect: those based on outdated technologies or practices. About one in four positions held by telemarketers, switchboard operators, couriers, door-to-door salespeople and street vendors is projected to vanish by 2032.<\/p>\n Of the top 10 fastest-shrinking jobs, nine don\u2019t usually require a college education.\u00a0<\/p>\n Secretaries and administrative assistants are expected to lose the most jobs (2,420), followed by couriers and messengers (1,990), customer service representatives (1,550) and tellers (1,290).<\/p>\n Nursing assistant ranks are projected to shrink, too (by 720, or 3%), though that field will remain big in Wisconsin, with estimated 26,510 nursing assistant jobs in 2032.<\/p>\n \u2018Hot Jobs\u2019<\/p>\n Wisconsin\u2019s Department of Workforce Development keeps a list of the \u201cHot Jobs\u201d statewide and in each of 11 regions. These jobs pay above the median wage for the state or region, are expected to grow faster than average and have the most projected openings. Visit this website<\/a> to see the data and sort it in various ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n One major caveat about this data: It compares 2032 to 2022, when COVID-19 was still disrupting the economy, so it favors jobs that have rebounded after shrinking during the pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, registered nurses don\u2019t appear on the \u201cHot Jobs\u201d list. The job pays well and it\u2019s growing quickly, but few nurses lost their jobs in the pandemic. That means the field isn\u2019t growing as much as those that saw major pandemic layoffs, said DWD Senior Research Analyst Maria del Pilar Casal. She expects registered nurses will make the list next time.<\/p>\n Natalie Yahr reports on pathways to success in Wisconsin, working in partnership with Open Campus<\/a>. Email her at nyahr@wisconsinwatch.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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