Wanna AI-Proof Job? Nurse Practitioners Will Lead Way, Feds Say

Nurse practitioners. Yes, NPs, not AI crunchers will be the job to grow the most percentage wise over the next 10 years, according to a new report on Sept. 2 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which cited the aging population as a factor for NP demand and for healthcare jobs in general like physical therapists.

BLS said NP roles are projected to grow by 137,800 jobs from 2025 to 2035, a 41 percent change. Medical and health services managers are projected to grow fastest in raw numbers, with an estimated 155,100 jobs coming in the 10-year projection.

Four of the 10 industries where employment is projected to grow the fastest over the 2025-35 projections period are related to the private healthcare and social assistance major industry sector.

“Among these, services for the elderly and persons with disabilities is projected to add 625,400 new jobs from 2025 to 2035, the most of any detailed industry. Increased demand for home-based care is expected to contribute to this growth,” BLS said.

The private healthcare and social assistance (+9.5 percent) major industry sector is projected to add the most jobs of any sector, over 2.2 million over the projections period, and is projected to be the second fastest growing major industry sector. This strong growth is expected to account for about 37 percent of all new jobs projected to be added through 2035, BLS said.

Older Population a Huge Factor

Strong employment growth is expected to stem from both the aging population and the increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, the report noted.

“Because the likelihood of experiencing health complications increases with age, the aging population is expected to boost demand for a wide variety of healthcare and social services, including home health and personal care services. Moreover, given the high prevalence of chronic diseases and behavioral health disorders in the general population, the demand to diagnose, treat, and manage these conditions is expected to grow through 2035,” the report said.

As a result, BLS expects robust job growth in the occupations that provide or help provide these services, including physical therapist assistants, occupational therapy assistants, psychiatric technicians, and ophthalmic medical technicians, all of which rank among the 10 fastest growing detailed occupations from 2025 to 2035. This demand is also expected to result in an increased need for community and social service occupations, which are projected to be the fourth fastest occupational group (+7.4 percent).

AI Propels Some Sectors

Demand for AI-based systems, research and development, and associated consulting services is expected to drive the need for workers in professional, scientific, and technical services, BLS said. This major industry sector is projected to be the third fastest growing sector (+8.6 percent) over the projections period. This growth is projected to result in 926,700 new jobs, the second largest job growth of any sector.

The U.S. economy is projected to add 5.9 million jobs from 2025 to 2035, and total employment is projected to increase from 170.3 million to 176.2 million and grow 3.5 percent, which is slower than the 10.9 percent growth recorded over the 2015-25 decade.

Comments or questions? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.