Looking for work? Check out the U.S. industries with the most job openings

Looking for a job or changing careers could not come at a better time as there are plenty of available employment opportunities out there.  Small Town American Media shared the good news on November 13 when they reported:

The American economy is growing at its fastest rate since 1984, wages are up, and the most recent jobs report shattered expectations –  with unemployment hitting an all-time low since COVID started in March 2020.

And if you wanted to hedge your bets in terms of which areas to look for a job, new research shows which industries in the U.S have the most openings, with the education and health services industry topping the list as of September 2023. 

Personal finance experts at Wealth of Geeks analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the job openings across industries in the U.S. – seasonally adjusted for September 2023. 

The BLS reveals that in September 2023 the total number of job openings in all industries across the US is 9.553 million, which is a decrease from the 10.854 million job openings in September 2022. However, there has been a marked increase from August this year which saw a total of 9.497 million job openings.  

Job openings by industry

The education and health services tops the list as the industry with the most job openings at a significant 1.931 million. Popular jobs within this sector include registered nurses with an average salary of $92,688, nursing assistants where the average salary is $44,614, and healthcare managers who earn approximately $77,714.  

In second position is the professional and business services industry, with 1.632 million job openings. Common roles within this field include administrative assistants with an average salary of $50,625, accountants who earn $62,273, and lawyers with an average salary of $97,265. 

Leisure and hospitality is next on the list, taking third place as the industry with the most job openings at 1.414 million. Typical positions within this sector include event managers with an average salary of $60,825, servers who earn approximately $46,007 annually, and hotel managers whose average salary is $60,911. 

The trade, transportation, and utilities industry is fourth on the list with 1.397 million job openings. Typical roles within this field include electricians who earn approximately $62,442 each year, commercial drivers with an average salary of $78,898, and wholesale managers whose average salary is $73,349.  

The government is the next industry on the list with 983,000 job openings as of September 2023. Examples of jobs within this sector include federal correctional officers who are paid approximately is $38,805 on a yearly basis, social workers whose average salary is $63,366, and border patrol agents who earn around $39,658. 

Sixth on the list is the financial activities industry with 647,000 job openings. Typical positions in this industry include investment consultants with an average salary of $76,355, mortgage advisors who earn around $77,264 each year, and bank clerks with an average salary of $33,722. 

The manufacturing industry closely follows behind with 627,000 job openings. Example positions within this industry include manufacturing engineers whose average salary is $84,746, production workers who earn approximately $38,836 annually, and operations managers with an average salary of $72,797. 

Construction places eighth among the industries with the most job openings with 431,000 in total. Jobs within this sector include construction laborers earning $39,009 on average, construction project managers with an average salary of $92,967, and quantity surveyors who are paid approximately $48,684 each year. 

The information industry takes the ninth spot with 160,000 job openings. Popular roles within this sector include information technology specialists with an average salary of $45,314, help desk analysts who earn approximately $52,831, and security systems engineers with an average salary of $104,820. 

And lastly, the mining and logging industry takes tenth place with 35,000 job openings in total. On average, miners earn $98,260 and loggers earn $31,556. 

Michael Dinich, a spokesperson for Wealth of Geeks, commented on the findings: 

“It is valuable to be aware of the job market by industry in today’s current climate. If you’re looking for a change in industry or a new endeavor, then this data can be useful to steer you in the right direction. 

“Despite the number of job openings decreasing from September 2022, it is promising that they are on the rise again from August 2023.” Dinich added. 

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(Sources: Wealth of Geeks, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and, Indeed)
(Cover photo: Image credit: Twitter)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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