Fastest growing occupations, 2004-14

This file represents Table 2, Fastest growing occupations, 2004-14, in "Occupational employment projections to 2014," published in the November 2005 Monthly Labor Review.

Table 2. Fastest growing occupations, 2004-14 [Numbers in thousands]
2004 National Employment Matrix code and title	Employment		Change		Quartile rank by 2004 median annual earnings ¹	Most significant source of postsecondary education or training²
	Number		Number	Percent
	2004	2014	Number	Percent
31-1011 Home health aides	624	974	350	56.0	VL	Short-term on-the-job training
15-1081 Network systems and data communications analysts	231	357	126	54.6	VH	Bachelor's degree
31-9092 Medical assistants	387	589	202	52.1	L	Moderate-term on-the-job training
29-1071 Physician assistants	62	93	31	49.6	VH	Bachelor's degree
15-1031 Computer software engineers, applications	460	682	222	48.4	VH	Bachelor's degree
31-2021 Physical therapist assistants	59	85	26	44.2	H	Associate degree
29-2021 Dental hygienists	158	226	68	43.3	VH	Associate degree
15-1032 Computer software engineers, systems software	340	486	146	43.0	VH	Bachelor's degree
31-9091 Dental assistants	267	382	114	42.7	L	Moderate-term on-the-job training
39-9021 Personal and home care aides	701	988	287	41.0	VL	Short-term on-the-job training

15-1071 Network and computer systems administrators	278	385	107	38.4	VH	Bachelor's degree
15-1061 Database administrators	104	144	40	38.2	VH	Bachelor's degree
29-1123 Physical therapists	155	211	57	36.7	VH	Master's degree
19-4092 Forensic science technicians	10	13	4	36.4	VH	Associate degree
29-2056 Veterinary technologists and technicians	60	81	21	35.3	L	Associate degree
29-2032 Diagnostic medical sonographers	42	57	15	34.8	VH	Associate degree
31-2022 Physical therapist aides	43	57	15	34.4	L	Short-term on-the-job training
31-2011 Occupational therapist assistants	21	29	7	34.1	H	Associate degree
19-1042 Medical scientists, except epidemiologists	72	97	25	34.1	VH	Doctoral degree
29-1122 Occupational therapists	92	123	31	33.6	VH	Master's degree

25-2011 Preschool teachers, except special education	431	573	143	33.1	L	Postsecondary vocational award
29-2031 Cardiovascular technologists and technicians	45	60	15	32.6	H	Associate degree
25-1000 Postsecondary teachers	1,628	2,153	524	32.2	VH	Doctoral degree
19-2043 Hydrologists	8	11	3	31.6	VH	Master's degree
15-1051 Computer systems analysts	487	640	153	31.4	VH	Bachelor's degree
47-4041 Hazardous materials removal workers	38	50	12	31.2	H	Moderate-term on-the-job training
17-2031 Biomedical engineers	10	13	3	30.7	VH	Bachelor's degree
13-1071 Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists	182	237	55	30.5	H	Bachelor's degree
17-2081 Environmental engineers	49	64	15	30.0	VH	Bachelor's degree
23-2011 Paralegals and legal assistants	224	291	67	29.7	H	Associate degree

Footnotes: (1) The quartile rankings of Occupational Employment Statistics Survey annual earnings data are presented in the following categories: VH=very high ($43,605 and over), H=high ($28,590 to $43,604), L=low ($20,185 to $28,589), and VL=very low(up to $20,184). The rankings were based on quartiles using one-fourth of total employment to define each quartile. Earnings are for wage and salary workers. (2) An occupation is placed into one of 11 categories that best describes the postsecondary education or training needed by most workers to become fully qualified. For more information about the categories, see Occupational Projections and Training Data, 2004-05 edition, Bulletin 2572 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 2004) and Occupational Projections and Training Data, 2006-07 edition, Bulletin 2602 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, forthcoming).