Bright Outlook careers: the jobs expected to grow fastest
O*NET marks an occupation as Bright Outlook when federal projections show it growing much faster than average, or producing a very large number of openings each year. It is the closest thing official data offers to a list of where the jobs will be.
There are 346 Bright Outlook occupations in the current data. The list below ranks the best-paid of them by median annual wage, so you can see where growth and pay overlap rather than choosing between the two.
Bright Outlook occupations, ranked by median annual pay
Median annual wage, national, BLS May 2025. Top figure here: $328,730.
What the two categories mean
O*NET splits Bright Outlook into two signals: “Rapid Growth” means employment is projected to grow much faster than average, while “Numerous Job Openings” means the occupation is expected to create a large volume of openings even if its growth rate is average — usually because it is huge and people retire or move on. Each occupation page on this site shows which signal applies.
Growth is not a guarantee
Projections describe the economy as forecasters expect it to be, not as it will be. A growing occupation can still be hard to break into locally, and a shrinking one can still have openings through turnover. Treat the flag as one input alongside pay, training cost and your own interest in the work.
Faster routes in
If you want growth without a four-year degree, filter by preparation: our guide to the highest paying jobs without a degree lists occupations reachable through certificates and apprenticeships, many of which also carry the Bright Outlook flag.