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Updated November 6, 2025.
Are you unhappy with your current career path? Take control with a career change! In this post, you’ll learn the high-demand careers to change to right now, along with how to uncover your own idea of the best career for you.
So get ready to take the reins of your professional life by switching careers to something that you actually care about. Which, by the way, should be the real definition of “career success!”
Curious about a specific field? Jump ahead:
Healthcare and medical science
Information technology and engineering
Why change careers?
The reasons for a career change are highly personal. Whatever your reasons are, if they’re high on your priority list in life, you’re completely justified in exploring a new career.
That’s true even if your current role is considered successful… even if you’re well-paid… and even if you think your role won’t be eliminated.
Why?
According to a recent survey of 1,000 US business leaders:
- 40% of companies laid off workers in 2025
- 60% anticipate layoffs at their company in 2026
In other words: job security ain’t so secure anymore.
Reasons to change careers might include:
More money and better benefits
Maybe you’ve reached the top of your earning potential at your employer and in your current field. Or you might want to make a career switch to a different field with a higher starting salary.
Either way, even without direct experience in a new career path, switching careers can yield opportunities for more competitive salaries and benefits — including better health insurance, more paid time off, better maternity and paternity leave policies, and more.
And let’s be honest — most of us wouldn’t work for free, right? So as long as we’re working for a paycheck, that paycheck (and those benefits!) may as well earn us the lifestyle we want.
More flexibility
According to a Flex Index report, 32% of US companies now require employees to be in the office 5 days a week. Another 43% of employers require some in-office days with a hybrid model.
For professionals looking to escape commutes and reap the benefits of remote work, this is far from ideal!
So whether your industry requires you to be on-site more often than you’d like, work more hours than you want, or be on call too much (hello, healthcare workers!) — seeking more flexibility is a great reason for a career change.
Join a growing industry
With automation on the rise, layoffs dominating the news, and the looming threat of a recession, many industries are facing stagnation or decline. But if you love what you do, you might not want to change careers — and that’s ok!
On the other hand, if you hate what you do and you’re living in fear of layoffs, changing course to a booming field with great opportunities could be exactly what you need!
Changing fields can be a process. It could involve plenty of research, exploring new resources, or furthering your education by taking a course or going back to school.
But if you could get the life you want by gaining just a bit more knowledge, would you do it?
Better alignment with interests and values
We don’t have to love what we do. But can we all agree that we deserve to at least like it?
If your role isn’t a good fit with what you care about and enjoy doing, it can add a lot of stress and exhaustion to your life. That’s true even if your role is a great match for your skills!
But with a successful career change, you can start to pursue something that fits you better.
The fear of not having any experience in a new field can hold us back from exploring this. But once you discover a field that you’re truly interested in, you’ll dive into the research and start to see how your existing skills and unique talents fit into this new path.
Need support to figure out what new career path you’re actually interested in? Career discovery coaching services could help!
Escape burnout
It’s impossible to stay motivated when you’re in the midst of workplace burnout. The exhaustion and detachment caused by prolonged stress can completely wear you out, impacting your performance at work and your energy and attitude in other areas of life.
And despite a great support system, helpful advice from friends and family, or attempts to shift your attitude, you can find yourself burnt out in just about any field.
So if you’re no longer interested in or passionate about what you do, and no longer motivated to make progress or develop your skills in this field, it’s not your fault! This just may not be the right industry for you anymore.
36 of the best career-change jobs right now
We built this list using data and strategies from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and US News. It covers the fastest-growing professions in the US, including the best opportunities for sustained growth, career advancement, and earning potential.
There are opportunities for hybrid and remote work, a variety of skills represented, and varying education requirements. Many of these best jobs require a college degree, but not all — and your specific major doesn’t always matter.
Median salary data is from 2023, the most recently available data at the time of publication.
While most lists of best career-change options prioritize growth rate, we started by categorizing the roles by industry, then ranking them by the projected number of new positions to be added through 2033. That’s because overall growth is important… but if you’re looking for a career change, knowing how many open roles to expect could be more telling.
Animals
Veterinary technologist and technician
Medical care and support for animals in vet offices, shelters, or other health-care settings.
- Growth rate: 19.3% (24,300 new jobs)
- Median salary: $43,740/year
- Degree and licensing: Associate’s degree or higher in veterinary technology or related for technicians; Bachelor’s degree or higher in veterinary technology or related for technologists
Veterinary assistant and laboratory animal caretaker
Perform standard care for animals in veterinary or lab settings, aiding vets and/or scientists with typical job duties.
- Growth rate: 19% (22,900 new jobs)
- Median salary: $36,440/year
- Degree and licensing: High school diploma required, plus national exam and license for veterinary assistants
Veterinarian
A medical doctor for animals, veterinarians examine, test, and treat/operate on domestic and/or wild animals.
- Growth rate: 19.1% (16,800 new jobs)
- Median salary: $119,100/year
- Degree and licensing: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), plus state license
Business services
Financial manager
Analyze data, identify trends, and guide business leaders toward strong financial practices.
- Growth rate: 16.5% (138,300 new jobs)
- Median salary: $156,100/year
- Degree and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in finance, accounting, economics, or related field
Management analyst
Improve organizational efficiency for corporations and/or government agencies.
- Growth rate: 10.6% (107,900 new jobs)
- Median salary: $99,410/year
- Degree and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher
Financial advisor
Support clients with financial literacy, money management, and reaching financial goals.
- Growth rate: 17.1% (55,000 new jobs)
- Median salary: $99,580/year
- Degree and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher typically required, plus assorted licenses (both education and licensing requirements vary signficantly by state and specific role)
Logistician
Assess, maintain, and improve the supply chain of an organization.
- Growth rate: 19% (45,800 new jobs)
- Median salary: $79,400/year
- Degree and licensing: Associate’s degree or higher typically desired; work experience may substitute
Marketing manager
Develop and execute marketing strategies for professional organizations.
- Growth rate: 8.2% (31,100 new jobs)
- Median salary: $157,620/year
- Degree and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher typically desired; work experience may substitute
Operations research analyst
Diagnose, assess, and resolve operational challenges for organizations, delivering key insights to improve efficiency.
- Growth rate: 23% (28,300 new jobs)
- Median salary: $83,640/year
- Degree and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher typically preferred
Financial examiner
Enforce compliance with finance laws at financial institutions, insurance firms, or government organizations.
- Growth rate: 21% (13,800 new jobs)
- Median salary: $84,300/year
- Degree and licensing: Bachelor’s degree in accounting or similar field typically required
Actuary
Assess and mitigate financial risk for professional organizations, insurance companies, government, and more.
- Growth rate: 21.8% (6,600 new jobs)
- Median salary: $120,000/year
- Degree and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher typically required, plus actuarial certification
Other professional services
Lawyer
Represent clients for legal matters, whether in court or through developing legal documents.
- Growth rate: 5.2% (44,200 new jobs)
- Median pay: $145,760/year
- Degree and licensing: Juris Doctor (JD) post-grad degree, plus state license
Airline or commercial pilot
Fly airplanes and/or helicopters carrying passengers or cargo.
- Growth rate: 5% (8,000 new jobs)
- Median pay: $171,210/year
- Degree and licensing: High school diploma or higher, plus varied pilot’s licenses for private and/or commercial flight
- Pilots must also pass a medical exam
Healthcare and medical science
Home health and personal care aide
This role has the highest projected number of new jobs on the list!
Assist people with chronic illnesses or disabilities in carrying out daily tasks, both in and outside of the home.
- Growth rate: 21% (820,500 new jobs)
- Median pay: $33,530/year
- Degree and licensing: High school diploma preferred, plus training or exams for certain settings (certified home health, hospice)
Medical and health services manager
Administrative and managerial work supporting the operations of medical facilities and healthcare offices.
- Growth rate: 28.5% (160,600 new jobs)
- Median pay: $110,680/year
- Degree and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in healthcare administration, public health, business, or related field
Nurse practitioner
Primary and specialty care for patients, including prescribing treatments and promoting strategies to improve health.
- Growth rate: 46% (141,200 new jobs)
- Median pay: $126,260/year
- Degree and licensing: Master’s degree or higher in nursing, plus national certification and state license
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselor
Assist clients with afflictions including addiction and mental health conditions, often in partnership with other health and social workers.
- Growth rate: 18.8% (84,500 new jobs)
- Median pay: $53,710/year
- Degree and licensing: Associate’s degree or higher, plus state license (both education and licensing requirements vary signficantly by state)
Physician assistant
Work collaboratively within healthcare teams to diagnose and treat patients in a variety of healthcare settings.
- Growth rate: 28.5% (43,700 new jobs)
- Median pay: $130,020/year
- Degree and licensing: Master’s degree in physician assistant studies, plus a national exam and state license
Physical therapist
Support patients with injuries to heal, reduce pain, and/or improve their mobility through stretches, exercises, and other strategies.
- Growth rate: 14% (36,800 new jobs)
- Median pay: $99,710/year
- Degree and licensing: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), plus state license
Speech-language pathologist
Assess and treat patients for disorders impacting their speech and language skills.
- Growth rate: 18.4% (33,300 new jobs)
- Median pay: $89,290/year
- Degree and licensing: Master’s in speech-language pathology, plus a national exam and state license
Physical therapist assistant
Aid physical therapists in a joint mission to help patients heal, reduce pain, and/or improve mobility.
- Growth rate: 25% (28,800 new jobs)
- Median pay: $64,080/year
- Degree and licensing: Associate’s degree or higher in physical therapy assistance, plus a national exam and state license
Respiratory therapist
Care for patients with respiratory afflictions, typically in hospitals and other medical facilities.
- Growth rate: 13% (17,500 new jobs)
- Median pay: $77,960/year
- Degree and licensing: Associate’s degree or higher, plus state license where required
Occupational therapist
Support patients to achieve or maintain the physical ability to handle essential personal and household tasks (chores, showering, etc.).
- Growth rate: 11% (16,800 new jobs)
- Median pay: $96,370/year
- Degree and licensing: Master’s degree in occupational therapy, plus state license where required
Occupational therapy assistant
Assist occupational therapists to help clients build skills and strength to perform daily tasks.
- Growth rate: 21% (10,800 new jobs)
- Median pay: $67,010/year
- Degree and licensing: Associate’s degree or higher in occupational therapy assistance, plus state license
Nurse anesthetist
This role has the highest median pay on the list!
Determine anesthesia requirements and adminster anesthesia, monitoring patients during medical procedures.
- Growth rate: 10.4% (5,200 new jobs)
- Median pay: $212,650/year
- Degree and licensing: As of 2025, a doctoral degree is now required
Epidemiologist
Analyze diseases and injuries to identify and explore patterns, employed by government, hospitals, and educational institutions.
- Growth rate: 19% (2,100 new jobs)
- Median pay: $81,390/year
- Degree and licensing: Master’s degree or higher in public health or related field
Information technology and engineering
Software developer
Create, maintain, and update software programs and other solutions, with varying degrees of coding knowledge required.
- Growth rate: 17.9% (327,900 new jobs)
- Median salary: $132,270/year
- Education and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in computer science, software engineering, or related field is preferred, but there are no firm education or licensure requirements for this profession
Information technology manager
Develop, maintain, and assess organizational use of tech, including computers, servers, and more.
- Growth rate: 17.4% (106,900 new jobs)
- Median salary: $169,510/year
- Education and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in computer science, information technology, or related field is preferred
Data scientist
Review and analyze data to deliver key insights to professional organizations.
- Growth rate: 36% (73,100 new jobs)
- Median salary: $108,020/year
- Education and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in statistics, math, or similar field
Information security analyst
Design, launch, and maintain cybersecurity systems for corporations and government agencies.
- Growth rate: 32.7% (59,100 new jobs)
- Median salary: $120,360/year
- Education and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in information technology or similar field usuallly desired; relevant certifications and/or work experience may substitute
Industrial engineer
Create, maintain, and modify systems to improve performance and efficiency for manufacturers, logistics companies, and more.
- Growth rate: 12.2% (40,900 new jobs)
- Median salary: $99,380/year
- Education and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in industrial engineering, mechanical or electrical engineering, or related
Network engineer
Design, deliver, and document systems of computers and information networks for companies.
- Growth rate: 13.4% (23,900 new jobs)
- Median salary: $129,840/year
- Education and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in information technology, engineering, or related
Computer and information research scientist
Develop new technologies and discover unique ways to use existing technologies within corporations or government orgs.
- Growth rate: 26% (9,400 new jobs)
- Median salary: $145,080/year
- Education and licensing: Bachelor’s degree or higher in computer science or related field
Trades and technicians
Medical equipment repairer
Maintain and repair essential medical technologies for healthcare facilities and home health.
- Growth rate: 18.4% (12,300 new jobs)
- Median salary: $60,670/year
- Education and licensing: Associate’s degree or higher in biomedical technology or engineering typically desired; relevant work experience may substitute
Solar photovoltaic installer
Assemble, install, and maintain solar systems on location, including on rooftops.
- Growth rate: 48% (12,000 new jobs)
- Median salary: $48,800/year
- Education and licensing: High school diploma preferred
Wind turbine service technician
This role has the highest growth rate on the list!
Maintain and repair active wind turbines on-site.
- Growth rate: 60% (6,800 new jobs)
- Median salary: $61,770/year
- Education and licensing: High school diploma or higher, plus certificate or associate’s degree in wind energy tech or related field
Careers to change to FAQs
Whether considering a career change or preparing to change careers soon, here are some of the top questions folks are asking.
What’s the best career to switch to?
We could make lists like these all day long (and many do) — but the bottom line is a little different. The best career change job is the one that meets your specific, highly unique priorities!
And until you understand exactly what those are — what you never want to do again, what you wish you could do every day, what pay and benefits are critical to you, what you need to feel fulfilled, and so much more — you can’t know what the best career for you really is.
So try not to place too much importance on the conventionally “best jobs.” Instead, focus on discovering what your best jobs could be, and why.
What career is most in demand right now?
The occupation that’s projected to grow the most, in terms of total number of added positions? Home health and personal care aides!
They help people with chronic illnesses or disabilities to carry out daily tasks, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a whopping 820,500 new openings for this role by 2033!
Unfortunately, median pay is pretty low at just $33,530/year — but the barriers to entry are low, too! You don’t need a college degree to make this career switch.
Is 35 too old for a career change?
Heck no! Career changers of all ages are forging new paths. For example, I changed careers at age 33 and started coaching at 34.
A career change at 35 could be exactly what you need to rediscover what you’re passionate about and explore a new direction and a new definition of success in your life!
How to figure out what career to switch to?
Advice is great, and quizzes are fun. But when you’re trying to figure out what new career path to pursue, outside influence actually isn’t the best way to find direction!
Instead, you’ll get the best results by looking inward. Spend some focused, dedicated time — I’m talking 4-6 hours — exploring exactly what you dislike about your current role, what you used to love (if anything), what you wish you could do more of, and what you never want to do again.
Use this time to get crystal-clear on your values and your priorities in life (not just in your career).
It may be difficult to set aside time for this process, but the results will blow you away. You’ll be able to create connections and identify themes and patterns that you never could before — and that reveals new ideas and career options you might not have expected.
You will never regret taking the time to get clear on why, when, and how you want to change careers.
So — are you ready to find direction and discover a fulfilling career path?
Exploring your career change options on your own might sound daunting…
But what if you had someone to guide you?
I designed a day of self-reflection that finally unveiled my ideal career — and exactly why it was the right fit for me. Now, you can partner with me to uncover your most fulfilling career!
I’ll be by your side as we explore the exact process and resources I used to finally break away and change careers: a private career coaching package called The 4-Step Career Reset.
I’ve been through the career change process myself… and now, as a certified coach, I’m trained to help you do the same.
Interested? Book a free intro call now — and in just a few months, you could be ready to change careers!
