Nurse practitioners lead surge in health care jobs

A profession heavily dominated by women is predicted to be the fastest-growing health care occupation in the next decade and among the fastest overall. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says employment rates for nurse practitioners will skyrocket 40% by 2034 — it’s estimated that 87% are women. The 2024 median pay of a nurse practitioner was $129,210 annually. Of the 20 fastest-growing occupations in all fields, nurse practitioner ranked No. 3 behind only wind turbine service technician and solar photovoltaic installer. The health care and social assistance sectors are projected to be the fastest-growing industry sectors at 8.4%.