Some of the fastest-growing careers right now — wind turbine service technicians, solar photovoltaic installers, home health and personal care aides, and physical therapist assistants — are projected to grow 17% to almost 50% through 2034 and typically require a high school diploma to an associate degree plus short to moderate on-the-job training, not a four-year degree. That growth comes from the fastest growing occupations table that pairs percent growth with wage and job volume.
The catch is percent alone misleads. A 50% rate on a tiny base creates a few thousand jobs, while 17% on a huge base creates hundreds of thousands, and the same table that shows growth also needs its companion typical education needed for entry table plus O*NET Job Zone to confirm how long preparation actually takes. Once you filter for education and compare growth rate against growth volume, three roles consistently surface as high-growth, low-degree with under one year to moderate training and thousands of new openings each — here’s how to run that filter yourself.
Why fastest-growing lists alone mislead career changers
BLS projects total employment projected to increase 3.1 percent from 2024 to 2034 to 175.2 million, adding about 5.2 million jobs. That baseline matters because a fastest-growing list ranks by percent change, not by how many jobs that percent represents.
Take two examples from the current table. Wind turbine service technicians show 49.9% growth and a $62,580 median annual wage in 2024, but that percent sits on 13.6 thousand jobs in 2024 growing to 20.5 thousand in 2034 — about 6.8 thousand new jobs. Home health and personal care aides show 17.0% growth and a $34,900 median, on 4,347.7 thousand jobs growing to 5,087.5 thousand — about 739.8 thousand new jobs. One is fast in rate, the other is massive in volume.
If you need many openings to target, volume beats rate. If you need a niche certificate path with a higher median, rate plus wage matters more. Percent-only headlines push you toward the niche without showing the tradeoff.
Rate vs volume: same growth list, different story
| Occupation | Percent | New jobs | Median 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind turbine service technicians | 49.9% | 6.8k | $62,580 |
| Solar photovoltaic installers | 42.1% | 12.0k | $51,860 |
| Physical therapist assistants | 22.0% | 24.5k | $65,510 |
| Home health and personal care aides | 17.0% | 739.8k | $34,900 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics | 16.1% | 70.7k | $63,760 |
Comparison table showing fastest growing occupations ranked by percent change alongside numeric job growth to highlight volume difference
For a career change, you’ll want both numbers in the same view. That’s what the official tables give you together.
What government data actually includes for each fast-growing job
Each entry in the fastest growing occupations page links to a full occupational profile, but the underlying filter comes from two tables that join on the same detailed occupation code.
Table 1.3 — fastest growing occupations — provides employment in 2024, employment in 2034, employment change numeric 2024-34, employment change percent 2024-34, and median annual wage dollars in 2024 from the OEWS program for wage and salary workers. Table 5.4 — education and training assignments — provides typical education needed for entry and typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency.
Typical education categories include no formal educational credential, high school diploma or equivalent, postsecondary nondegree award, some college no degree, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctoral or professional degree. Typical on-the-job training categories include none, short-term on-the-job training, moderate-term, long-term, internship/residency, and apprenticeship.
When you read a profile, check the How to Become One tab and Pay tab together. Education tells you the credential employers typically ask for, training tells you months on site, and pay shows median, not guaranteed entry pay for your market.
Which fast growers require no bachelor’s degree right now
Apply a simple filter to the 2024-34 fastest-growing table: keep occupations where typical education is below bachelor’s. As of the August 2025 BLS release, that surfaces roles that keep showing up across different ranking cuts.
Wind turbine service technicians typically need a postsecondary nondegree award and moderate-term on-the-job training, with 49.9% growth, about 6.8 thousand new jobs, and a median around $62,580 in 2024. Typical entry education for wind turbine technicians is consistently listed that way in OOH, not a four-year degree.
Solar photovoltaic installers typically need a high school diploma and moderate-term training, with 42.1% growth, about 12.0 thousand new jobs, and median around $51,860. Physical therapist assistants typically need an associate’s degree with no additional OJT category in the table, 22.0% growth, 24.5 thousand new jobs, median around $65,510 — but they require a state license, which is not captured in education alone.
Home health and personal care aides typically need a high school diploma and short-term training, 17.0% growth, 739.8 thousand new jobs, median $34,900 — the largest volume in this no-degree set. Industrial machinery mechanics, high school diploma and long-term OJT, 16.1% growth, 70.7 thousand jobs, median $63,760. Cooks, restaurant, no formal credential and short-term OJT, 14.9% growth, 217 thousand new jobs, median $36,830. The difference between high school and associate matters for runway, not just for eligibility.
No bachelor’s filter — sample with growth, volume, and entry bar
| Occupation | Growth and volume 2024-34 | Typical entry education and training |
|---|---|---|
| Wind turbine service technicians | 49.9% growth, 6.8k new jobs, median $62,580 | Postsecondary nondegree award, moderate-term OJT |
| Home health and personal care aides | 17.0% growth, 739.8k new jobs, median $34,900 | High school diploma, short-term OJT |
| Physical therapist assistants | 22.0% growth, 24.5k new jobs, median $65,510 | Associate’s degree, no OJT category |
Table showing occupations from fastest growing list filtered for typical entry below bachelor’s with growth percent, numeric change, and training
At the job description, look for whether the employer lists a license, certification, or apprenticeship beyond education — for example, physical therapist assistants need licensure in most states. The table alone won’t show that.
Check the typical education and training assignments by opening BLS Table 1.3 and Table 5.4 in two tabs, matching the SOC code for your target occupation, and recording percent change, numeric change, median wage, typical education, and typical training side by side.
How O*NET Job Zones confirm realistic preparation time
Education category alone doesn’t tell you how long it takes to be ready. O*NET Job Zones translate preparation into time bands.
Job Zone definitions run from Zone 1 — little or no preparation, a few days to a few months — to Zone 5 — extensive preparation over several years. Zone 2 is some preparation, typically a few months to one year. Zone 3 is medium preparation, typically one to two years. Zone 4 and 5 require a four-year degree plus years of related work experience.
For the filtered set: wind turbine service technicians are wind turbine service technicians Job Zone 3, medium preparation. Solar photovoltaic installers are Zone 2, some preparation. Home health and personal care aides are Zone 2. Physical therapist assistants are physical therapist assistants Job Zone 3. That mapping explains why a high school plus moderate-term training role can still mean months to a year of combined learning.
The mechanism is simple. A lower Job Zone can be associated with a shorter reskilling runway because O*NET defines preparation as a mix of education, related work experience, and on-the-job training, not just credential name.
The career-transition shortlist matrix you can use to compare
As of the August 2025 BLS release covering 2024-34, here’s a practical shortlist you can reuse. It filters fastest growing jobs to typical education below bachelor’s, ranks by percent growth, then annotates with volume. This framework is a practical evaluation tool created for this guide based on growth percent, numeric change, median wage, typical education, typical training, and O*NET Job Zone described above, not a published hiring standard.
Career-transition shortlist — filtered for no bachelor’s, with preparation time
| Occupation | Growth % / new jobs / median 2024 | Education, training, Job Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Wind turbine service technicians | 49.9% / 6.8k / $62,580 | Postsecondary nondegree, moderate-term, Zone 3, typically 1-2 years prep |
| Solar photovoltaic installers | 42.1% / 12.0k / $51,860 | High school, moderate-term, Zone 2, months to 1 year |
| Physical therapist assistants | 22.0% / 24.5k / $65,510 | Associate’s, none, Zone 3, 1-2 years plus state license |
| Psychiatric technicians | 20.0% / 13.3k / $42,590 | Postsecondary nondegree, short-term, Zone 3, 1-2 years |
| Home health and personal care aides | 17.0% / 739.8k / $34,900 | High school, short-term, Zone 2, weeks to months |
| Industrial machinery mechanics | 16.1% / 70.7k / $63,760 | High school, long-term, Zone 3, 1+ years |
Matrix table showing fastest growing occupations filtered for no bachelor’s with growth percent, numeric change, median wage, education, training, and Job Zone
Use it this way. If you can train under one year, prioritize Zone 2 high school plus short or moderate OJT — solar installers and home health aides fit. If you can complete an associate or postsecondary certificate and a license, add Zone 3 associate roles — they often show a higher median wage but a smaller number of openings.
Every wage here is the BLS median annual wage dollars 2024 from OEWS covering non-farm wage and salary workers in the U.S., as of 2024 data, not a guaranteed individual outcome. Actual entry pay varies by state, employer, and shift.
Why a 50% growth rate can still mean fewer openings than a 17% rate
Percent change is numeric change divided by 2024 employment. A small occupation like wind turbine technicians at 13.6 thousand in 2024 needs only 6.8 thousand more to hit 50%. A large occupation like home health aides at 4,347.7 thousand needs 739.8 thousand to hit 17%. Both numbers come from the same employment 2024 and 2034 columns.
For your search, that means applications per opening look different. High percent, low volume roles often have fewer postings at any given time and are geographically clustered near installations or clinics. High volume roles show more daily postings nationally but also more applicants. Check BLS Table 1.4 occupations with most job growth alongside Table 1.3 to see volume, not just rate.
How to estimate your starting pay if you switch into one of these fast-growing roles
Median is not entry. The median annual wage footnote in Table 1.3 notes it comes from OEWS for wage and salary workers, and it reflects all experience levels in 2024 dollars.
When you switch, you’re typically closer to the lower end of the distribution at first. Open the OOH Pay tab for your chosen occupation — for example, median pay for home health aides — and note the lowest 10% and median. Then check CareerOneStop or your local American Job Center wage data for your state or metro, since cost of labor varies.
A common pattern: roles with lower typical entry education can be associated with a lower median wage but also lower training cost and shorter runway. That tradeoff matters more than a headline growth percent.
For the next step — comparing your current wage to a realistic entry point — see our guide on how big a pay cut to expect when changing careers, which uses percentile data rather than median-only math.
Before committing, open the OOH profile for your chosen occupation, check the Pay tab for lowest 10% and median, and compare to your current occupation’s 25th percentile from BLS OEWS to estimate a realistic entry gap, using 2024 median annual wage data from BLS.
Where job seekers go wrong with fastest-growing job lists
Why “high demand no degree” lists often skip training time and job volume
Many roundups market “no degree required” but omit two columns that change the decision. First, typical on-the-job training — moderate-term or long-term can mean months to more than a year even without a degree. Second, O*NET preparation time — Job Zone 2 versus 3 is months versus one to two years, which affects income gap while training.
They also skip hidden licensing. Physical therapist assistants need licensure, psychiatric technicians often need certification depending on state, and even solar and wind roles often require OSHA safety training or specific employer certs listed in OOH How to Become One. Checking education alone misses that.
And they rarely show volume. A list that only sorts by percent will elevate 6.8 thousand new wind turbine jobs above 739.8 thousand new home health aide jobs, without telling you which markets have daily openings you can actually apply to.
The career move that matters
Filtering fastest growth by education surfaces roles where preparation aligns with a shorter runway, not just a headline rate. Pull your chosen occupation’s percent change, numeric change, median wage as of 2024, typical education and training from BLS tables, and Job Zone from O*NET before you apply, then shortlist only where training time and openings match what you can afford. Choose percent alone and you risk chasing a small, clustered market with a hidden license requirement and fewer daily postings than a moderate-growth role with far more volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest growing job that doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree?
Wind turbine service technicians at 49.9% growth 2024-34 per BLS Table 1.3 is fastest, with median $62,580 in 2024, typical entry postsecondary nondegree award, and Job Zone 3 medium preparation. That percent sits on a small base of 13.6k to 20.5k, about 6.8k new jobs.
How long does it take to train for the fastest growing low-degree jobs?
It ranges from weeks to 1-2 years. BLS lists short-term, moderate-term, and long-term OJT, while O*NET Job Zone 2 means some preparation a few months to one year and Zone 3 means medium one to two years. Always check OOH How to Become One for licenses.
Do fastest growing jobs pay well if they don’t require a degree?
Pay varies widely, from about $34,900 median for home health aides to $65,510 for physical therapist assistants, $63,760 for industrial machinery mechanics, and $62,580 for wind turbine technicians in 2024 U.S. OEWS data for wage and salary workers. Lower education often means lower median but also shorter training and more openings.
Should I choose a job with the highest percent growth or the most total openings?
Choose based on what you need. If you need many postings, prioritize numeric change like home health 739.8k or cooks 217k. If you prioritize certificate plus higher median, percent leaders like wind turbine 49.9% with 6.8k new jobs may fit. Check BLS Table 1.3 and Table 1.4 together.
