Even if you’re still in high school, it’s never too early to start thinking about your future career! Knowing what field you may want to go into will help you foster skills that will benefit you when you get to college. But which career path is right for you? Aside from your passions and skills, it’s important to consider the state of the industry you’re interested in pursuing. Will demand for roles grow? Is the pay adequate? To help you get started, here’s an overview of each of the top 10 career fields in the United States, designated based on their employment growth rate and/or higher-than-average salaries.

1. Healthcare

Jobs in health care never go out of style. Employment for healthcare occupations is projected to grow 14% from 2018–2028, adding about 1.9 million new jobs. If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is—in fact, healthcare professions are projected to add more jobs than any other occupational group in that time frame. 

Possible roles 

• Doctor
• Nurse practitioner
• Physical therapist
• Dietician
•  Registered nurse

2. Education

Do you have a passion for teaching? Education is an industry that, like health care, will always be essential. Employment for education, training, and library occupations is projected to grow 5% from 2018–2028, adding about 512,900 new jobs. Enrollment is projected to increase at both the college and university level and among public elementary and secondary schools—which means that in addition to postsecondary teachers, preschool, elementary, and secondary school teachers will be in demand.

Possible roles

• Teacher
• Teaching assistant
• Special educator
• School principal

3. Information technology

“Computer nerds” are definitely having the last laugh. The information technology (IT) field is huge already—and it’s only continuing to grow. Employment for computer and information technology professions is projected to grow 12% from 2018–2028—much faster than the average for all other job roles—which will add about 546,200 new jobs. With a greater emphasis on cloud computing, big data, and information security, it’s no wonder the demand for IT jobs is increasing.

Possible roles

• Cybersecurity analyst
• Database administrator
• Software developer
• Web developer

4. Business 

Business majors develop many valuable skills and areas of knowledge that enable them to make a significant contribution to the corporate and nonprofit worlds. Business majors can quantify a set of data, evaluate the financial impact of decisions, and use figures to back up their proposals—basically, they think in numbers. Employment for business and financial operations occupations is projected to grow 7% from 2018–2028, which will add about 591,800 new jobs. 

Possible roles

• Business operations manager
• Compliance officer
• HR manager
• Management analyst