Fastest-growing jobs in California
With the country eager to put the pandemic firmly in the rear-view mirror, the American economy continued to boom in 2023. The national unemployment rate remained around 3.6%, while the total number of people employed grew to roughly 152 million, up from 148 million in 2022.
The economy has seen several significant changes in recent years. Many people are leaving expensive coastal states such as California and New York and moving to more affordable places in the Mountain West region and the South, buoyed by companies that have embraced remote work. What's more, in a reversal of past trends, wages grew the fastest for lower-earning workers.
Stacker analyzed jobs data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the fastest-growing jobs in California. Occupations were ranked by the percentage increase in employment between 2022 and 2023. Jobs were excluded from the ranking if they had fewer than 1,000 people working in them in the state.
Keep reading to learn which jobs are growing the fastest in California.
#50. Radiologists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.2% (700 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,400
--- Employment in 2022: 1,700
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $163,440
#49. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.4% (670 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,290
--- Employment in 2022: 1,620
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $43,660
#48. Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.7% (550 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,870
--- Employment in 2022: 1,320
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $104,770
#47. Family medicine physicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.8% (4,560 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 15,480
--- Employment in 2022: 10,920
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $228,970
#46. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +42.0% (1,110 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,750
--- Employment in 2022: 2,640
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $56,330
#45. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +42.1% (8,960 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 30,240
--- Employment in 2022: 21,280
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,360
#44. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +43.2% (1,450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,810
--- Employment in 2022: 3,360
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $84,090
#43. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +44.0% (510 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,670
--- Employment in 2022: 1,160
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $57,140
#42. Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +45.9% (390 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,240
--- Employment in 2022: 850
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,480
#41. Fundraising managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +46.0% (1,420 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,510
--- Employment in 2022: 3,090
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $129,480
#40. Survey researchers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +46.1% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,110
--- Employment in 2022: 760
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $71,060
#39. Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +46.4% (1,540 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,860
--- Employment in 2022: 3,320
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $47,520
#38. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +47.1% (6,260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 19,560
--- Employment in 2022: 13,300
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $74,820
#37. Engine and other machine assemblers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +47.8% (550 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,700
--- Employment in 2022: 1,150
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $47,600
#36. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.4% (7,820 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 23,980
--- Employment in 2022: 16,160
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $39,560
#35. Obstetricians and gynecologists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.6% (1,020 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,120
--- Employment in 2022: 2,100
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#34. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.8% (1,380 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,210
--- Employment in 2022: 2,830
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $73,420
#33. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.8% (410 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,250
--- Employment in 2022: 840
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $109,500
#32. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +49.0% (1,800 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 5,470
--- Employment in 2022: 3,670
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $41,360
#31. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +51.3% (1,340 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,950
--- Employment in 2022: 2,610
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $124,290
#30. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +51.4% (18,560 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 54,660
--- Employment in 2022: 36,100
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $58,080
#29. Chemistry teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +54.3% (700 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,990
--- Employment in 2022: 1,290
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $125,700
#28. Special education teachers, middle school
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +54.4% (2,550 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,240
--- Employment in 2022: 4,690
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $95,380
#27. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +54.4% (430 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,220
--- Employment in 2022: 790
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $59,820
#26. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +55.4% (3,730 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 10,460
--- Employment in 2022: 6,730
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $108,160
#25. Photographers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +55.8% (2,900 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 8,100
--- Employment in 2022: 5,200
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $64,740
#24. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +59.4% (980 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,630
--- Employment in 2022: 1,650
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $39,670
#23. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +60.1% (1,250 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,330
--- Employment in 2022: 2,080
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $139,150
#22. Museum technicians and conservators
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +62.6% (620 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,610
--- Employment in 2022: 990
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $60,830
#21. Chemical engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +64.9% (610 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,550
--- Employment in 2022: 940
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $110,920
#20. Dancers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +65.1% (1,920 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,870
--- Employment in 2022: 2,950
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#19. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +70.0% (14,810 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 35,960
--- Employment in 2022: 21,150
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $65,970
#18. Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +73.0% (730 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,730
--- Employment in 2022: 1,000
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $125,770
#17. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +74.3% (1,650 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,870
--- Employment in 2022: 2,220
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $59,560
#16. Food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +77.1% (1,350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,100
--- Employment in 2022: 1,750
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,980
#15. Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +77.6% (1,840 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,210
--- Employment in 2022: 2,370
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $61,650
#14. Barbers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +78.6% (660 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,500
--- Employment in 2022: 840
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,970
#13. Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +80.3% (1,260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,830
--- Employment in 2022: 1,570
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $96,940
#12. Continuous mining machine operators
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +80.4% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,010
--- Employment in 2022: 560
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $60,910
#11. Sociology teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +81.0% (510 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,140
--- Employment in 2022: 630
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $126,280
#10. Physics teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +84.0% (680 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,490
--- Employment in 2022: 810
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $125,440
#9. Slaughterers and meat packers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +87.0% (3,740 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 8,040
--- Employment in 2022: 4,300
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $36,810
#8. Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +96.6% (570 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,160
--- Employment in 2022: 590
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $115,840
#7. Operations research analysts
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +133.2% (11,480 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 20,100
--- Employment in 2022: 8,620
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $82,870
#6. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +157.7% (820 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,340
--- Employment in 2022: 520
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,330
#5. Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +185.1% (870 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,340
--- Employment in 2022: 470
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,690
#4. History teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +191.6% (1,820 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,770
--- Employment in 2022: 950
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $97,390
#3. Disc jockeys, except radio
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +356.8% (1,570 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,010
--- Employment in 2022: 440
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#2. Subway and streetcar operators
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +420.6% (1,430 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,770
--- Employment in 2022: 340
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $73,600
#1. Taxi drivers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +696.2% (3,690 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,220
--- Employment in 2022: 530
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,280
This story features data reporting and writing by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
