Fastest-growing jobs in Iowa
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 Iowa. 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 Iowa.
#50. Physician assistants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.2% (150 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,290
--- Employment in 2022: 1,140
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $128,960
#49. Butchers and meat cutters
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.4% (420 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,560
--- Employment in 2022: 3,140
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,160
#48. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.8% (160 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,320
--- Employment in 2022: 1,160
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $79,910
#47. Electrical engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.8% (130 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,070
--- Employment in 2022: 940
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $106,770
#46. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.3% (1,280 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 10,250
--- Employment in 2022: 8,970
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,690
#45. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.3% (230 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,840
--- Employment in 2022: 1,610
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $40,510
#44. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.7% (260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,030
--- Employment in 2022: 1,770
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $93,910
#43. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.7% (460 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,580
--- Employment in 2022: 3,120
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $29,350
#42. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.9% (860 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,640
--- Employment in 2022: 5,780
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $62,080
#41. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.9% (260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,000
--- Employment in 2022: 1,740
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $59,450
#40. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.1% (950 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,240
--- Employment in 2022: 6,290
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $46,050
#39. Data scientists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.2% (300 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,270
--- Employment in 2022: 1,970
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $96,980
#38. Bakers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.7% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,580
--- Employment in 2022: 2,230
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $32,800
#37. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.8% (1,560 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 11,420
--- Employment in 2022: 9,860
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $60,010
#36. Computer programmers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.3% (160 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,140
--- Employment in 2022: 980
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $82,290
#35. Production workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.4% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,200
--- Employment in 2022: 2,750
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $39,530
#34. Mechanical engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.8% (770 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 5,340
--- Employment in 2022: 4,570
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $97,120
#33. Medical records specialists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.9% (410 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,830
--- Employment in 2022: 2,420
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $49,190
#32. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.0% (300 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,060
--- Employment in 2022: 1,760
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $30,060
#31. Family medicine physicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.1% (190 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,300
--- Employment in 2022: 1,110
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#30. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.4% (340 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,290
--- Employment in 2022: 1,950
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $49,990
#29. Social and human service assistants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.7% (750 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,990
--- Employment in 2022: 4,240
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,720
#28. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.7% (170 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,130
--- Employment in 2022: 960
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $64,170
#27. Business operations specialists, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.8% (1,440 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 9,520
--- Employment in 2022: 8,080
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $68,160
#26. Library technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +18.3% (220 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,420
--- Employment in 2022: 1,200
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,010
#25. Postsecondary teachers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +20.5% (230 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,350
--- Employment in 2022: 1,120
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $59,920
#24. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +20.9% (190 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,100
--- Employment in 2022: 910
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,750
#23. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +21.0% (220 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,270
--- Employment in 2022: 1,050
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $50,990
#22. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +21.1% (230 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,320
--- Employment in 2022: 1,090
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $44,480
#21. Sales managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +22.5% (520 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,830
--- Employment in 2022: 2,310
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $129,080
#20. Project management specialists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +23.0% (1,250 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,690
--- Employment in 2022: 5,440
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $82,350
#19. Waiters and waitresses
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +23.5% (3,680 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 19,350
--- Employment in 2022: 15,670
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $27,000
#18. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +23.8% (3,820 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 19,850
--- Employment in 2022: 16,030
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $41,860
#17. Food service managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +24.1% (210 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,080
--- Employment in 2022: 870
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $65,010
#16. Bus drivers, school
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +24.4% (960 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,890
--- Employment in 2022: 3,930
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $46,850
#15. Civil engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +26.1% (530 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,560
--- Employment in 2022: 2,030
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $92,530
#14. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +26.9% (1,710 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 8,070
--- Employment in 2022: 6,360
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $40,190
#13. Logisticians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +27.6% (420 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,940
--- Employment in 2022: 1,520
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $81,050
#12. Financial and investment analysts
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +31.3% (520 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,180
--- Employment in 2022: 1,660
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $85,650
#11. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +33.1% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,810
--- Employment in 2022: 1,360
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $45,760
#10. Chefs and head cooks
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +34.2% (400 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,570
--- Employment in 2022: 1,170
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $41,790
#9. Emergency medical technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +37.2% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,290
--- Employment in 2022: 940
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,620
#8. Dishwashers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +39.7% (920 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,240
--- Employment in 2022: 2,320
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $26,090
#7. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.3% (330 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,130
--- Employment in 2022: 800
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $40,300
#6. Self-enrichment teachers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.5% (760 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,590
--- Employment in 2022: 1,830
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,460
#5. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.5% (590 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,010
--- Employment in 2022: 1,420
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $45,750
#4. Computer occupations, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +51.5% (1,180 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,470
--- Employment in 2022: 2,290
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $97,090
#3. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +52.9% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,300
--- Employment in 2022: 850
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $30,300
#2. Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +68.2% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,110
--- Employment in 2022: 660
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $39,090
#1. Food processing workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +197.1% (2,070 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,120
--- Employment in 2022: 1,050
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,590
This story features data reporting and writing by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
