A survey (2023 End-of-Year Report) by Payscale analyzed 774,307 U.S. respondents who completed a salary profile ranking the top 10 hottest jobs going into 2024.
Payscale says the top 10 jobs saw wages rise over the last year by double digits, from 18–24 percent.
#1 Assistant manager, customer service
Assistant managers in customer service centers help lead teams of customer service representatives interacting with customers. These teams provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services and handle and resolve general complaints.
Wages will likely grow fast for this position because customer service centers can be stressful work environments, often leading people to seek better positions with higher incomes as soon as they gain the prerequisite skills.
#2 Hairdresser/hairstylist
Hairstylists provide beauty services such as cutting, coloring, and styling hair. Hairstylists also made the top 10 in-demand jobs list in 2021.
#3 Master plumber
Plumbers assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. Master plumbers have experience and skills that exceed those of apprentice plumbers and journeyman plumbers.
#4 Automotive body repairer
Automotive body repairers fix and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
There is a need for more automotive technicians due to an aging population, low pay, and a rising number of older cars. People are keeping their vehicles longer, and older cars have become especially popular in the last year or two as rising interest rates have made new car purchases less affordable.
#5 Job coach
A job coach helps people determine what they want from a job, position themselves for a specific career path, prepare for interviews, and negotiate offers.
Job coach is a relatively new position that has exploded in popularity recently due to social media and the expanding challenges of seeking employment and career advancement during the Great Resignation and the age of AI.
#6 Audio/visual technician
Audio/visual technicians set up, maintain, and dismantle audio and video equipment such as microphones, sound speakers, connecting wires and cables, sound and mixing boards, video cameras, video monitors and servers, and related electronic equipment for live or recorded events, including concerts, meetings, conventions, presentations, podcasts, news conferences, and sporting events.
Over the past few years, AV companies have been desperately short of people since social distancing during the pandemic temporarily eradicated jobs in the events business. In addition, AV tech jobs require much commuting and dealing with frustrating situations and tech issues for relatively low pay. AV tech experts may also have founded their businesses during the pandemic to advise the surge of people who took up podcasting and video blogging while social distancing.
#7 Animator
An animator is an artist who creates graphics for animated films, television shows, or video games. Expanding television programming to support the streaming wars has resulted in more animated programs than ever. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough animators to go around. Training and development opportunities for animators are limited, and good animators get promoted quickly into other roles.
#8 Fitness coach
Fitness coaches instruct groups or individuals in exercise activities for personal fitness. In recent years, wellness has been top of mind as people have become more conscious about managing their mental and physical health. This leads to a higher demand for fitness coaches who can help people lose the weight they may have gained during COVID-19 or embark on exercise programs to improve their energy, positivity, and overall health.
According to Future Market Insights, the global personal fitness trainer market is expected to be valued at $65.5 billion by 2033, an increase of 4.6 percent from today.
#9 Roofer
Roofers cover roofs with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials. Roofers may also spray roofs, sidings, and walls with material to bind, seal, insulate, or soundproof sections of structures. According to John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group, “Roofing right now could put half a million more people to work.” One of the biggest challenges affecting roofing is low retention rates, as loyalty programs are nonexistent or poorly communicated, and roofers are prone to leave one company for another to earn a few dollars per hour more in pay.
#10 General manager
General managers are responsible for improving efficiency and increasing profits while overseeing operations, including hiring staff, managing budgets, and running promotions to attract customers. General manager is a critical job requiring a high degree of knowledge and skill.
JOBS PEOPLE ARE SEEKING TO QUIT THE MOST
Those surveyed by Payscale described these occupations where employees are stressed, underchallenged, burned out, or unhappy with their pay and benefits compared to what they think they can get elsewhere.
- Senior product manager
- Phlebotomist
- Line cook
- Patient care technician
- Registered nurse
Author
