Top 15 Fastest-Growing Jobs in California

Ms. Inglish is a successful employment & training pro, setting Midwest regional records with tens of thousands placed in gainful employment.

Economy and Jobs From 2020 Through 2030

California experienced a decline in its economy because of the novel coronavirus pandemic during the second quarter of 2020, but healthcare jobs began to increase and shuttered businesses began to reopen in May and June.

Among healthcare jobs that increased in numbers during the first half of the year were registered and licensed practical nurses, doctors in a variety of specialties, technicians across the medical field, respiratory therapists, and infectious control experts.

Medical testing professionals were in demand for viral testing and antibody determination, and lab techs were needed to work on treatments and cures for COVID-19. Related support positions increased as well and will continue to increase throughout the decade. This especially includes professionals in disinfecting hospitals and clinics and others who trace patient contacts to warn those who have been recently exposed to the disease.

Higher standards of sanitizing and disinfecting health in medical settings as well as businesses will result in increased related jobs available for several decades.

California Business and Job Growth

California added at least 32,300 jobs in education, health, professional services, and business services during January 2017, according to the DOL, at the same time that the state minimum wage increased from $10.00 to $10.50/hour. The 2020 California minimum wage became $12 for small employers and $13 for large employers.

By March 2017, the state showed at least 380,000 job listings on leading search engines SimplyHired and Indeed.

During 2019, California experienced job growth of 1.8%, compared to the U.S. average of 1.4%. Unemployment stood at the rate of 3.9% from November 2019 through February 2020, climbed to 5.5% in March, and hit 15.5% in April as a result of COVID-19 business closures. However, businesses began to reopen in late May.

During the first week of June 2020, the state experienced advertised job listings of over 240,000 positions, with over 4,000 of these jobs listed as remote, online work-from-home employment. The total jobs listed in June 2020 is 36% lower than in March 2017 but is expected by state leaders to grow beyond the March 2017 figure over the summer of 2020.

Healthcare openings will increase from 2020 through 2030, aloing with aerospace, IT, shipping and delivery, and manufacturing jobs.

Top 15 Fastest Growing Jobs 2016–2026 and Median Salaries

1. Personal Care Aides $24,419
2. Food Prep and Serving $25,232
3. Transportation and Material Moving $32,260
4. Healthcare Practitioners $86,619
5. Construction and Extraction $54,394
6. General and Operations Managers $117,727
7. Business and Financial Specialists $75,454
8. Computer and Math Jobs $102,034
9. Education and Training $55,302
10. Healthcare Support Jobs $34,983
11. Administrative Support Staff $39,132
12. Retail and Wholesale Sales $31,001
13. Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance $30,108
14. Software App Developers $123,085
15. Registered Nurses $102,288

The 2020 California Minimum Wage became $12 for small employers and $13 for large employers.

Top 20 Largest Employers in California

Many of these employers are involved in aerospace, defense, energy, healthcare, and IT.

1. 32nd St Naval Station San Diego, Federal Government and National Security
2. Alphabet Inc,, Mountain View, Internet Search Engines
3. Amgen Inc., Newbury Park, Biological Specimens-Manufacturers
4. Applied Materials Inc., Santa Clara, Semiconductor Manufacturing
5. Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, Aircraft-Manufacturers
6. Broadcom Corp., Irvine, Semiconductors & Related Devices
7. Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, Hospitals
8. Chevron Corp., San Ramon, Oil Refiners
9. Cisco Systems Inc., San Jose, Computer Peripherals,
10. Community Regional Medical Center, Fresno, Hospitals
11. D & G Mortgage Group Inc., Davis, Internet Service
12. Department of Transportation, Sacramento, State Government
13. Ebay Inc., San Jose, E-Commerce
14. Edwards Air Force Base
15. Flextronics International, Milpitas, Semiconductor Devices
16. Intel Corp., Santa Clara, Semiconductor Devices
17. JET Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Research Service
18. Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, Hospitals
19. LAC & Usc Medical Center, Los Angeles Hospitals
20. Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Livermore

Alphabet, Inc. Googleplex HQ.

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Top California Job Advertisers

1. CVS Health and Retail. Retail, pharmacy technicians, managers, other.
2. Vons Grocers, Safeway Grocery Stores, and Superior Grocers
3. McDonald's Restaurants
4. CARE.com: personal and home health aides, nannies, and companions
5. Starbucks
6. System Transport
7. Postmates: delivery services
8. Amazon Web Services, Inc.
9. PetSmart: Retail pet supplies.
10. Apple
11. Sam Ramone Franchises
12. Kaiser Permanente: hospitals
13. Del Taco
14. Albertsons: Grocery Stores
15. Northrop Grumman: aerospace, defense
16. Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, So Cal Pizza
17. The Aerospace Corporation
18. SpaceX
19. Lockheed Martin: Aerospace, defense
20. Raytheon Technology: aerospace, defense

Highest Demand Jobs Listed in California

1. Truck Drivers, all types of trucks
2. Sales Jobs, including supervisors
3. Registered Nurses
4. Manufacturing Jobs: SpaceX, Tesla, Amazon, other
5. Food Service Jobs: crew, managers, and delivery
6. Grocery Jobs, including delivery
7. Engineers and Technicians, including aerospace and IT
8. Housekeeping and Cleaning
9. Licensed Practical and Vocational Nurses
10. Physicians, several specialities, especially emergency medicine

Cities With the Most Job Openings:

1. Los Angeles
2. San Francisco
3. San Diego
4. San Jose
5. Sacramento
6. Irvine
7. Fresno
8. Oakland
9. Riverside

Worker-Recommended Cities for Jobs From Glassdoor.com

• Bakersfield, California: Construction, Insurance, Financial Products & Services Construction, insurance, and financial products jobs are being listed in central California, especially Kern County. Construction positions, including supervisors, fill most of the top 20 slots for high-demand jobs in Bakersfield.
• Hidden Hills Jobs and Internships: This is a suburb of west Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley, Hidden Hills is among the BusinessWeek Wealthiest 25 Cities in America.
• Inland Empire Sustainable Industry. The Inland Empire contains two counties in southern California, east of Los Angeles. The fastest growing industries include tourism, wholesale trade, logistics, healthcare, bioengineering medicine, food products, and technologies.
• Lincoln, CA: Electric Cars and Alternative Energy, Lincoln is a hot spot for alternative energies and fuels, especially electric cars called LEVs.
• Sacramento. Business development and new jobs are growing in Sacramento, one of the top 25 best US cities for jobs, according to Forbes and others. Long-term, high-paying careers are available in several areas.
• Stockton, California, features active ports on thousands of miles of clear waterways in what is well known as the California Delta and is where one of the state's major colleges is located.

Sources

• California Economic Development Department.
• California Labor Market.
• Roosevelt, Margot. Job growth in California accelerates, even as it slows nationally. Los Angeles Times. January 24, 2020.
• WalletHub.com California Best and Worst Job Cities.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Comments and Additions

Madmannart from Long Beach WA on September 24, 2013:

Great information here, I may put it to good use!

Patton on September 14, 2013:

How about hotel sales and catering jobs. Each hotel employs 1-10 or more sales and catering people. Start entry level around 40-60K plus bonus and advance to 100K plus. Try ecornell online or aprinda dottt commm for online certificates and some free courses. Good field to get into

Michael on January 17, 2012:

yeah, poker stars :))

Michael on October 20, 2011:

Hi. I am looking for a few good reputal on line jobs. can you direct me to some recommended sites.

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on May 11, 2008:

But perhaps Medical Billing might help if she needed to sign on with a temporary staffing agency when she first arrived in California.

Fierce Manson from Atlanta on May 11, 2008:

I know here I am again, but this is a serious matter for me, I am so glad u have listed the top 25 jobs in CA, boy my friend is going in wrong direction already she is studying medical billing here to prepare for jobs there.