Fastest-growing jobs in Connecticut
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 Connecticut. 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 Connecticut.
#50. Operations research analysts
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +12.1% (110 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,020
--- Employment in 2022: 910
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $95,310
#49. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +12.1% (390 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,610
--- Employment in 2022: 3,220
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $83,120
#48. Healthcare social workers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +12.4% (240 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,170
--- Employment in 2022: 1,930
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $79,210
#47. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +12.6% (160 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,430
--- Employment in 2022: 1,270
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $56,260
#46. Self-enrichment teachers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +12.6% (380 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,390
--- Employment in 2022: 3,010
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $55,050
#45. Special education teachers, middle school
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +12.7% (130 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,150
--- Employment in 2022: 1,020
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $83,960
#44. Construction managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.0% (260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,260
--- Employment in 2022: 2,000
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $120,100
#43. Mechanical engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.2% (510 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,360
--- Employment in 2022: 3,850
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $101,700
#42. Cooks, restaurant
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.3% (1,690 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 14,430
--- Employment in 2022: 12,740
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $36,830
#41. Software developers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.5% (2,180 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 18,380
--- Employment in 2022: 16,200
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $125,080
#40. Library assistants, clerical
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.3% (190 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,520
--- Employment in 2022: 1,330
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $36,500
#39. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.4% (290 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,300
--- Employment in 2022: 2,010
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $106,660
#38. Graphic designers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.5% (230 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,820
--- Employment in 2022: 1,590
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $63,180
#37. Stockers and order fillers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.5% (4,860 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 38,380
--- Employment in 2022: 33,520
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,180
#36. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.7% (890 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,960
--- Employment in 2022: 6,070
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $58,710
#35. Parts salespersons
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.1% (300 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,290
--- Employment in 2022: 1,990
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,290
#34. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.3% (230 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,730
--- Employment in 2022: 1,500
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $36,420
#33. Physicians, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.8% (590 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,330
--- Employment in 2022: 3,740
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#32. General and operations managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.8% (6,670 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 48,760
--- Employment in 2022: 42,090
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $123,810
#31. Administrative services managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.3% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,500
--- Employment in 2022: 2,150
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $114,620
#30. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.4% (310 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,200
--- Employment in 2022: 1,890
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $46,090
#29. Nurse practitioners
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.8% (490 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,400
--- Employment in 2022: 2,910
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $135,390
#28. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.2% (170 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,160
--- Employment in 2022: 990
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $84,690
#27. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.2% (220 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,500
--- Employment in 2022: 1,280
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $57,520
#26. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.4% (580 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,910
--- Employment in 2022: 3,330
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $44,820
#25. Marketing managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.8% (1,070 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,080
--- Employment in 2022: 6,010
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $162,690
#24. Bartenders
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +18.0% (1,290 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 8,450
--- Employment in 2022: 7,160
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $32,500
#23. Electrical engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +18.5% (470 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,010
--- Employment in 2022: 2,540
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $114,260
#22. Psychiatric technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +18.9% (180 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,130
--- Employment in 2022: 950
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $49,640
#21. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +20.8% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,030
--- Employment in 2022: 1,680
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $41,650
#20. Coaches and scouts
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +21.0% (750 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,320
--- Employment in 2022: 3,570
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $48,580
#19. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +21.3% (1,360 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,740
--- Employment in 2022: 6,380
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,600
#18. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +22.2% (800 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,410
--- Employment in 2022: 3,610
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,700
#16. Orderlies
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +25.0% (200 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,000
--- Employment in 2022: 800
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $36,940
#16. Project management specialists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +25.0% (1,810 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 9,050
--- Employment in 2022: 7,240
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $99,910
#15. Data scientists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +25.3% (240 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,190
--- Employment in 2022: 950
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $112,750
#14. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +26.2% (390 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,880
--- Employment in 2022: 1,490
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $39,790
#13. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +26.3% (210 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,010
--- Employment in 2022: 800
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $96,990
#12. Insurance sales agents
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +26.4% (1,240 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 5,940
--- Employment in 2022: 4,700
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $73,410
#11. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +27.5% (460 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,130
--- Employment in 2022: 1,670
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $109,090
#10. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +29.1% (1,370 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,070
--- Employment in 2022: 4,700
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $31,030
#9. Firefighters
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +30.3% (710 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,050
--- Employment in 2022: 2,340
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $76,480
#8. Occupational therapists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +31.6% (710 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,960
--- Employment in 2022: 2,250
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $98,190
#7. Production workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +31.6% (250 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,040
--- Employment in 2022: 790
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,740
#6. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +35.0% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,350
--- Employment in 2022: 1,000
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $99,390
#5. Bill and account collectors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +36.8% (280 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,040
--- Employment in 2022: 760
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $48,660
#4. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.6% (840 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,570
--- Employment in 2022: 1,730
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $125,200
#3. Massage therapists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +51.9% (400 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,170
--- Employment in 2022: 770
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $59,890
#2. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +71.8% (560 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,340
--- Employment in 2022: 780
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $31,080
#1. Family medicine physicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +79.5% (700 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,580
--- Employment in 2022: 880
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $203,060
This story features data reporting and writing by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
