Fastest-growing jobs in Illinois
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 Illinois. 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 Illinois.
#50. Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +33.3% (580 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,320
--- Employment in 2022: 1,740
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,740
#49. Commercial pilots
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +33.8% (270 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,070
--- Employment in 2022: 800
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#48. Medical equipment repairers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +33.8% (690 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,730
--- Employment in 2022: 2,040
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $64,630
#47. Social and human service assistants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +36.5% (5,720 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 21,400
--- Employment in 2022: 15,680
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $42,790
#46. Home appliance repairers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +38.7% (410 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,470
--- Employment in 2022: 1,060
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $47,650
#45. Orderlies
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +38.7% (650 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,330
--- Employment in 2022: 1,680
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,140
#44. Pediatricians, general
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +38.8% (500 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,790
--- Employment in 2022: 1,290
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $174,970
#43. Natural sciences managers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +39.2% (820 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,910
--- Employment in 2022: 2,090
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $138,340
#42. Stockers and order fillers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +40.0% (39,140 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 136,940
--- Employment in 2022: 97,800
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $36,690
#41. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +40.7% (500 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,730
--- Employment in 2022: 1,230
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $64,960
#40. Tour and travel guides
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +43.6% (340 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,120
--- Employment in 2022: 780
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,910
#39. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +44.0% (700 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,290
--- Employment in 2022: 1,590
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $40,110
#38. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +45.3% (2,470 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,920
--- Employment in 2022: 5,450
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,680
#37. Food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +46.5% (400 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,260
--- Employment in 2022: 860
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $41,420
#36. Athletic trainers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +47.1% (320 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,000
--- Employment in 2022: 680
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $61,110
#35. Travel agents
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +47.7% (830 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,570
--- Employment in 2022: 1,740
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $46,380
#34. News analysts, reporters, and journalists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +47.8% (430 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,330
--- Employment in 2022: 900
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $45,590
#33. Parking attendants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.1% (750 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,310
--- Employment in 2022: 1,560
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,560
#32. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.8% (1,020 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,110
--- Employment in 2022: 2,090
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $48,350
#31. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.8% (420 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,280
--- Employment in 2022: 860
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $130,920
#30. Computer hardware engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.9% (430 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,310
--- Employment in 2022: 880
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $123,590
#29. New accounts clerks
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.9% (680 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,070
--- Employment in 2022: 1,390
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $39,290
#28. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +49.4% (2,520 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,620
--- Employment in 2022: 5,100
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $117,990
#27. Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +50.0% (370 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,110
--- Employment in 2022: 740
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $44,580
#26. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +50.7% (380 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,130
--- Employment in 2022: 750
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $129,840
#25. Physician assistants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +50.8% (1,310 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,890
--- Employment in 2022: 2,580
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $118,400
#24. Gambling dealers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +51.2% (440 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,300
--- Employment in 2022: 860
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $29,150
#23. Special education teachers, preschool
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +52.1% (380 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,110
--- Employment in 2022: 730
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $48,860
#22. Chiropractors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +52.4% (890 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,590
--- Employment in 2022: 1,700
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $61,910
#21. Massage therapists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +52.7% (1,380 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,000
--- Employment in 2022: 2,620
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $60,670
#20. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +53.2% (590 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,700
--- Employment in 2022: 1,110
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $40,300
#19. Special education teachers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +58.0% (1,020 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,780
--- Employment in 2022: 1,760
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $62,500
#18. Mathematical science occupations, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +58.3% (560 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,520
--- Employment in 2022: 960
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $75,620
#17. Slaughterers and meat packers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +59.9% (1,180 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,150
--- Employment in 2022: 1,970
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $44,380
#16. Highway maintenance workers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +61.5% (3,890 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 10,220
--- Employment in 2022: 6,330
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $60,450
#15. Environmental engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +62.6% (620 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,610
--- Employment in 2022: 990
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $102,000
#14. Phlebotomists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +63.8% (3,050 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,830
--- Employment in 2022: 4,780
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $44,530
#13. Emergency medicine physicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +68.2% (600 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,480
--- Employment in 2022: 880
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#12. Skincare specialists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +70.7% (1,180 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,850
--- Employment in 2022: 1,670
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,710
#11. Power plant operators
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +74.0% (540 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,270
--- Employment in 2022: 730
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $103,830
#10. Food processing workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +94.3% (1,000 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,060
--- Employment in 2022: 1,060
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $41,810
#9. Financial clerks, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +95.7% (1,770 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,620
--- Employment in 2022: 1,850
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $50,200
#8. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +119.5% (920 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,690
--- Employment in 2022: 770
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $42,590
#7. Medical transcriptionists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +122.3% (1,480 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,690
--- Employment in 2022: 1,210
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $34,410
#6. Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +124.8% (1,260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,270
--- Employment in 2022: 1,010
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $67,530
#5. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +134.8% (2,480 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,320
--- Employment in 2022: 1,840
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $34,970
#4. Telemarketers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +157.4% (1,810 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,960
--- Employment in 2022: 1,150
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $28,030
#3. Musicians and singers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +182.6% (1,260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,950
--- Employment in 2022: 690
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#2. Surgical assistants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +211.1% (760 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,120
--- Employment in 2022: 360
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $59,630
#1. Actors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +234.7% (4,530 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,460
--- Employment in 2022: 1,930
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
This story features data reporting and writing by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
