5 Types of Jobs That Will Have Massive Openings Once Boomers Retire
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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New high school graduates may be contemplating their post-college career path. The labor market may change significantly by the end of this decade. In 2020, 29 million baby boomers retired, according to Pew Research Center. But that figure pales in comparison to the 75 million boomers set to retire by 2030, according to Cogent Infotech.
Right now, boomers make up roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce — a workforce that is already suffering a labor shortage. According to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are 8.5 million job openings in the U.S. right now, and only 6.5 million unemployed people seeking work.
Which fields will most need new workers heading into the next decade?
Civil Engineers
Civil engineers work in offices and job sites, planning and designing a variety of building and infrastructure construction projects. Jobs in this field are growing faster than the national average, at a rate of 5%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). More than 21,000 jobs should open up in the field each year between now and 2032.
Although men ages 25 to 29 made up the largest group of civil engineers, folks over the age of 60 made up more than 58,000 of the 437,414 civil engineers in the U.S. in 2022, according to DataUSA.io.
Construction Workers
There are more than 375,000 construction laborers and 94,000 construction equipment operators over the age of 55 right now, according to the BLS. It’s a solid field that’s growing as fast as the national average right now, and individuals can launch a career in construction without an expensive college degree. Roughly 57,900 jobs in construction are expected to open up annually through 2032, according to BLS data.
Electricians
Learning a trade can provide a living wage without the expense of a four-year college degree. Get on-the-job training with an apprenticeship to become an electrician and earn a median salary of $61,590 per year, or nearly $30 an hour, per the BLS. Some electricians make much more than that.
The job outlook for electricians is expected to grow at a rate of 6% through 2032, with roughly 49,200 new openings per year due to workers changing fields or retiring. Plus, since so many aspects of an electrician’s job require hands-on activity, this career isn’t likely to be replaced by artificial intelligence.
Healthcare Workers
Adults ages 55 to 64 currently make up 855,000 of the workers in healthcare support occupations. When they retire, demand for workers to fill these roles will grow, especially since many retirees will need increased health services.
In general, demand for healthcare workers will grow much faster than the national average, with roughly 1.8 million openings expected annually through 2032, according to the BLS.
Senior Executives
The labor force stands to lose chief executives in a variety of industries as company leaders retire. These are positions for highly skilled, experienced professionals, so these roles might be harder to fill.
According to BLS data, jobs for chief executives are growing at a rate of 3%, as fast as the national average. Because these are not roles people can take on immediately out of college, however, they might be harder to fill.
Graduates with a business degree might consider management positions that could lead to a role in the C-suite years down the line.
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