7 Best Industries To Find a Job With High Demand and Wage Growth
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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In spite of rising wages, many Americans are worried about their future in the job market right now. Roughly 33% of Americans reported “layoff anxiety,” while 25% said they feel insecure about their job because of the current economic climate, a survey by lending firm Clarify Capital revealed. Half of American workers are looking to change industries, according to a separate report from SideHustles.com.
The good news is that workers in certain sectors and those willing to change industries, will find plenty of opportunities for jobs with average hourly wages over $20 an hour, according to research from Talroo and Resume Now. Below are the seven industries with both the highest demand and wage growth.
Industries With Highest Wage Growth and Largest Talent Gaps
| Industry | Avg. Hourly Wage (Q1 2025) | Wage Growth (%) |
| 1) Trucking | $25.49 | 16% |
| 2) Warehousing | $19.78 | 15% |
| 3) Administrative | $22.13 | 10% |
| 4) Customer service | $19.15 | 10% |
| 5) Caregiving | $16.82 | 8% |
| 6) Retail | $17.44 | 7% |
| 7) Allied healthcare | $33.80 | 3% |
“Despite continued uncertainty across sectors and broader economic concerns, the need for skilled frontline workers remains strong — and in many industries, it’s growing,” Thad Price, CEO of Talroo, said in the Top Frontline Industries by Demand and Wage Growth: Q1 2025 report.
Using data from Talroo, Resume Now broke down some of the industries with the largest demand right now, based on the number of applicants compared to the number of job postings. Trucking remains a secure industry, for now and happens to have both the largest talent gap and the highest wage growth of 16%.
Not surprisingly, high-pressure fields like allied healthcare, caregiving and customer service held spots two through four in terms of talent gaps, with retail coming in not far behind in the sixth slot. While healthcare showed the smallest increase in wages, a mere 3%, it’s also the highest paying industry on the list, with an average hourly wage of $33.80.
Expert Tips for Changing Industries
When you’re changing industries, evaluate your existing skillset and consider areas where you might need additional training. For instance, if you’re entering the field of healthcare or even upper-level caregiving, like a Home Health Aide or Certified Nursing Assistant, you might need specific degrees or certifications.
“It can vary by industry and by role,” said Keith Spencer, certified professional resume writer (CPRW) and Resume Now career expert. He advised considering skills you might be lacking and work on diversifying your skillsets to make yourself as marketable as possible.
“A lot of people focus too much on one narrow track and then find out they’re missing pieces that could potentially help their job search,” he added.
Know Your Audience
Spencer said it’s important to know your audience as you tailor your resume for a specific role or job application.
“Your audience is the recruiters and hiring managers looking to fill the roles you’re targeting. You want to read job descriptions carefully, find out what your audience wants and then show them you have a substantial portion of what they want,” he said.
In areas you may be lacking, consider volunteer work, freelancing or gig work or classes that can fill in those knowledge and experience gaps.
Include These on Your Resume
Spencer emphasized the importance of transferable skills from past job titles and also soft skills that are important in virtually any industry. He recommended adding a “Professional Summary” at the top of your resume that is tailored directly to the job description.
Below that, Spencer said, jobseekers can add a “Highlighted Accomplishments” section that demonstrates special training and skills, courses you’ve taken and bullet-point examples demonstrating how you’ve applied your soft skills in past jobs. “Those are the two big [areas of a resume] I’d leverage a career-changer,” he said.
More From GOBankingRates
- Clarify Capital, “How Layoff Anxiety Is Reshaping Job Security in 2025.”
- SideHustles.com, “The Great Resignation Rush: When Americans Are Most Likely to Quit Their Jobs.”
- Thad Price, Talroo
- Resume Now, “Top Frontline Industries by Demand and Wage Growth: Q1 2025 report.”
- Keith Spencer, Resume Now
