10-Year Occupational Projections Show Broad-Based Job Opportunities Statewide
December 18, 2025Oregon’s total employment will grow by 140,600 jobs between 2024 and 2034, according to new projections from the Oregon Employment Department. Employment projections reflect modest job growth in the economy, although many additional job openings are expected due to the need to replace workers who leave their occupations.
Where Are the Job Openings Focused?
Among the broad occupational groups, health care (13.3%) and construction and extraction (10.9%) top the list for fastest growing by 2034. The fast growth in health care occupations is attributed to the aging of Oregon’s population, longer life expectancies, and an expected rebound in Oregon’s long-term population growth. Growth in construction and extraction occupations is driven by rapid growth in large occupations including construction laborers, roofers, tile and stone setters, hazardous material removers, electricians, and plumbers.
Service occupations, which include food preparation and serving workers, personal appearance workers, protective services, and building and grounds cleaning, rank first with the most job openings (646,000). Service occupations made up 16% of jobs in 2025 and are projected to comprise a quarter (25%) of job openings over the decade.
Detailed Occupations
Occupations expected to have the most job openings include fast food workers, stockers and order fillers, home health and personal care aides, retail salespersons, and cashiers.
Nine of the 15 fastest-growing occupations with 2024 employment of 1,000 or more are health care occupations and those associated with health care. They include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, medical health and services managers, psychiatric technicians, ophthalmic medical technicians, marriage and family therapists, and veterinarians.
| (Minimum of 1,000 jobs in 2024) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupation | 2024 Employment | 10-Year Job Growth Rate | Median Hourly Wage, 2025 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,642 | 48.0% | $71.41 |
| Data Scientists | 2,755 | 32.5% | $52.40 |
| Physician Assistants | 2,096 | 30.7% | $73.65 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 6,285 | 29.4% | $66.37 |
| Psychiatric Technicians | 1,654 | 28.1% | $25.50 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | 1,470 | 27.6% | $24.07 |
| Information Security Analysts | 1,372 | 26.4% | $58.76 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | 1,252 | 24.9% | $39.45 |
| Veterinarians | 1,742 | 23.7% | $50.82 |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | 6,945 | 23.5% | $34.40 |
| Operations Research Analysts | 2,624 | 21.8% | $49.01 |
| Logisticians | 3,149 | 21.5% | $44.03 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | 1,435 | 20.3% | $33.30 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 1,392 | 19.6% | $53.44 |
| Couriers and Messengers | 2,866 | 19.5% | $20.56 |
Computer and mathematical occupations comprise three of the 15 fastest-growing occupations. They include data scientists, information security analysts, and operations research analysts. Rapid growth in computer occupations is due to the increasing volume of data generated from businesses’ and consumers’ expanding digital presence, which increases demand for workers who can model, interpret, and analyze data in addition to demand for the development of AI solutions and their integration into business practices. In addition, the frequency and severity of cyberattacks and data breaches on U.S. businesses is expected to lead to greater demand for information security analysts.
On the other end of the scale, employment levels among several occupations are expected to decline. That includes data entry keyers, bank tellers, payroll and timekeeping clerks, file clerks, and machine feeders and offbearers.
Education
In 2024, six out of 10 jobs in Oregon typically required a minimum of high school education or less. To meet more competitive requirements for Oregon's jobs, six out of 10 required education beyond high school.
Occupations with the most job openings typically requiring a high school diploma or less include fast food workers, stockers and order fillers, retail salespersons, cashiers, and home health and personal care aides. Those requiring a postsecondary certification or associate’s degree include bookkeepers, truck drivers, nursing and medical assistants. Occupations with the most job openings requiring at least a bachelor’s degree vary from general and operations managers to registered nurses, other educational instruction and library workers, project management specialists, and all other business operations specialists.
Additional Information
The 2024-2034 employment projections for Oregon are produced for about 100 industries and 800 occupations. More information on industry and occupational projections for Oregon and sub-state areas can be found at QualityInfo.org/projections.