MONTGOMERY– The Labor Market Information Division of the Alabama Department of Labor has released its new employment projections through 2024. These projections use a variety of data inputs, including growth, online job ads, openings, and wages to determine demand, growth, and decline. Based on these projections, occupations in the tech and medical fields have the most potential for growth, while declining occupations include clerical and textile jobs.
The occupations projected in highest demand and their annual salaries are: software developers, applications ($93,782), registered nurses ($57,170), computer systems analysts ($80,610), physical therapists ($86,538), and industrial engineers ($86,347), among others.
All of the top 10 high demand occupations have annual salaries above $50,000. 
Additionally, the projected fastest growing occupations are: occupational therapy assistants, physical therapy assistants, physical therapist aides, ambulance drivers and attendants, and home health aides, among others.
The occupations listed above all have average annual growth of more than three percent.
Occupations showing the projected greatest decline are: bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks with a net loss of 1,770 jobs, postal service mail carriers with a net loss of 1,280 jobs, fast food cooks with a net loss of 1,210 jobs, tellers with a net loss of 960 jobs, and cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders (metal and plastic) with a net loss of 620 jobs, among others.
“It’s not surprising to see that the medical field and the technical field dominate the list of high demand and fast growing occupations in Alabama,” said Fitzgerald Washington, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Labor. “The Birmingham and Huntsville metro areas, working with state and local governments and economic development groups, are doing very well at recruiting these types of jobs, and at supplying employers with a trained and qualified workforce. The fact that these jobs come with high salaries is an added bonus. We are constantly working to improve the quality of life for all Alabamians.”
Projections are also available for workforce development regions. All projections can be found at: https://www2.labor.alabama.gov/Projections/Occupational/Regions2024B.aspx.
Media Release/Tara Hutchison
Communications Director
Alabama Department of Labor
