It can be difficult to know where to start when looking for your dream job, with thousands upon thousands of different careers and roles on offer.
We have well over 7 million jobs being advertised and there’s no way you could search through them all. Being targeted with your job search is one way to make your life much easier so we’ve picked out the hottest jobs for 2022 to help you.
Here you’ll find information on which jobs increased most in demand over 2021, with thousands more vacancies on offer now compare to a year ago. We also look at which job roles have bumped up the salary scale the most. If you currently work in one of these industries, it could be time for a raise!
Are you a journalist looking for jobs data? We’d be happy to help – get in touch with us.
The roles growing in demand
2021 was a year of transformation for the labor market. In January 2021, employers cautiously navigated hiring needs, but by November employers had turned the taps on and were looking to take on a flood of new staff.
At the top of our list, Warehouse Worker was the role that grew most in demand. There were 27,766 vacancies advertised for Warehouse Workers in January 2021 but by November that number had grown to just shy of 126,000. That’s an increase of 354%! As a result, average salaries on offer have grown 10% to $30,638.
The job market renaissance also shows in the huge rise in openings for Recruitment Consultants. With more people moving jobs than ever before, more recruitment specialists are needed to help fill urgent roles. Openings for Recruitment Consultants rose 332% over 2021 with over 26,000 jobs now on offer paying an average of $71,409. It remains one of the most hotly sought roles moving into 2022.
Coming in third we have Security Guards. Openings for security specialists grew 325% last year with more than 41,000 jobs currently advertised, paying $31,180.
Clerical work has also shot up, particularly as these jobs are often challenging to do remotely meaning employers looking for clerks may be having a harder time filling positions. Finance Clerk featured fourth on our list with nearly 46,000 job openings on offer, a rise of 288% compared to January 2021. The struggle to hire has also led to skyrocketing salaries for this position. Advertised salaries grew 74% over last year, hitting $50,558 and it’s now a much more lucrative role to consider.
Surging sectors
Looking more broadly, the Logistics & Warehousing and IT industries are seeing the biggest boom of job opportunities with a surge in roles for Delivery Drivers, Data Scientists, and Full Stack Developers. Both are good bets if you’re looking for a career change.
Hospitality & Catering is also hiring at volume, with thousands of openings for Restaurant Managers and Cooks and rising pay on offer. More on that later!
Table 1: The 30 jobs increasing most in demand over 2021
| Job Title | Advertised job vacancies, Jan '21 | Advertised job vacancies, Nov '21 | Change in advertised vacancies | Average advertised salary, Jan '21 | Average advertised salary, Nov '21 | Change in average advertised salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Worker | 27,766 | 125,944 | 353.6% | $27,767 | $30,638 | 10.3% |
| Recruitment Consultant | 6,143 | 26,545 | 332.1% | $64,113 | $71,409 | 11.4% |
| Security Guard | 9,762 | 41,451 | 324.6% | $33,851 | $31,180 | -7.9% |
| Finance Clerk | 11,798 | 45,785 | 228.1% | $29,093 | $50,558 | 73.8% |
| Customer Service Associate | 12,363 | 47,678 | 285.7% | $32,831 | $32,298 | -1.6% |
| Forklift Operator | 6,332 | 22,424 | 254.1% | $29,119 | $32,873 | 12.9% |
| Materials Handler | 6,196 | 20,763 | 235.1% | $27,317 | $32,030 | 17.3% |
| Receptionist | 6,160 | 20,267 | 229.0% | $32,516 | $31,160 | -4.2% |
| General Manager | 9,839 | 32,013 | 225.4% | $56,223 | $60,439 | 7.5% |
| Cashier | 20,885 | 67,243 | 222.0% | $23,851 | $25,990 | 9.0% |
| Physiotherapist | 11,024 | 34,572 | 213.6% | $82,600 | $89,129 | 7.9% |
| Housekeeper | 9,702 | 29,091 | 199.9% | $24,585 | $30,658 | 24.7% |
| Restaurant Manager | 6,938 | 20,519 | 195.8% | $52,699 | $57,321 | 8.8% |
| Assembly Operative | 8,039 | 21,775 | 170.9% | $26,436 | $30,456 | 15.2% |
| Machine Operator | 6,170 | 15,934 | 158.3% | $27,560 | $31,366 | 13.8% |
| Mechanic | 8,536 | 21,744 | 154.7% | $47,928 | $50,180 | 4.7% |
| Sales Support Assistant | 57,146 | 139,157 | 143.5% | $41,396 | $39,438 | -4.7% |
| Full Stack Developer | 5,630 | 13,590 | 141.4% | $137,201 | $137,345 | 0.1% |
| Merchandiser | 26,451 | 63,376 | 139.6% | $28,184 | $31,008 | 10.0% |
| Project Manager | 17,960 | 42,221 | 135.1% | $88,847 | $101,876 | 14.7% |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | 11,009 | 25,512 | 131.7% | $34,520 | $36,437 | 5.6% |
| Business Manager | 6,458 | 14,808 | 129.3% | $138,073 | $160,588 | 16.3% |
| Accountant | 12,629 | 28,799 | 128.0% | $63,617 | $67,142 | 5.5% |
| Technologist | 12,791 | 29,148 | 127.9% | $91,066 | $98,706 | 8.4% |
| Delivery Driver | 61,763 | 134,074 | 117.1% | $35,747 | $37,863 | 5.9% |
| Cook | 21,320 | 46,271 | 117.0% | $27,862 | $30,028 | 7.8% |
| Data Scientist | 6,077 | 13,146 | 116.3% | $124,444 | $145,513 | 16.9% |
| Architect | 7,016 | 14,983 | 113.6% | $155,966 | $137,781 | -11.7% |
| Engineer | 31,328 | 65,334 | 108.6% | $127,692 | $137,925 | 8.0% |
| Product Manager | 9,598 | 19,228 | 100.3% | $146,337 | $136,740 | -6.6% |
The jobs that saw the biggest pay bumps
As well as examining which roles saw job opportunities soar, our data science experts looked into who had the biggest pay rises in 2021. If you work in one of these professions, it’s worth checking you’re being paid the going rate as we’ve seen big increases in advertised salaries driven by strong demand.
We were pleased to see Waiters receiving a well-earned pay jump in 2021. Average salaries being advertised for servers on Adzuna jumped up a substantial 64% over the course of 2021, climbing to $30,138. Employers have been pumping more cash into these roles in a bid to entice new workers, as well as offering tantalizing extras like signing bonuses.
Software Developers saw the second largest raises with advertised salaries increasing 35% to $135,896. Java Developers, specialists who focus on the programming language Java, can earn even more with average pay of $140,986. Data Scientists also made the list with pay rising 17% to $145,513.
Table 2: The 30 jobs seeing salaries rise most over 2021
| Job Title | Average advertised salary, Jan '21 | Average advertised salary, Nov '21 | Change in average advertised salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waiter/Waitress | $18,416 | $30,138 | 63.7% |
| Software Developer | $100,437 | $135,896 | 35.3% |
| Housekeeper | $24,585 | $30,658 | 24.7% |
| Operations Assistant | $30,920 | $38,007 | 22.9% |
| Therapist | $105,092 | $128,837 | 22.6% |
| General Nurse | $104,741 | $127,979 | 22.2% |
| Java Developer | $116,679 | $140,986 | 20.8% |
| Barista | $24,760 | $29,598 | 19.5% |
| Materials Handler | $27,317 | $32,030 | 17.3% |
| Host/Hostess | $25,267 | $29,601 | 17.2% |
| Data Scientist | $124,444 | $145,513 | 16.9% |
| Business Manager | $138,073 | $160,588 | 16.3% |
| Assembly Operative | $26,436 | $30,456 | 15.2% |
| Project Manager | $88,847 | $101,876 | 14.7% |
| Social Worker | $54,275 | $62,042 | 14.3% |
| Machine Operator | $27,560 | $31,366 | 13.8% |
| Teacher | $36,712 | $41,620 | 13.4% |
| Forklift Operator | $29,119 | $32,873 | 12.9% |
| Hand Packer | $26,243 | $29,478 | 12.3% |
| Business Analyst | $92,527 | $103,479 | 11.8% |
| Recruitment Consultant | $64,113 | $71,409 | 11.4% |
| Maintenance Technician | $41,264 | $45,864 | 11.2% |
| Warehouse Worker | $27,767 | $30,638 | 10.3% |
| Merchandiser | $28,184 | $31,008 | 10.0% |
| Cashier | $23,851 | $25,990 | 9.0% |
| Restaurant Manager | $52,699 | $57,321 | 8.8% |
| Technologist | $91,066 | $98,706 | 8.4% |
| Engineer | $127,692 | $137,925 | 8.0% |
| Physiotherapist | $82,600 | $89,129 | 7.9% |
| IT System Developer | $112,472 | $121,232 | 7.8% |
You can also look to see if you’re being paid your market worth using our free ValueMyResume tool. Just upload your resume and we’ll tell you what you should be earning in today’s jobs market as well as giving you some pointers on how to make your resume even stronger. If you’re applying for jobs, it’s a no-brainer.
For more top tips, check out our blog: The best time of year to look and apply for jobs in the US. Good luck!