Fastest-growing jobs in Iowa

Stokkete // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.2% (150 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,290
--- Employment in 2022: 1,140
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $128,960

#50. Physician assistants
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.4% (420 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,560
--- Employment in 2022: 3,140
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,160

#49. Butchers and meat cutters
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.8% (160 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,320
--- Employment in 2022: 1,160
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $79,910

#48. Occupational health and safety specialists
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +13.8% (130 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,070
--- Employment in 2022: 940
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $106,770

#47. Electrical engineers
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.3% (1,280 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 10,250
--- Employment in 2022: 8,970
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,690

#46. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.3% (230 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,840
--- Employment in 2022: 1,610
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $40,510

#45. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
goodluz // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.7% (260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,030
--- Employment in 2022: 1,770
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $93,910

#44. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.7% (460 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,580
--- Employment in 2022: 3,120
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $29,350

#43. Food servers, nonrestaurant
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.9% (860 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,640
--- Employment in 2022: 5,780
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $62,080

#42. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
SatawatK // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +14.9% (260 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,000
--- Employment in 2022: 1,740
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $59,450

#41. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.1% (950 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,240
--- Employment in 2022: 6,290
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $46,050

#40. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.2% (300 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,270
--- Employment in 2022: 1,970
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $96,980

#39. Data scientists
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.7% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,580
--- Employment in 2022: 2,230
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $32,800

#38. Bakers
B Brown // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +15.8% (1,560 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 11,420
--- Employment in 2022: 9,860
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $60,010

#37. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.3% (160 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,140
--- Employment in 2022: 980
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $82,290

#36. Computer programmers
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.4% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,200
--- Employment in 2022: 2,750
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $39,530

#35. Production workers, all other
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.8% (770 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 5,340
--- Employment in 2022: 4,570
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $97,120

#34. Mechanical engineers
XiXinXing // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +16.9% (410 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,830
--- Employment in 2022: 2,420
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $49,190

#33. Medical records specialists
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.0% (300 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,060
--- Employment in 2022: 1,760
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $30,060

#32. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.1% (190 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,300
--- Employment in 2022: 1,110
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable

#31. Family medicine physicians
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.4% (340 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,290
--- Employment in 2022: 1,950
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $49,990

#30. Property, real estate, and community association managers
Dragon Images // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.7% (750 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,990
--- Employment in 2022: 4,240
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,720

#29. Social and human service assistants
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.7% (170 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,130
--- Employment in 2022: 960
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $64,170

#28. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
boonchoke // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +17.8% (1,440 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 9,520
--- Employment in 2022: 8,080
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $68,160

#27. Business operations specialists, all other
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +18.3% (220 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,420
--- Employment in 2022: 1,200
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,010

#26. Library technicians
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +20.5% (230 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,350
--- Employment in 2022: 1,120
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $59,920

#25. Postsecondary teachers, all other
fizkes // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +20.9% (190 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,100
--- Employment in 2022: 910
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,750

#24. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +21.0% (220 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,270
--- Employment in 2022: 1,050
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $50,990

#23. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +21.1% (230 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,320
--- Employment in 2022: 1,090
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $44,480

#22. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +22.5% (520 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,830
--- Employment in 2022: 2,310
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $129,080

#21. Sales managers
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +23.0% (1,250 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,690
--- Employment in 2022: 5,440
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $82,350

#20. Project management specialists
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +23.5% (3,680 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 19,350
--- Employment in 2022: 15,670
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $27,000

#19. Waiters and waitresses
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +23.8% (3,820 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 19,850
--- Employment in 2022: 16,030
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $41,860

#18. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +24.1% (210 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,080
--- Employment in 2022: 870
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $65,010

#17. Food service managers
LightField Studios // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +24.4% (960 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,890
--- Employment in 2022: 3,930
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $46,850

#16. Bus drivers, school
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +26.1% (530 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,560
--- Employment in 2022: 2,030
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $92,530

#15. Civil engineers
DuxX // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +26.9% (1,710 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 8,070
--- Employment in 2022: 6,360
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $40,190

#14. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +27.6% (420 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,940
--- Employment in 2022: 1,520
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $81,050

#13. Logisticians
Undrey // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +31.3% (520 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,180
--- Employment in 2022: 1,660
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $85,650

#12. Financial and investment analysts
Africa Studio // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +33.1% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,810
--- Employment in 2022: 1,360
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $45,760

#11. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +34.2% (400 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,570
--- Employment in 2022: 1,170
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $41,790

#10. Chefs and head cooks
LightField Studios // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +37.2% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,290
--- Employment in 2022: 940
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,620

#9. Emergency medical technicians
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +39.7% (920 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,240
--- Employment in 2022: 2,320
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $26,090

#8. Dishwashers
Aleksandr Rybalko // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.3% (330 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,130
--- Employment in 2022: 800
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $40,300

#7. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Kzenon // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.5% (760 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,590
--- Employment in 2022: 1,830
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,460

#6. Self-enrichment teachers
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.5% (590 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,010
--- Employment in 2022: 1,420
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $45,750

#5. Office and administrative support workers, all other
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +51.5% (1,180 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,470
--- Employment in 2022: 2,290
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $97,090

#4. Computer occupations, all other
Canva

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +52.9% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,300
--- Employment in 2022: 850
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $30,300

#3. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +68.2% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,110
--- Employment in 2022: 660
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $39,090

#2. Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +197.1% (2,070 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,120
--- Employment in 2022: 1,050
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,590

This story features data reporting and writing by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

#1. Food processing workers, all other
Stacker // Canva