These Are Now The 7 Fastest-Growing Jobs In Minnesota

Minnesota's economy keeps outpacing much of the country. Over the 12 months ending in July 2026, the state added more than 44,000 jobs — a 1.5% growth rate that towered over the national pace of just 0.2%.

The unemployment picture has held steady, too. Minnesota's jobless rate sat at 4.3% in July, a hair above the national 4.1%, even as the state kept expanding. DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek credited "growth across a broad range of industries" and pointed to the resilience of Minnesota's diverse economy.

Zoom out to the decade ahead, and the fastest-growing careers in America lean heavily on two fields: health care and technology. In fact, six of the ten fastest-growing U.S. jobs are in a single industry — and it's health care, not tech or AI. Minnesota's own outlook tells a similar story.

So if you're weighing a new job or a full-blown career change, here are the 7 occupations projected to grow fastest in Minnesota through 2034, with what they pay in the state and what it takes to break in.

One honest note before the countdown: percentages can be misleading. A field can post an eye-popping growth rate while adding only a handful of actual jobs, so I've made sure to include the real numbers alongside the percentages.

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The 7 Fastest Growing Jobs In Minnesota

7. Information Security Analysts

Kicking off the countdown: as cyberattacks multiply, the specialists who defend company networks are in steady demand. Minnesota expects 22% growth and about 200 openings a year. A bachelor's degree is the usual requirement, and the pay reflects the stakes — a Minnesota median around $130,710.

6. Epidemiologists

The public-health investigators who track how diseases spread are climbing fast, with Minnesota projecting 23% growth — well ahead of the national rate. It's a smaller field, with roughly 20 openings a year. Most roles require a master's degree in public health, and the Minnesota median sits around $104,460.

5. Medical and Health Services Managers

Someone has to run the clinics and hospitals, and demand for health care administrators is surging. Minnesota projects 26% growth and a robust 1,170 openings a year — one of the largest hauls on the list. A bachelor's degree is the typical entry point, with a Minnesota median near $122,700.

4. Physician Assistants

PAs examine patients, diagnose illnesses, and prescribe medication, often alongside a physician. Minnesota anticipates 28% growth and another 320 openings a year. The job takes a master's degree, and it's among the best-paid on this list, with a Minnesota median of about $141,190.

3. Data Scientists

On the tech side, data scientists turn mountains of raw data into business decisions. Minnesota projects 30% growth and about 320 openings a year. Most positions call for a bachelor's degree — often in statistics, math, or computer science — and the Minnesota median lands near $128,800.

2. Nurse Practitioners

Just missing the top spot, nurse practitioners are the engine of health care's boom. Minnesota expects 44% growth and a hefty 930 openings a year as NPs take on more primary and specialty care.

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The role requires a master's degree and an RN license, and it rewards that training well, with a Minnesota median around $133,260 a year.

1. Wind Turbine Service Technicians

And Minnesota's fastest-growing job of all? Wind turbine service technicians. The state's windy southwest is driving a projected 58% jump from 2024 to 2034 — easily the biggest percentage on this list.

Here's the asterisk I flagged up top, though: it's also the smallest field of the seven, at roughly 120 openings a year, so that eye-popping rate rides on a modest base.

Even so, it's a rare strong-paying career that skips the four-year degree — usually a postsecondary certificate or two-year technical program — and these tower-climbing "windsmiths" earn a Minnesota median near $65,000.

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A clear pattern runs through Minnesota's entire list: health care and technology are where Minnesota is placing its bets, and the highest-paying entries reward education.

But that No. 1 finish is proof that a four-year degree isn't the only road to a growing career. Wherever you live in Minnesota, the state's job market is still expanding faster than the country's, which is encouraging.