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Solar electric power generation offers the strongest career outlook in the United States, according to an August 2026 analysis attributed to software talent marketplace Lemon.io. The findings point to a labour market increasingly shaped by renewable energy, digital technologies and the care requirements of an ageing population.
For Canadians looking across the border, the research provides a useful picture of the economic forces likely to influence employment throughout North America. Renewable power is expanding rapidly, digital services continue to require specialist skills, and the number of older people worldwide is increasing. The World Health Organization says that every country is experiencing growth in both the number and proportion of older people.
The Lemon.io research assessed up to 40 US industries using employment growth between 2022 and 2024, projected job creation through 2034, anticipated percentage growth and median annual wages. It combined these measures into a Career Outlook Score intended to show which industries offer the most attractive balance of job availability and remuneration.
The resulting top 10 comprises solar electric power generation, computer systems design, software publishing, wind electric power generation, scientific research and development, cloud computing and data hosting, management consulting, assisted-living facilities, elderly and disability services, and corporate management. These are recognised industry categories within the US Bureau of Labor Statistics National Employment Matrix, which includes separate entries for solar and wind electric power generation.
In the Lemon.io analysis, solar electric power generation receives a Career Outlook Score of 99, the highest result among the industries examined. The study reports that employment in the sector increased by 78.89 per cent between 2022 and 2024. It projects the creation of 30,300 additional positions by 2034 and an overall employment increase of 179.29 per cent between 2024 and 2034. According to the supplied dataset, this would take the industry’s workforce to approximately 47,200 people by the end of the projection period. The reported median annual wage is US$77,630, or 56.83 per cent above the US median used in the analysis.
Separate occupational projections from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics support the conclusion that solar skills will remain in demand. The agency ranks solar photovoltaic installers as the second-fastest-growing US occupation for 2025 to 2035, projecting employment growth of 37 per cent and listing median pay of US$53,140 in 2025.
Industry expansion is also visible in generating capacity. In September 2026, the SEIA reported that operating US solar capacity had become sufficient to power more than 50 million American homes, equivalent to more than one-third of US households. Public research remains part of this development. The US Department of Energy’s Integrated Energy Systems Office supports work on advanced photovoltaics, energy-system integration, grid resilience and lower-cost solar thermal systems.
Computer systems design ranks second in the Lemon.io table with a Career Outlook Score of 73. Although the dataset records a 1.62 per cent reduction in employment between 2022 and 2024, it projects 386,800 additional jobs by 2034 and employment growth of 15.82 per cent.
The industry also offers relatively high remuneration. Its reported median annual wage is US$109,990, which the study calculates as 122.20 per cent above the national median used for comparison. Software publishing occupies third place with a score of 72. The research records recent employment growth of 2.15 per cent and projects 124,600 additional positions by 2034, representing growth of 19.30 per cent. At US$131,390, software publishing has the highest median annual wage among the 10 industries in the supplied ranking. This is 165.43 per cent above the US median applied by the researchers.
Cloud computing and data hosting ranks sixth. The study reports recent employment growth of 2.25 per cent, a possible 97,900 new positions by 2034 and projected expansion of 20.29 per cent. Its median annual wage is listed as US$107,510.
The occupational picture also indicates continuing demand for digital expertise. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 35 per cent growth for data scientists, 22 per cent for computer and information research scientists and 21 per cent for information security analysts between 2025 and 2035.
Wind electric power generation ranks fourth in the Lemon.io study, receiving a Career Outlook Score of 67. Employment reportedly rose by 34.97 per cent between 2022 and 2024. The researchers anticipate another 9,200 positions by 2034, together with industry-wide employment growth of 82.14 per cent. The sector’s reported median annual wage is US$80,010, or 61.64 per cent higher than the American median used in the comparison.
Occupational data provide a separate indicator of demand. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks wind turbine service technicians as the fourth-fastest-growing occupation for 2025 to 2035, with projected growth of 30 per cent and 2025 median pay of US$64,120.
The distinction between occupational and industry figures is important. A projection for wind turbine technicians covers one occupation, whereas the Lemon.io figure concerns employment across the wind electric power generation industry. The figures therefore describe related, but not identical, sections of the labour market.
Scientific research and development completes the top five, achieving a Career Outlook Score of 64 in the supplied study. The sector experienced a reported employment contraction of 4.40 per cent between 2022 and 2024. Nevertheless, the analysis projects 75,800 new positions and employment growth of 8.75 per cent by 2034.
Its median annual wage is listed as US$127,250. This places earnings 157.07 per cent above the national median used by the researchers and makes scientific research and development the second-highest-paid industry in the top 10, behind software publishing. The juxtaposition of recent contraction and projected expansion shows why short-term hiring figures should not be considered in isolation. In the Lemon.io methodology, recent performance is assessed alongside future job creation, projected percentage growth and pay.
The healthcare and social-assistance results reveal a different type of employment opportunity. Assisted-living facilities rank eighth, while elderly and disability services take ninth place. According to the Lemon.io dataset, assisted-living employment increased by 121.54 per cent between 2022 and 2024. The industry is projected to add 103,900 positions by 2034, with employment growing by 10.51 per cent. However, its median annual wage of US$38,690 is 21.84 per cent below the study’s US benchmark.
Elderly and disability services could generate a much larger number of positions. The analysis projects 528,500 additional jobs by 2034 and employment growth of 21.04 per cent. Its median annual wage is reported as US$35,630, or 28.02 per cent below the comparative median.
The demographic basis for this demand is considerable. The World Health Organization projects that, by 2030, one person in six worldwide will be aged 60 or older. It expects the global population in this age group to increase from one billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion in 2030, before reaching 2.1 billion in 2050. The organisation also states that health and social systems in every country face substantial challenges in preparing for this demographic transition. Common conditions associated with older age include hearing loss, osteoarthritis, diabetes, depression and dementia, while some older people experience several conditions simultaneously.
The Lemon.io ranking applies to the United States, so its numerical projections should not be treated as Canadian forecasts. However, the forces captured by the research are not confined to one country.
For Canadian workers and educators, the results identify skills areas worth monitoring: photovoltaic installation, electrical engineering, wind-system maintenance, software development, data science, cybersecurity, scientific research and personal care.
The clearest conclusion is that rapid employment growth will not necessarily produce similar financial outcomes in every sector. Renewable energy, software and scientific research combine projected expansion with above-median wages in the supplied analysis. Care services promise far greater job volumes, but their reported wages remain below the national benchmark.
America’s emerging employment map consequently tells two parallel stories. The transition to cleaner energy and more advanced digital systems is creating technically specialised, comparatively well-paid work. At the same time, population ageing is generating an urgent requirement for care workers whose economic value is not yet reflected in equivalent wage levels.
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Written by
Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal’s Editor-at-Large for science news.
Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.
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