Middle Wage Jobs Aren’t Keeping Up

Matthew Tarpey

The U.S. is expected to add over 8 million new jobs in the next five years, but job growth is rarely evenly distributed, and some types of occupations will benefit more than others. According to a recent study by CareerBuilder, only about a quarter of those 8 million new jobs will be in middle-wage occupations.

According to the study, high-wage occupations are expected to grow by 5.71 percent from 2018 to 2023, and low-wage jobs will grow by 5.69 percent. Middle-wage occupations, however, will only increase by 3.83 percent.

Occupations in Decline

The study looks at jobs projections for 774 occupations tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and identified 121 occupations that will lose jobs between 2018 and 2023. Of these declining occupations, 75 are middle-wage.

In total, these 121 occupations are projected to lose 369,879 jobs, with middle-wage occupations accounting for 58 percent of lost jobs.

Technology’s Impact

Many of the fastest-growing occupations are technology-based or have technological components. As demand for skilled candidates continues to grow, employers will need to expand their search to new talent pools and become more active in helping employees upskill to meet their evolving technological needs.

“Technology innovation is moving at an unprecedented rate and is rapidly redefining the occupations and skills required in the job market,” said Irina Novoselsky, CEO of CareerBuilder. “Most of the fastest-growing occupations have a technical component to them. Employers will need to play a greater role in providing competency-based training to the workforce.”

Growth Across Wage Categories

While middle-wage occupations aren’t expected to keep pace with high- and low-wage occupations, there are still many occupations in all three categories that are projected to add jobs. Some examples include:

Fast-Growing Occupations By Wage Category	2018 Jobs	2023 Jobs	Jobs Added 2018 to 2023	2018 to 2023 % Change	Median Hourly Earnings
High-Wage
Registered Nurses	3,040,884	3,295,931	255,047	8.39%	$33.55
Software Developers, Applications	921,232	1,064,698	143,466	15.57%	$48.49
Postsecondary Teachers	1,530,589	1,641,544	110,955	7.25%	$33.53
Accountants and Auditors	1,428,748	1,514,827	86,079	6.02%	$32.33
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	660,150	743,337	83,187	12.6%	$30.21
Computer User Support Specialists	722,078	776,122	54,044	7.48%	$24.16
Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters	508,702	552,327	43,625	8.58%	$23.72
Middle-Wage
Customer Service Representatives	2,864,930	2,985,603	120,673	4.21%	$15.88
Medical Assistants	705,056	807,330	102,274	14.51%	$15.62
Construction Laborers	1,404,290	1,496,472	92,182	6.56%	$14.73
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	1,552,441	1,636,372	83,931	5.41%	$18.08
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	753,975	809,320	55,345	7.34%	$21.56
Light Truck or Delivery Service Drivers	954,204	1,003,041	48,837	5.12%	$15.04
Billing and Posting Clerks	515,706	559,989	44,283	8.59%	$17.85
Low-Wage
Home Health Aides	926,500	1,134,232	207,732	22.42%	$11.17
Waiters and Waitresses	2,666,275	2,812,556	146,281	5.49%	$10.01
Retail Salespersons	4,574,115	4,682,344	108,229	2.37%	$11.29
Cooks, Restaurant	1,349,883	1,450,547	100,664	7.46%	$12.06
Nursing Assistants	1,522,723	1,619,107	96,384	6.33%	$13.23
Security Guards	1,210,962	1,272,926	61,964	5.12%	$12.97
Receptionists and Information Clerks	1,104,928	1,174,389	69,461	6.29%	$13.70

For the purposes of the study, low-wage occupations are defined as those with a median hourly pay of $14.17 or less; middle-wage occupations have a median hourly pay between $14.18-$23.59; and high-wage are occupations with median hourly pay of $23.24 or higher.

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