It’s a challenging time to be looking for work right now, as any current job seeker can tell you. More than half of professionals are planning to job-hunt this year, according to research from LinkedIn, so knowing where the jobs are is essential. The professional networking site is here to help with its annual Jobs on the Rise list, which just came out for 2026.
- The ranking identifies the 25 fastest-growing occupations in the country based on data from the last two and a half years.
- To make the list, a job title has to show consistent, positive growth on LinkedIn and to have grown to a “meaningful size” by 2025.
- Jobs in AI are hot right now, taking up three of the top five positions on the list.
- Self-employed careers also claim several spots, including founders at number nine. LinkedIn reports that the number of members adding “founder” to their profile has spiked 60% year-over-year, and nearly tripled since 2022.
- Landing at number one this year is AI engineers, also known as machine learning engineers. Most of these jobs are located in San Francisco, New York City and Dallas.
The Top 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs in the U.S.
- AI engineers
- AI consultants and strategists
- New home sales specialists
- Data annotators
- AI/ML researchers
- Health-care reimbursement specialists
- Strategic advisors and independent consultants
- Advertising sales specialists
- Founders
- Sales executives
(Check out the complete list of 25 here)
Source: LinkedIn