A little over two years ago, we blogged about the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’s (BLS) biennial employment outlook — a 10-year forecast of job growth in all occupations — noting the prominence of computing in the decade ahead. Well, earlier this year, BLS released a new employment outlook for the period 2010-2020, and computing was once again front and center:

Computer and mathematical occupations are projected to add 778,300 new jobs between 2010 and 2020, after having added 229,600 new jobs from 2006 to 2010. This represents 22.0 percent growth from 2010 to 2020…

 

Employment in the computer systems design and related services industry is projected to add 671,300 jobs, to reach an employment level of 2.1 million by 2020, making this industry one of the largest growing ones. Employment in computer systems design and related services also is projected to grow at 3.9 percent per year, making this industry one of the fastest growing. The demand for increased network and computer systems security, mobile technologies, and custom programming services, as well as the health care industry’s ongoing move to electronic records, will drive the employment growth in this industry. The computer systems design and related services industry also is expected to be among those with the largest and fastest increases in real output, which is projected to increase by $208.0 billion, to reach $466.5 billion in 2020, an annual growth rate of 6.1 percent  [more following the link]…

Looking at all science and engineering occupations — “Computer and mathematical,” “Architecture and engineering,” and “Life, physical, and Social Science” — computing occupations are projected to be responsible for 62% of all job growth during the 2010-2020 period. The next largest contributor — all fields of engineering combined — is projected to contribute 13.1% of total growth. All of the life sciences combined: 4.8%. All of the physical sciences combined: 2.9%.

Looking more closely at BLS projections for job growth in five major science and engineering categories between 2010 and 2020, it’s clear computing occupations lead the way with respect to both expansion (“New jobs” as well as all available positions (“Job openings, new + replacements”).

In other words, among all occupations in all fields of science and engineering, computer science occupations are projected to account for nearly two-thirds of all job growth between now and 2020.

By the way, the hottest jobs within computing, according to the BLS data:

Most new jobs:
Software developers, applications: +143,800

 

Fastest growing (in percent):
Software developers, systems software: +32.4

 

Highest paying:
Computer and information research scientists: $100,600

To learn more, check out the report and accompanying data here.

(Contributed by Erwin Gianchandani, CCC Director, and Ed Lazowska, CCC Council Chair and University of Washington)