CCS Market Brief
The U.S. job market at a glance
Based on May 2025 BLS OEWS data · U.S. national
These are market benchmarks, not what any one person earns or should earn. Pay varies by location, experience, employer and role level.
U.S. Job Market Snapshot
U.S. Unemployment Rate
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When should you test the market?
“If you’ve been in the same role for about three years or more, consistently perform well, and your pay has not meaningfully progressed, it may be worth comparing your current compensation with the external market.”
Recent wage-growth data has generally shown larger pay gains for job changers than for workers who stay with the same employer. A 10% cumulative increase over three years can be a useful CCS checkpoint, but it is not a universal rule. Pay growth varies by occupation, employer, promotions, inflation and starting market position.
Sources
- Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta — Wage Growth Tracker (opens in a new tab)Monthly wage-growth data for job stayers vs. job switchers. Updated monthly.
- ADP Pay Insights (opens in a new tab)Monthly pay-change data, including year-over-year pay growth by job change status. Updated monthly.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Employee Tenure (opens in a new tab)How long workers typically stay with an employer. Updated annually.
Sources reviewed October 2026. The 10% figure is a CCS practical checkpoint, not a research-established threshold. CCS does not suggest leaving a job after any set number of years.
Top 3 fastest-growing career fields
BLS major occupation groups ranked by projected employment growth, 2025–35. All occupations combined: 3.5%.
Published by BLS Growth rates are BLS-published figures, not CCS calculations.
1.Healthcare Support
+13.3%projected 2025–35
Hands-on care roles like home health aides, medical assistants and therapy aides.
2.Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
+8.0%projected 2025–35
Nurses, therapists, pharmacists, technologists and other licensed care providers.
3.Life, Physical, and Social Science
+7.5%projected 2025–35
Scientists, researchers and technicians in labs, field work and analysis.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.1, Employment by major occupational group. Reviewed October 8, 2026. View BLS table
Top 3 fastest-declining career fields
BLS major occupation groups with the largest projected employment change downward, 2025–35. This is projected change over ten years, not current job losses.
1.Office and Administrative Support
-4.0%projected 2025–35
2.Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
-1.5%projected 2025–35
3.Sales and Related
-1.4%projected 2025–35
A declining field does not mean jobs will disappear. Openings can still occur because workers retire, change careers or leave the occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, Table 1.1, Employment by major occupational group. View BLS table
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