Retirement and Financial

66 Career Change Statistics in 2024

Explore the dynamic trends of online learning systems and technology and their role in shaping professional transitions.
In This Post:
  • 78% of workers under the age of 40 say the pandemic has caused them to reconsider what they want to do for a living. (Elementsgs, 2021) 
  • 69% of those not working remotely have considered switching to a job that offers remote working. (Elementsgs, 2021) 
  • During the pandemic, the following were the top three career and job-related searches: “jobs that pay well”; “what jobs hire at 14” and “best jobs to work from home.” (Elementsgs, 2021) 
  • Searches for jobs that hire teenagers have increased by 192%. (Elementsgs, 2021)
Career Change Statistics
  • Searches for remote work jobs have increased by 114%. (Elementsgs, 2021) 
  • 74% of young workers could be happy in a job that pays a more progressive minimum wage of a minimum of $15 per hour. (Elementsgs, 2021) 
  • 47% of young workers could be happy in a job that pays the federal minimum wage $7.25 per hour. (Elementsgs, 2021) 
  • According to a recent poll, roughly 52% of American employees are considering a career change this year. 44% have already decided to make the change. (Fastcompany.com, 2021)

General Career Change Statistics

  • During their working life, the average person will change jobs 5-7 times. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021) 
  • With an ever-increasing number of career options available, roughly one-third of the total workforce will now change jobs every 12 months. (The Future of Jobs Report, 2020) 
  • By the age of 42, an employee will most likely have held ten jobs. (DOL, 2021) 
  • Employers that are hiring accept that prospective employees will change careers every three years. (The Future of Jobs Report, 2020) 
  • If an employee changes jobs less frequently than every three years, they are in the minority. (The Future of Jobs Report, 2020) 
  • 43% of people say they have landed their dream job. (Studyfinds.org, 2021) 
  • Almost half of all employees, or 49%, are actively seeking change. (Linked in, 2020) 
  • According to statistics on career changers, only 21% of workers believe they are paid fairly. (Goremotely.net, 2020) 
  • In comparison, 45% of workers believe they are rarely if ever, paid adequately. Many of them are thinking about quitting and changing careers. (Goremotely.net, 2020)
Career Change Statistics
  • According to 77% of the health workers surveyed say that skilled employees are not adequately recognized for their contributions. Financial constraints, according to 57%, prevent them from changing careers. (CIPD, 2021) 
  • Many people want to change careers but do not take the necessary steps. 40% said they didn’t know what to do, and 37% said they didn’t have the required qualifications for the new change. (Comptia.org, 2021) 
  • A career change may be the best option for increasing one’s salary prospects, as the average pay increase is between 3% and 5%. (CNBC, 2021) 
  • Only about 14% of the workforce believes they have a great job that they would not change. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021) 
  • 70% of the workforce is actively looking for a job change. (Inc, 2018) 
  • 21% of employees believe they are being paid fairly. (PayScale, 2019) 

Why do People Change Careers

  • According to career change statistics, one of the most common reasons people leave their jobs is dissatisfaction and unfulfillment. (Harvard Business Review, 2016) 
  • According to research, 80% of people are dissatisfied with their current job, and the main reason is a mismatch between what they think they are good at and what they are currently doing. (International Labor Organization, 2017) 
  • 39% of people are considering a career change for higher pay. (CNBC, 2019) 
  • 45% of workers believe they are rarely or never paid what they are worth. (PayScale, 2019) 
  • Micromanagement and other oppressive workplace practices are a source of frustration for 74% of workers. (Pubmed.gov, 2021) 
  • 65% of employees report feeling isolated at work because the environment is hostile/unhelpful. (NCBI, 2018) 
  • 21% of workers express an interest in a different career field. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021) 
Career Change Statistics

How Long do People Usually Hold One Job Position

Why Workers Don’t Make a Career Change

  • According to statistics on career changers, about 20% of people change jobs because they want to advance in their careers. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021) 
  • 60% of Americans who want to advance in their careers are hampered by a lack of time. (CNBC, 2021) 
  • Money is cited by 62% of respondents as a barrier to advancing their careers by learning new and better skills. (International Labor Organization, 2017) 
  • Managers, professionals, and other occupations with similar median tenures had the longest median tenures (5.5 years). (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020) 

Age and Career Change

  • As people get older, the differences become minor. All of those mentioned above hold 4.3-4.6 jobs between the ages of 25 and 34. Between the ages of 35 and 44, they hold 2.1 and 3.1 jobs. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)  
  • Almost 80% satisfied workers under the age of 20 express a desire for a career change in their 30s, the figure falls to just under 65%, and in their 40s, it falls to less than 55%. (Washingtonpost, 2021)
Career Change Statistics

Gender and Career Change

  • Men tend to stay with their employers for a more extended period of time than women. (International Labour Organization, 2018) 
  • According to job change statistics, 30% of male workers had been with their current employer for ten years or more. (Bls.gov, 2020) 
  • Women’s figures are slightly lower than men’s, at 28%. (Bls.gov, 2020) 
  • Tenure is influenced not only by gender but also by age. (Bls.gov, 2020)

Baby Boomers, Millennials, Generation Z and Career Change

  • According to 2019 baby boomer career change statistics, they worked an average of 11.3 jobs between the age of 18 and 46. Almost half of these jobs were obtained before the age of 25. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021) 
  • Almost 75% of Generation Z intend to return to school. They anticipate doing so during their working lives. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021) 

Education and Career Change

  • Half or less of what people studied is used by 53% of college graduates. None of it is used by 15% of the population. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019) 
  • The average age at which a person switches careers is 39 years old. (CNBC, 2019) 
  • 29% of people have changed careers since starting their first job after college. (Zippia, 2021) 
  • In their current job, 21% use all of their education, 53% use half or less of their education, and 15% use none of their education. (Harvard Business Review, 2021) 
  • 50% of Americans believe that educational requirements are a barrier to advancing or changing careers. (Pewresearch.org, 2017) 
  • What occupation will have the most job openings by 2021 and beyond? The following are the fastest-growing occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Burau of Labour and Statistics, 2020-2030)

Ocupation

Groath Rate 2020-2030

2020 Median Pay

Motion picture projectionists

70%

$27,490 per year

Wind turbine service technicians

68%

$56,230 per year

Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

62%

$25,110 per year

Nurse practitioners

52%

$111,680 per year

Solar photovoltaic installers

52%

$46,470 per year

Cooks, restaurant

49%

$28,800 per year

Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes

46%

$75,420 per year

Costume attendants

44%

$42,910 per year

Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors

39%

$40,510 per year

Model makers, wood

39%

$64,050 per year

Athletes and sports competitors

38%

$50,850 per year

Makeup artists, theatrical and performance

37%

$106,920 per year

Occupational therapy assistants

36%

$62,940 per year

Statisticians

35%

$92,270 per year

Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other

35%

$27,230 per year

Physical therapist assistants

35%

$59,770 per year

Animal caretakers

34%

$26,080 per year

Miscellaneous entertainers and performers, sports and related workers

34%

$15.70 per hour

Information security analysts

33%

$103,590 per year

Film and video editors

33%

$67,250 per year

On a Final Note 

Career Change Statistics

With today’s online learning systems and technology, changing one’s career path is easier than ever. The career change statistics indicate that retraining gives workers the chance and resources they need to improve their future. Therefore, it offers them the opportunity to use their natural gifts and abilities to excel in their career.

Written by Shortlister Editorial Team

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