The job market is shifting quickly—and keeping up isn’t easy.
Sixty percent of jobs available in 2018 didn’t exist 80 years earlier. Since then, the pace of change has only accelerated, creating roles we couldn’t have predicted even a decade ago. That’s what makes LinkedIn’s newly released Jobs on the Rise 2026 list so timely. The data-backed ranking highlights the fastest-growing roles of the past three years—and arrives amid heightened uncertainty about the future of work.
Only 31% of U.S. workers report being engaged in their current roles, signaling widespread readiness for change. At the same time, more than a million layoffs occurred in 2025, forcing many professionals into job transitions they might not have planned for. Together, those forces make one thing clear: workers need resources to navigate what comes next.
That’s exactly why LinkedIn’s list is so important. Rather than forecasting what might happen, they show trends that are already happening, helping workers make more informed decisions. With so much in flux, identifying real opportunities is more important than ever. This list offers a clear place to start.
AI Isn’t Just a Buzzword Anymore
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market—and LinkedIn’s data makes its impact clear.
Many of 2025’s layoffs have been attributed—rightfully or wrongfully—to AI. While the exact causes remain debated, one thing is certain: AI is changing how work gets done. And according to LinkedIn’s list, it’s also creating jobs.
The fastest-growing role on the list is AI engineer, a position focused on developing and implementing artificial intelligence models that perform tasks that once required human decision-making. Software engineers, data scientists and full-stack engineers are among those most likely to transition to this role, with jobs concentrated in hubs like San Francisco, New York City and Dallas. Other AI-related jobs dominate the rest of the list, including AI consultants and strategists (#2), data annotators (#4) and researchers in AI, machine learning (#5) and datacenter technicians (#17).
Four out of the top five fastest-growing jobs are tied directly to AI. The message is clear: AI has moved from experimentation to execution, and companies are hiring to scale the technology rapidly.
And as organizations expand AI’s role across functions, fluency is quickly becoming a baseline skill rather than a niche specialty—even outside of these rising jobs.
It’s not all AI on LinkedIn’s list.
Healthcare remains in high demand, with nearly two million projected job openings annually over the next decade. This trend shows up on the list through roles like healthcare reimbursement specialists (#6), who manage billing and claims processes, and psychiatric nurse practitioners (#19), who assess and treat mental health conditions. People-focused, hands-on jobs continue to be highly needed—and will likely remain so.
Marketing is also growing, with employment in the field expected to rise at least 6% in the next 10 years. Advertising sales specialists (#8) and field marketing representatives (#13) both appear on the list, reflecting demand for roles that connect brands with consumers across channels. These positions span industries and draw from backgrounds in communications, journalism, event planning and sales.
Beyond healthcare and marketing, the list includes a mix of roles across sectors:
- New Home Sales Specialists (#3)
- Travel Advisors (#18)
- Financial Advisors and Planners (#21)
- Construction Project Leads (#22)
The common thread among them isn’t industry, skills or hype—it’s demand. These roles are closely tied to real-world need, not speculative trends.
