The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected 20 jobs that are likely to disappear in the U.S. in the next decade. Surprisingly, some of these occupations — like switchboard operators and typists — aren’t already gone.
Eight of the 10 jobs that are going to see the biggest declines in openings, from 2021 to 2031, pay less than the median annual U.S. salary of $45,760, Business Insider reports. Hand cutters and trimmers, for instance, make only an average of $30,320 a year.
Here are the 20 jobs likely to vanish, starting with the largest percentage of losses:
- Word processors and typists (a 38.2% decline projected between 2021 and 2031). In 2021, the U.S. offered 46,100 of these positions, with a median annual pay of $44,030.
- Parking enforcement workers (37.1% decline). In 2021, there were a mere 8,600 of these jobs available, paying a median $46,590 a year.
- Hand cutters and trimmers (28.4% decline). Last year, only 8,200 worked in this field, earning a median of $30,230.
- Nuclear power reactor operators (26.8% decline). In 2021, 4,800 people operated nuclear power plants, earning $104,260 at the median.
- Print binding and finishing (24.8% decline). A more populated field, book finishers numbered 42,200 in 2021, with a median annual pay of $36,590.
- Watch and clock repairs (24.7% decline). There were only 2,200 people fixing watches and clocks last year, with a median annual pay of $44,250.
- Data entry keyers (24.7% decline). In this age of voice recognition and automation, you might be surprised to learn that this industry employed 155,900 people in the U.S. in 2021, earning a median of $35,630 a year.
- Telephone operators (24.5% decline). U.S. businesses employed 4,000 telephone operators in 2021, paying a median salary of $37,630 a year.
- Switchboard operators (24.0% decline). Switchboard operators, associated with the very earliest days of phone usage, numbered 49,000, with median annual salaries of $30,150, in 2021.
- Motor vehicle electronic equipment installers and repairers (23.4% decline). There were 9,200 people in this industry in 2021, earning a median annual pay of $40,670.
- Press technicians and workers (22.7% decline). Twenty-six thousand people claimed this as their job title in 2021, earning a median of $42,610.
- Mining roof bolters (21.5% decline). These are the people who shore up the roofs, walls, and floors of mining shafts, numbering 1,900 in 2021. This pays a median of $59,770 a year.
- Floral designers (21.0% decline). There were 44,400 people working as floral designers in 2021, earning $29,880 a year at the median.
- Installers of manufactured buildings/mobile homes (20.3% decline). There were 3,900 people assembling this type of housing in 2021, earning a median of $36,360.
- Refractory materials repairers (20.2% decline). Excluding brick masons, there were a grand total of 700 people repairing refractory materials, which are resistant to heat or chemicals, in 2021. That paid a median of $54,250.
- Executive secretaries/administrative assistants (20.2% decline). In this age of cellphones, laptops, work from home/hybrid work, and self-directed work, having a secretary is reserved more and more only for very top executives. Still 508,000 people worked as executive assistants in 2021, earning a median of $62,060.
- Aircraft assemblers (19.4% decline). In 2021, 34,300 people held this job, which paid $49,480 at the median.
- Legal secretaries/administrative assistants (19.2% decline). Like executive secretaries, this is a field that is fast dwindling. In 2021, only 157,800 people worked as legal secretaries, earning a median annual pay of $47,710.
- Hand grinding and polishing (18.7% decline). U.S. employment in this field was 16,100 last year. This type of job paid $35,670 a year at the median.
- Drilling and boring machine operators (18.6% decline). Just under 7,000 people held this job in 2021 (6,900), with a median annual pay of $38,580.
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