America's 25 Thriving Industries

This industry is primarily involved in manufacturing either the body, chassis, or both for a range of vehicles, including pick-up trucks, minivans, SUVs, and light duty vans. In the last decade, the number of Americans working in the industry in climbed from 36,772 to 70,807. Many of the top selling vehicles in the United States in 2018 were trucks and SUVs.

Seating and interior trim manufacturing is a burgeoning industry in the United States. The industry, which is involved in making a range of products from seat belts and seat frames to interior trimmings, now employs 77,652 Americans, up from 40,148 a decade ago.

Overall employment in manufacturing of batteries, including lithium, rechargeable nickel-cadmium, and lead acid, nearly doubled between 2009 and 2018. Batteries such as these are used in smartphones and electric cars.

The other urban transit system industry makes transit vehicles other than traditional commuter rail systems and buses. These modes of transit include cable car systems, tramways, trolley systems, and monorails. Though it is a small industry, employing only about 700 Americans, the number of people working in it nearly doubled since 2009.

The number of Americans working as translators or interpreters doubled over the last decade, from 20,198 in 2009 to 40,368 in 2018. As employment in the industry expanded, the average wage declined. In 2009, the average annual wage among translators and interpreters was nearly $50,000. In 2018, it was less than $46,000.