As the COVID-19 crisis has progressed, most occupations in the United States have experienced a decline in the number of job openings. However, there are some bright spots in terms of occupations that have seen surges in demand over the past few months.
The table below shows the ten occupations with the largest increase in job openings from March 2 to May 11, 2020. The median base salary for these roles is based on salary reports left on Glassdoor between May 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020. Each of these occupations received at least 90 salary reports from U.S.-based employees during this time.
Grocery manager is the job with the largest surge in job openings, with a staggering 648 percent increase in open roles since March 2nd. As of May 11, there are 9,602 grocery manager roles on Glassdoor in the U.S. Order selector and warehouse manager roles also saw growth of over 100 percent during this time. It is not a surprise to see jobs like grocery manager and warehouse manager surge in demand, as these roles have remained essential across the country.
Public health advisor roles are up by 59 percent since March 2nd, demonstrating the need for those with the knowledge to help plan and implement programs to help minimize the spread of disease. As many employers have transitioned their workforces to operate virtually, demand for IT specialist roles has surged by 33 percent to help solve WFH-related transitions and issues.
Top 10 Jobs Surging in Demand During COVID-19 and What They Pay
| Occupation | Job Openings on May 11, 2020 | Change in Openings from March 2 to May 11, 2020 | Median Base Salary |
| Grocery Manager | 9,604 | 648% | $32,000 |
| Order Selector | 8,457 | 177% | $32,072 |
| Warehouse Manager | 12,006 | 145% | $46,000 |
| Customer Service Sales | 4,971 | 89% | $24,026 |
| Forklift Operator | 14,001 | 73% | $30,116 |
| Public Health Advisor | 1,098 | 59% | $52,087 |
| IT Specialist | 5,683 | 33% | $51,717 |
| Warehouse Worker | 28,278 | 30% | $30,068 |
| Retail Merchandiser | 17,168 | 24% | $24,137 |
| Material Handler | 9,781 | 19% | $30,165 |
Source: Glassdoor Economic Research
Some occupations, particularly those that rely on in-person interactions, have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Bookseller job openings fell by 87 percent, with only 172 job openings remaining as of May 11 on Glassdoor. Tutor job openings fell by 84 percent and catering assistant job openings fell by 83 percent. These roles largely depend on being able to interact face-to-face with other people, which has been made difficult with shelter in place orders around the country.
Top 10 Jobs Declining in Demand During COVID-19
| Occupation | Job Openings on May 11, 2020 | Change in Openings from March 2 to May 11, 2020 |
| Bookseller | 172 | -87% |
| Tutor | 3,939 | -84% |
| Catering Assistant | 206 | -83% |
| Optician | 1,030 | -82% |
| Product Demonstrator | 1,310 | -80% |
| Brand Manager | 794 | -80% |
| Parts Specialist | 513 | -80% |
| Counter Sales | 895 | -79% |
| Acoustic Engineer | 332 | -78% |
| Marketing Communications Manager | 318 | -71% |
Source: Glassdoor Economic Research
New Jobs Created by the Pandemic
The pandemic has had a widespread impact on all industries, with U.S. job openings on Glassdoor down 29 percent since the start of March. As employers continue to adapt, some new roles are being created as a response to the pandemic. While these new roles might provide additional opportunities for newly out-of-work job seekers, there aren’t enough new openings to fill the hiring gaps that currently exist across all industries.
Temperature checkers are one of the roles for which employers are hiring in preparation for the “new normal” of going to work. The essential function of this role is to take the temperature of anyone entering a facility and it is known by several different names, including temperature checker, temperature taker, and health screener. There are already close to 600 open roles on Glassdoor in the U.S. for temperature checkers, demonstrating that employers are beginning to put new measures in place to ensure the safety of their employees as businesses navigate reopening. This role is primarily being hired by employers in the recruiting & staffing, government, healthcare industries, and private security industries. Job openings for this role have been steadily increasing in the past month.
Another role born from the COVID-19 crisis is contact tracer. Contact tracers work with patients to identify any potential contacts with whom they had close contact and then work with these contacts to educate and inform them of their potential risk and the precautions they should take to protect themselves and others. As of May 18, there were 116 contact tracer job openings on Glassdoor in the U.S. These openings are primarily being hired by government and recruiting & staffing employers.
As the U.S. transitions further into reopening phases, new roles like contact tracer and temperature screener will continue to emerge. Additionally, demand for certain existing roles will grow, as the need for roles like epidemiologists and home health nurses, for instance, increases. There will also likely be new openings in construction, as buildings and facilities install plexiglass and other physical barriers to protect workers and the public and enforce social distancing protocols. In addition, as employers plan for employees to