Nearly 1 in 4 Workers Are Over 55, & That Share Is Still Rising

The U.S. workforce is getting older, and the pace is even faster than it appears at first glance.

Employment has grown steadily over the past decade. But the more important shift isn’t just how many people are working; it’s who’s working and how old they are.

More Americans are staying in the workforce later in life, retirement timelines are stretching, and entire industries are beginning to feel the impact.

At a national level, the trend toward older workers in the workforce looks gradual. Inside specific occupations, however, it’s much more pronounced. In some cases, the workforce is aging and getting close to turning over all at once.

What This Report Covers

Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this analysis examines how the age composition of the U.S. workforce changed between 2014 and 2025. It focuses on:

• National workforce aging trends
• Growth among workers aged 55 and older
• Occupations with the highest share of older workers
• Fastest-aging occupations over time
• Roles that are both older and continuing to age quickly

Key Findings

The Workforce Didn’t Just Grow, It Got Older

Between 2014 and 2025, total U.S. employment increased by 17.2 million workers—an 11.7% increase. During the same period, workers age 55 and older grew by 5.6 million, or 17.3%.

That difference matters. It means older workers now make up a larger share of the labor force than they did a decade ago. Today, they account for 23.2% of all workers, up from 22.1%.

A one-percentage-point shift may not seem dramatic, but in a workforce this large, it represents millions of people and a meaningful structural change.

The 65+ Workforce Is Growing the Fastest

The sharpest increase is among workers aged 65 and older.

In 2014, there were 8 million workers in this group. By 2025, that number reached 11.4 million.

This is more than a 40% increase.

Rather than leaving the workforce at the traditional retirement age, many people continue to work. Some shift into part-time roles. Others stay in their current careers longer than expected.

The Oldest Occupations in the U.S.

Some occupations already have a large share of workers nearing retirement age. In jobs with the oldest workers, experience and tenure are often central to the work, which can make replacement more challenging.

Top 20 Oldest Occupations (Ranked by Percentage of Workers Age 55+)

1. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers: 54.44%
2. Bus drivers, school: 51.90%
3. Bus drivers, transit and intercity: 48.13%
4. Clergy: 41.48%
5. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks: 39.95%
6. Chief executives: 39.18%
7. Property, real estate, and community association managers: 38.23%
8. Real estate brokers and sales agents: 37.56%
9. Postsecondary teachers: 36.39%
10. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive: 34.34%
11. Home health aides: 33.20%
12. Janitors and building cleaners: 32.85%
13. Personal care aides: 32.55%
14. Maids and housekeeping cleaners: 31.68%
15. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers: 31.07%
16. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers: 30.81%
17. Lawyers: 30.45%
18. Billing and posting clerks: 30.27%
19. Legal occupations: 29.73%
20. Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations: 29.63%

The Fastest-Aging Jobs

Some jobs aren’t just older—they’re getting older quickly. That points to a pipeline issue where younger workers aren’t entering these roles at the same pace.

Top 15 Fastest-Aging Occupations (2014 to 2025 Change)

1. Credit counselors and loan officers: +10.29 percentage points
2. Maids and housekeeping cleaners: +9.03 percentage points
3. Food preparation workers: +8.09 percentage points
4. Billing and posting clerks: +7.59 percentage points
5. Welding, soldering, and brazing workers: +6.26 percentage points
6. Computer support specialists: +6.05 percentage points
7. Healthcare support occupations: +6.01 percentage points
8. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks: +5.35 percentage points
9. Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations: +5.31 percentage points
10. Paralegals and legal assistants: +5.17 percentage points
11. Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations: +5.07 percentage points
12. Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators: +5.06 percentage points
13. Miscellaneous agricultural workers: +4.93 percentage points
14. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers: +4.54 percentage points
15. Personal care aides: +4.48 percentage points

The Jobs Most at Risk of Aging Out

The most exposed roles are those that meet both conditions. A large share of workers is already 55 or older, and that share has increased meaningfully over time.

Occupations That Are Both Old & Aging Rapidly

1. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers: 43.2%, +13.1 percentage points
2. Payroll and timekeeping clerks: 35.4%, +9.4 percentage points
3. Personal care aides: 34.2%, +6.1 percentage points
4. Lodging managers: 34.1%, +9.5 percentage points
5. Machinists: 33.1%, +8.5 percentage points
6. Maids and housekeeping cleaners: 30.6%, +7.9 percentage points
7. Sales representatives (wholesale and manufacturing): 30.0%, +5.5 percentage points

What This Means for the Labor Market

Workforce aging is already influencing how the labor market functions.

A few patterns are becoming clear:

• Experience and institutional knowledge are concentrated among older workers. 
• Some occupations aren’t attracting enough younger workers to replace those who leave.
• Certain industries may face tighter labor conditions as retirements increase.
• Career timelines are shifting, with more people staying employed later in life.

For press inquiries, please contact Nathan Barber at nathan.barber@bold.com. 

Methodology

This analysis is based on publicly available data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Population Survey (CPS), specifically Table A-11b, which tracks employment by detailed occupation and age.

Data from 2014 and 2025 were compared to examine how the share of workers age 55 and older has changed over time, both across the overall workforce and within specific occupations.

Occupations were evaluated based on:

• The share of workers aged 55 and older
• How that share has shifted over the past decade

To ensure meaningful comparisons, only occupations with substantial employment levels were included. Roles were then ranked to identify:

• The occupations with the highest concentration of older workers
• The occupations aging the fastest
• Jobs that are both heavily concentrated with older workers and are continuing to age rapidly

All figures are derived from BLS CPS data and reflect national workforce trends.

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