# Which jobs barely existed in 1950?

Data story. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/trends/jobs-that-barely-existed-in-1950

Of the jobs we track, 47 have no count from 1950 or earlier and no record as a distinct job before 1941. The largest today is medical assistants: BLS counted 817,870 in May 2025 (BLS OEWS).

Data as of: BLS OEWS May 2025, and the year of the earliest cited count for each job.

## Jobs with no count from 1950 or earlier, largest today first

| Job | First count on the timeline | Jobs today (BLS OEWS) | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Medical Assistants](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/31-9092) | 1960 (an estimate) | 817,870 (May 2025) | [First count, 1960: AAMA: American Association of Medical Assistants founding history (1955-1956) and early growth](https://www.aama-ntl.org/about); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer User Support Specialists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1232) | 1990 (an estimate) | 717,190 (May 2025) | [First count, 1990: US Census Bureau: "Occupations in Information Technology" (ACS-35, 2016): IT workforce 450K in 1970 to 4.6M in 2014](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2016/acs/acs-35.html); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer and Information Systems Managers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/11-3021) | 1980 (an estimate) | 670,570 (May 2025) | [First count, 1980: BLS: Historical Statistics of the United States; Census 1980 occupational series "Managers: Computer and Data Processing" (precursor to SOC 11-3021); consistent with IBM System/360 installed base growth](https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer Systems Analysts](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1211) | 1970 (a cited count) | 519,530 (May 2025) | [First count, 1970: IPUMS USA: Occupation and Industry Codes, 1970 Census: computer specialists classification (OCC 1970 code 003)](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/occ1970.shtml); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Pharmacy Technicians](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2052) | 1990 (an estimate) | 471,680 (May 2025) | [First count, 1990: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pharmacy Technicians (historical employment context; PTCB founding history 1995)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacy-technicians.htm); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Paralegals and Legal Assistants](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/23-2011) | 1975 (an estimate) | 392,880 (May 2025) | [First count, 1975: NALA History: National Association of Legal Assistants founding records](https://oldsite.nala.org/about-nala/nala-history/nala-history); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Nurse Practitioners](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-1171) | 1975 (an estimate) | 323,040 (May 2025) | [First count, 1975: Wikipedia: Nurse practitioner (United States): history and development of the NP role](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_practitioner); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Network and Computer Systems Administrators](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1244) | 1986 (an estimate) | 314,340 (May 2025) | [First count, 1986: USENIX LISA conference history: first LISA conference held 1986 (System Administrators Guild founding context)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LISA_%28organization%29); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Personal Financial Advisors](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/13-2052) | 2002 (a cited count) | 266,800 (May 2025) | [First count, 2002: BLS OES 2002 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes02nat.zip); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Data Scientists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-2051) | 2014 (an estimate) | 262,440 (May 2025) | [First count, 2014: KDnuggets (Gregory Piatetsky-Shapiro): "How Many Data Scientists Are There and Is There a Shortage?" (September 2018)](https://www.kdnuggets.com/2018/09/how-many-data-scientists-are-there.html); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Instructional Coordinators](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-9031) | 2000 (an estimate) | 227,760 (May 2025) | [First count, 2000: NCES: "Staff employed in public elementary and secondary school systems, by type of assignment: Selected years, fall 1949-50 through fall 2021" (Digest of Education Statistics, Table 213.10)](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_213.10.asp); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Information Security Analysts](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1212) | 2000 (an estimate) | 190,650 (May 2025) | [First count, 2000: ISC2: History and founding context; cybersecurity workforce estimates circa 2000 (secondary)](https://www.isc2.org/about); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1253) | 1960 (an estimate) | 186,740 (May 2025) | [First count, 1960: TesterWork: "The History of Software Testing" (IBM 704 testing team, Gerald Weinberg, late 1950s)](https://testerwork.com/the-history-of-software-testing/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Emergency Medical Technicians](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2042) | 1975 (an estimate) | 180,510 (May 2025) | [First count, 1975: EMS History.com: Timeline Era 3: Federal Reform and Birth of Modern Paramedicine (1966-1980)](https://ems-history.com/timeline-era-3.html); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer Network Architects](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1241) | 1995 (an estimate) | 179,740 (May 2025) | [First count, 1995: Cisco Systems history: revenue growth from $69M (1990) to $1B+ (1995) driven by enterprise network buildout; networking profession size inferred from industry growth](https://www.britannica.com/money/Cisco-Systems-Inc); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/51-9161) | 1958 (an estimate) | 169,450 (May 2025) | [First count, 1958: History of numerical control: Milwaukee-Matic (1958), first commercial NC machining center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_numerical_control); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Physician Assistants](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-1071) | 1974 (an estimate) | 162,150 (May 2025) | [First count, 1974: Wikipedia: "Physician assistant" citing AAPA and NCCPA historical workforce data; first PANCE administered 1973](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physician_assistant); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer Network Support Specialists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1231) | 1990 (an estimate) | 146,190 (May 2025) | [First count, 1990: Ethernet: Wikipedia (commercial introduction 1980, enterprise adoption data: "By 1992, Ethernet was the de facto standard for LANs")](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Respiratory Therapists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-1126) | 1960 (an estimate) | 139,790 (May 2025) | [First count, 1960: AARC Timeline: History of the American Association for Respiratory Care (founding, growth, credentialing era)](https://www.aarc.org/about-us/aarc-timeline/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Surgical Technologists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2055) | 1970 (an estimate) | 117,460 (May 2025) | [First count, 1970: Wikipedia: "Surgical technologist" article (AORT founding 1968, CORT exam 1970, profession development history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgical_technologist); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Web and Digital Interface Designers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1255) | 1996 (an estimate) | 113,330 (May 2025) | [First count, 1996: Wikipedia: Web design: history section (early web designer labor market, 1993-1997)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_design); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Paramedics](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2043) | 2021 (a cited count) | 100,610 (May 2025) | [First count, 2021: BLS OEWS May 2021, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer Programmers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1251) | 1957 (an estimate) | 92,230 (May 2025) | [First count, 1957: Wikipedia: Computer programming (history section, 1957 employment figure)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_programming); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Diagnostic Medical Sonographers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2032) | 1975 (an estimate) | 90,160 (May 2025) | [First count, 1975: ARDMS 50 Years: Celebrating 50 Years of ARDMS (credential count milestones: 200 initial candidates 1975, 35,000 by 1987)](https://web.archive.org/web/20250729021210/https://www.ardms.org/50years/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer Hardware Engineers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-2061) | 1999 (a cited count) | 76,660 (May 2025) | [First count, 1999: BLS OES 1999 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes99nat.zip); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Web Developers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1254) | 1995 (an estimate) | 70,190 (May 2025) | [First count, 1995: Digital Silk, "Top 30 Web Development Statistics and Trends" (citing pre-1996 web development company count of under 1,000 in the US)](https://www.digitalsilk.com/web-development/development-trends/web-development-statistics/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Database Administrators](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1242) | 1980 (an estimate) | 69,990 (May 2025) | [First count, 1980: Dataversity: A Brief History of Database Management (database specialization emergence 1970s-1980s)](https://www.dataversity.net/articles/brief-history-database-management/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Database Architects](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/15-1243) | 1980 (an estimate) | 67,140 (May 2025) | [First count, 1980: Encyclopedia.com: "Database Administration" (emergence of the DBA occupation, 1960s-1980s)](https://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/computers-and-electrical-engineering/computers-and-computing/database-administration); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Medical Equipment Repairers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/49-9062) | 1972 (an estimate) | 65,990 (May 2025) | [First count, 1972: AAMI: Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) certification program history (first examination 1971, first certificates April 1972)](https://aami.org/certifications/cbet/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Financial Risk Specialists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/13-2054) | 1997 (an estimate) | 63,850 (May 2025) | [First count, 1997: GARP 25th Anniversary Press Release: FRM certification launched 1997 with 110 candidates; GARP founded 1996 with 250 early members](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230117005105/en/GARP-Celebrates-25th-Anniversary-of-Flagship-Financial-Risk-Manager-FRM-Certification); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Telemarketers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/41-9041) | 1970 (an estimate) | 58,430 (May 2025) | [First count, 1970: Telemarketing Magazine / Customer Interaction Solutions: industry history (WATS era, 1957-1975)](https://www.tmcnet.com/topics/articles/2008/08/01/332088-history-telemarketing-industry.htm); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Hazardous Materials Removal Workers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/47-4041) | 1983 (an estimate) | 51,710 (May 2025) | [First count, 1983: EPA Superfund History: First National Priorities List (406 sites, 1983): Superfund program origins and early remediation workforce](https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-history-printable-version); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Occupational Therapy Assistants](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/31-2011) | 1965 (an estimate) | 51,290 (May 2025) | [First count, 1965: St. Kate's OTA Online: "The Evolution of Occupational Therapy Through the Years" (COTA origin 1964, St. Catherine first program)](https://otaonline.stkate.edu/blog/the-evolution-of-occupational-therapy-through-the-years/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Transportation Security Screeners](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/33-9093) | 2001 (an estimate) | 50,290 (May 2025) | [First count, 2001: Encyclopedia.com: "United States Aviation Security Screeners" (pre-TSA private contractor workforce and Argenbright employment)](https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-and-government/us-government/united-states-aviation-security-screeners); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2035) | 1985 (an estimate) | 43,390 (May 2025) | [First count, 1985: Steinberg EP (1986): "The status of MRI in 1986: rates of adoption in the United States and worldwide" (AJR 147:453-457; 371 of 511 worldwide MRI imagers in US at end-1985)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3488645/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-3027) | 1960 (a cited count) | 36,190 (May 2025) | [First count, 1960: US Census Bureau: Changes Between the 1950 and 1960 Occupation and Industry Classifications (engineering technician categories)](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1968/demo/tp-18.html); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-1021) | 1975 (an estimate) | 35,480 (May 2025) | [First count, 1975: Stanford CS Capacity Project: A History of Capacity Challenges in Computer Science (faculty 805 in 1975, 837 in 1979)](https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/CSCapacity/CSCapacity-History1980s.html); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/19-4042) | 1980 (an estimate) | 34,670 (May 2025) | [First count, 1980: EPA History: Origins of EPA (EPA established December 2, 1970; early regulatory framework and monitoring mandate)](https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Emergency Medicine Physicians](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-1214) | 1999 (an estimate) | 32,880 (May 2025) | [First count, 1999: PubMed: "A study of the workforce in emergency medicine: 1999" (Ann Emerg Med, 2002): hospital survey yielding ~27,000 FTE emergency physicians across U.S. EDs](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12085066/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Credit Counselors](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/13-2071) | 1960 (an estimate) | 27,770 (May 2025) | [First count, 1960: National Foundation for Credit Counseling Wikipedia / GetOutOfDebt.org history article: NFCC founding and early agency growth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Foundation_for_Credit_Counseling); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-2031) | 1970 (an estimate) | 23,480 (May 2025) | [First count, 1970: Clinical engineering - Wikipedia: early workforce estimates 5,000-8,000 needed; 300-400 employed in hospitals in early 1970s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_engineering); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Nuclear Medicine Technologists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2033) | 2003 (a cited count) | 17,080 (May 2025) | [First count, 2003: BLS OEWS May 2003, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Nuclear Engineers](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-2161) | 1954 (an estimate) | 15,280 (May 2025) | [First count, 1954: ANS History: American Nuclear Society founding (1954): professional organization established as AEC civilian nuclear programs launched](https://www.ans.org/about/history/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Emergency Management Directors](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/11-9161) | 1952 (an estimate) | 13,500 (May 2025) | [First count, 1952: Federal Civil Defense Administration: History and Organization (established under Executive Order 10186, January 12, 1951)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Civil_Defense_Administration); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-1053) | 1975 (an estimate) | 6,690 (May 2025) | [First count, 1975: Encyclopedia.com: "The Rise of Environmental Science": growth of university environmental programs post-NEPA and Earth Day 1970](https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/rise-environmental-science); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Genetic Counselors](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-9092) | 1975 (an estimate) | 3,740 (May 2025) | [First count, 1975: Wikipedia: Genetic counseling: history section (profession emergence, Sarah Lawrence program 1969, field size in early decades)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_counseling); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |
| [Medical Dosimetrists](https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2036) | 1975 (an estimate) | 3,410 (May 2025) | [First count, 1975: American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (AAMD) 40th Anniversary: founding year 1975; AAMD is the only professional association devoted exclusively to promoting the medical dosimetry and treatment planning profession](https://www.medicaldosimetry.org/about/aamd-mission-statement/); [BLS OEWS May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) |

## How this list was made

- A job is listed when its timeline has no employment count from 1950 or earlier and records no distinct occupation before 1941. Rows are ordered by the latest count, largest first; the order is by size only.
- The first column gives the year of the first count on the timeline and whether it is an estimate. Many are estimates from a trade body, a professional association or a historian.

## What these numbers cannot tell you

- Only the year of the first count is shown here, not the count. Early counts measure many different things (training programs, ambulance units, the charter members of a society, a category that combined several jobs), so they are not set beside today's BLS count. Each timeline shows its first count with a note on what it covers.
- No count from 1950 or earlier does not mean nobody did the work: some of these jobs grew out of older ones under other names.

## Sources

- [BLS OEWS national estimates, May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm)
- Each row also names the exact sources for its own figures.

## Explore these jobs by industry

- [Healthcare](https://futurehistory.earth/family/healthcare)
- [Tech & Data](https://futurehistory.earth/family/tech)
- [Engineering](https://futurehistory.earth/family/engineering)
- [Business & Finance](https://futurehistory.earth/family/business)
- [Education](https://futurehistory.earth/family/education)
- [Healthcare Support](https://futurehistory.earth/family/healthcare-support)

All trends and data stories: https://futurehistory.earth/trends