HONOLULU (KHON2) — Changing jobs in Hawaiʻi is one thing. Changing careers is something else. A new report found that from 2022 to 2024, most people who found a new job on Indeed also left their old career path behind.
For every 100 people who switched jobs each month, about 64 of them started work in an entirely different field, according to the report. These changes shape more than résumés. They shift how talent flows, how industries grow or shrink and who gets left behind.
Not every occupation works the same. Some jobs are harder to leave. Others are harder to break into. Some lose more workers because they don’t pay enough. Others keep people longer because they offer more security, a clearer path forward or require years of training just to begin.
Understanding how and where people switch careers helps explain what today’s workforce really looks like and why some workers move more often than others.
Here’s what we know:
1. Expect many job switchers to leave their field entirely
Almost two-thirds of people who got a new job also moved into a new occupation, said the report. The rate is even higher in some fields.
In hospitality and tourism, the report found that 91% of job switchers left the field altogether. Childcare, entertainment and personal care jobs had similar patterns. High exit rates like these often reflect lower pay, fewer benefits and short career lengths.
In contrast, jobs in healthcare and tech see fewer people leave. About 93% of family nurse practitioners stayed in the field when switching jobs, said the report.
More than half of job switchers in software development also stayed in their occupation. These jobs usually require specialized skills or credentials, which may be harder to earn and less likely to be abandoned.
2. Jobs that pay less tend to lose more workers
Workers are more likely to leave low-paying jobs when switching careers. That pattern held true from 2022 to 2024. Occupations with lower average salaries, such as food service or loading and stocking, also had some of the highest career-switching rates.
This suggests a clear link between wages and worker movement: when jobs pay less, people are more likely to leave.
Higher-paying jobs don’t just retain workers with better salaries. Many of them also offer more structure and room to grow. And when a worker sees opportunity within their own field, they may be more likely to stay, especially if they’ve already invested time or money into training, said the report.
3. Some occupations are harder to get into
Job switching across careers is common, but not all fields welcome outsiders. Nursing and software development are two examples of occupations where most new hires already worked in that same field, said the report.
In nursing, the report found that 66% of job switchers had previously worked in nursing. In software, that number was 55%.
Regulations, licenses and formal education often explain why some jobs are harder to break into. If a career requires years of preparation or a specific degree, fewer workers are able to enter that field from another one.
4. Shorter careers often lead to more career switching
The indicated that the average time people spend in a job before switching occupations also tells a story.
In childcare, workers typically spend about 4 1/2 years in the field before moving on. For accountants, the average career length before a switch is closer to 10 years. Shorter careers often reflect lower demand, fewer long-term opportunities, or a younger workforce still finding its path.
Many of these shorter-term jobs also have fewer entry barriers. They may be easier to start but harder to stay in. That can make them attractive for students, early-career workers or people testing out new industries.
Click here to read the full report.
The job market is changing. People aren’t just quitting. They’re switching paths completely. And that’s changing the future of work.