GoKawiilKey Takeaways Move over, influencers — young adults have a new top dream job.
A survey of thousands of teens and young adults ages 11 to 24 attempted to pinpoint which careers interest this demographic.
For the first time, influencers, YouTubers and content creators were not the top choices.
Influencer dreams are taking a backseat to medicine and healthcare as young adults set their sights on a new top career.
Retailer PacSun and analytics firm GlobalData polled more than 6,000 U.S. respondents ages 11 to 24 about the jobs they may want to pursue, allowing them to select more than one career path.
The survey found that young adults are responding differently to the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” More young adults are naming a career in medicine as their dream job, rather than a career as a YouTuber or influencer.
The results mark a reversal from last year. In PacSun’s prior survey in 2025, becoming an influencer ranked first, chosen by 22.2% of respondents, while medical careers came in second at 19.4%. This year, interest in influencing slipped to 18.8%, putting it just behind healthcare-related careers, which drew 19% of responses.
Why healthcare is attracting more interest than influencing
According to Business Insider, healthcare is becoming an increasingly attractive career path because it has steady demand in a competitive job market.
The field also remains a consistent source of job creation. Healthcare and social assistance added 28,400 jobs in August, representing 18% of all jobs added that month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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