Hot Jobs for the 21st Century, 2006-2016
PROJECTIONS for YEAR 2016—
Labor Force—
- The labor force is estimated to increase by 12.8 million persons between 2006 and 2016; about 6.3 million (49 percent) will be women.
- In 2016, women are expected to comprise 46.5 percent of the estimated 164.2 million persons in the labor force.
Employment—
- During the 2006-2016 period, total employment is projected to increase by 10.4 percent from 150.6 to 166.2 million.
- Over the 2006-2016 period, employment in professional and related occupations is projected to grow at the same rate as employment in service occupations—both at 16.7 percent.
- Between the 2006-16 period, production occupations are expected to see a loss of slightly more than half a million jobs (528,000).
- Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations will decline by 29,000 jobs due to increased mechanization, rising imports of food and fish, and consolidation of the agricultural industry.
Occupations: Fastest Growth
- The fastest growing occupations are dominated by professional and related occupations associated with health care and the provision of social and mental health services. Examples of these occupations are:
- Health related: personal and home care aides; home health aides; medical assistants; substance abuse and behavior disorder counselors; social and human service assistants; physical therapists assistants; pharmacy technicians; dental hygienists; and mental health counselors; mental health and substance abuse social workers; dental assistants; physical therapists; and physician assistants.
- Computer related: network systems and data communications analysts; computer software engineers, applications; computer systems analysts; database administrators; and computer software engineers, systems software.
- Personal care and service related: makeup artists; theatrical and performance; skin care specialists; manicurists and pedicurists.
- Other fast growing occupations: veterinary technologists and technicians; personal financial advisors; veterinarians; financial analysts; gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators; forensic science technicians; marriage and family therapists; gaming and sports book writers and runners; and environmental science and protection technicians, including health.
- Rapid growth in health-related occupations reflects an aging population that requires more health care, a wealthier population that can afford better health care, and advances in medical technology that permit more health problems to be treated more aggressively.
- The fastest growing health-related and personal care occupations are already dominated by women and it stands to reason that women will continue to do so.
Occupations: Largest Growth
- The 30 occupations with the largest job growth are much less concentrated in professional and related occupations than the 30 fastest growing occupations.
- Examples of these are:
- Professional and managerial: registered nurses; general and operations managers; computer software engineers, applications; accountants and auditors; management analysts; computer systems analysts; and network systems and data communications analysts.
- Service related: retail salespersons; janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners; child care workers; maids and housekeeping cleaners; and security guards.
- Office and administrative support: office clerks, general; bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks; executive secretaries and administrative assistants; receptionists and information clerks; and customer service representatives.
- Health care support: home health aides; nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants; personal and home care aides; and medical assistants.
- Food preparation and serving related: waiters and waitresses; combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food; and food preparation workers.
- Teaching: post secondary teachers; elementary school teachers, except special education; and teacher assistants.
- Transportation and material moving: truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer; laborers and freight and stock, and material movers, hand; and truck drivers, light and delivery services.
- Other: landscaping and grounds keeping workers; carpenters; and maintenance and repair workers, general.
- Short-term on-the-job training is the level of post-secondary education or training most workers will need to become fully qualified in the majority of these large growth occupations.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, November 2007.
Table 1: 2008 Median Weekly Earnings of S0elected Growth Occupations |
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Median Weekly Earnings, 2008 |
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(Both Sexes) |
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Total, all occupations |
$722 |
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Occupations with fastest job growth |
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Computer software engineers |
$1,529 |
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Financial analysts |
1,378 |
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Database administrators |
1,274 |
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Physician assistants |
1,251 |
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Personal finance advisors |
1,194 |
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Computer scientists and systems analysts |
1,091 |
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Network systems and data communications analysts |
1,184 |
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Dental hygienists |
976 |
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Physical therapist assistants |
700 |
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Gaming service workers |
650 |
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Dental assistants |
531 |
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Medical assistants |
505 |
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Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides |
429 |
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Personal and home care aides |
414 |
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Occupations with largest job growth |
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Computer software engineers |
$1,529 |
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Management analysts |
1,255 |
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Post-secondary teachers |
1,149 |
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Network systems and data communication analysts |
1,130 |
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Computer scientists and systems analysts |
1,091 |
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Registered nurses |
1,022 |
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Accountants and auditors |
981 |
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Elementary and middle school teachers |
890 |
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Maintenance and repair workers, general |
720 |
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Carpenters |
656 |
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Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
606 |
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Office clerks, general |
585 |
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Customer service representatives |
577 |
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Industrial truck and tractor operators |
534 |
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Retail salespersons |
521 |
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Security guards and gaming surveillance officers |
516 |
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Medical assistants |
505 |
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Receptionists and information clerks |
503 |
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Janitors and building cleaners |
460 |
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Combined food preparation and serving workers, |
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including fast food |
349 |
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Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides |
429 |
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Teacher assistants |
421 |
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Grounds maintenance workers |
420 |
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Personal and home care aides |
414 |
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Child care workers |
396 |
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Waiters and waitresses |
391 |
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Maid and housekeeping cleaners |
378 |
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Food preparation workers |
352 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, November 2007.
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