Southwest Minnesota is a mostly rural region with a changing population and a changing economy, along with a steady dependence on traditional industries like agriculture and manufacturing. In fact, the region has nearly 12,000 farms and the largest share of covered employment in agriculture in the state. But the region is no longer just focused on growing crops and livestock; it is also intent on growing the population and growing new jobs in emerging industries from health care to manufacturing to professional, scientific and technical services.

The region has worked hard to establish its position as a leader in renewable energy, and it is currently home to over two-thirds of the state’s operating ethanol and biodiesel plants and identified wind power farms. While renewable energy is certainly helping to fuel the economic recovery in Southwest Minnesota, many other industries are experiencing job growth in the region as well. In fact, despite the current recession, many industries in the region saw job growth from 2008 to 2010.

While the 50 growing industries on this list are great choices because of their current and future growth in the region, should you limit your occupational choices to industries on this list? No! Choosing a career is a very personal decision and you should still take into consideration all aspects of a career and industry when you’re making a choice, such as educational requirements, annual wages, and your personality style and work values. In fact, the state of Minnesota tracks more than 770 different occupations, many of which are available in Southwest Minnesota . For additional information on how to plan your career and conduct an effective job search, please contact your local Minnesota WorkForce Center.

(Industry titles are links to detailed industry information pages that will list demand occupations)

Important and Emerging Industries in Southwest Minnesota
Total, All Industries	5,633	69,097	$29,571	-3.6%	-2,555	8.7%	6,011
Home Health Care Services	11	1,220	$16,328	11.0%	121	51.5%	628
Offices of Physicians, Health Clinics, & Outpatient Care Centers	47	687	$53,803	1.2%	8	50.5%	251
Residential Mental Health Facilities	47	1,290	$17,633	56.2%	464	21.1%	272
Nursing Care Facilities	36	3,089	$20,102	4.5%	132	14.9%	460
Scientific - BioScience - Research & Development Services	6	357	$49,296	78.5%	157	22.6%	81
Farm Product, Supply & Machinery Wholesalers	174	2,111	$43,845	2.2%	46	9.3%	129
Community Care Facilities for the Elderly	17	330	$12,369	184.5%	214	23.3%	77
Management & Technical Consulting	24	97	$46,690	-1.0%	-1	62.2%	60
Grocery Product Wholesalers	19	516	$45,708	1.6%	8	12.2%	63
Management of Companies & Corporate Headquarters	11	1,010	$62,024	-24.0%	-319	8.2%	83
Alternative Healthcare Practitioners	73	483	$28,525	5.9%	27	16.0%	77
Individual & Family Services	37	449	$19,901	-7.4%	-36	48.2%	216
Banks & Financial Institutions	139	2,053	$41,898	-1.3%	-27	5.8%	119
Food Manufacturing	49	5,565	$35,883	7.0%	365	-1.6%	-89
Hospitals	10	2,214	$33,593	-9.7%	-239	12.5%	277
Miscellaneous Manufacturing (including Medical Device Mfg.)	22	320	$27,879	164.5%	199	17.0%	54
Industrial/Commercial Building Construction	42	480	$49,239	-31.2%	-218	13.2%	63
Waste Management & Remediation Svcs.	24	206	$30,217	50.4%	69	29.3%	56
Fast Food Restaurants & Limited Service Eating Places	328	3,921	$8,419	-5.2%	-215	7.3%	286
General & Specialized Freight Trucking	244	1,535	$33,232	-3.5%	-56	13.2%	203
Elementary & Secondary Schools	96	6,009	$29,121	-1.3%	-78	4.4%	264
Electric Power Generation & Distribution (including Wind Energy)	30	409	$60,817	9.1%	34	-2.4%	-10
Local & State Government Services	161	2,800	$29,298	-3.3%	-96	5.6%	157
Insurance Carriers & Agencies	191	753	$44,650	-2.2%	-17	8.7%	66
Grocery Stores	102	1,966	$12,953	4.6%	87	-1.6%	-31
Health & Personal Care Stores	53	481	$23,774	-5.3%	-27	17.4%	84
Colleges & Universities	7	716	$44,146	-5.5%	-42	13.1%	80
Retail & Department Stores	64	1,615	$16,984	-8.3%	-146	8.7%	141
Temporary Employment Services & Office Administrative Services	15	150	$39,339	45.6%	47	25.7%	28
Nondurable Goods Wholesale Trade (including Oil, Chemicals, and more)	64	601	$41,723	1.9%	11	-11.1%	-67
Building Equipment Contractors	142	575	$33,422	-8.9%	-56	14.5%	83
Other Professional & Technical Services (including Veterinary Svcs.)	35	224	$27,466	1.4%	3	24.1%	54
Accommodation (including Hotels & Motels)	46	1,071	$17,287	-2.5%	-27	10.0%	107
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	16	294	$19,970	-1.3%	-4	27.8%	82
Offices of Dentists	51	338	$30,890	-2.3%	-8	23.1%	78
Amusement, Gambling, & Recreation	54	548	$17,988	-15.2%	-98	13.5%	74
Chemical Manufacturing (including Ethanol & Biodiesel)	13	438	$53,316	-25.0%	-146	5.0%	22
Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing	26	2,303	$39,382	-8.5%	-215	-12.7%	-292
Administration of Economic Programs (Government)	73	272	$38,235	26.5%	57	5.6%	15
Residential Building Construction	171	290	$20,776	-2.7%	-8	19.3%	56
Highway, Street & Bridge Construction	51	385	$47,094	-1.0%	-4	4.4%	17
Membership Associations & Social Advocacy Organizations	124	950	$15,376	-18.2%	-211	5.4%	51
Architectural & Engineering Services	19	109	$45,548	-23.8%	-34	13.6%	15
Automotive Repair & Maintenance	128	438	$25,014	5.8%	24	-5.5%	-24
Agriculture Support & Crop Production	77	379	$33,795	3.0%	11	13.6%	32
Animal Production (including Hog & Pig Farming, Cattle Ranching & Dairy Farming)	103	1,029	$27,968	-1.1%	-11	-3.9%	-40
Computer & Electronic Product Mfg.	8	602	$36,939	NA	NA	-14.6%	-88
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (Machine Shops)	35	716	$35,283	12.6%	80	-9.1%	-167
Motor Vehicle & Parts Dealers	104	794	$29,821	-0.1%	-1	-5.6%	-44
Commercial Machinery Repair & Maint.	51	191	$39,039	NA	NA	15.1%	8
Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages (QCEW), 2009-2019 Employment Projections