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Click here to see a list of growing industries in Southwest MinnesotaSouthwest 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 Click here to see the Ethanol Career Pathways Brochureagriculture 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 cultivating new jobs in emerging industries.

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. In fact, the region has seen three years of modest year-over-year job growth and total employment has reached unprecedented levels.

If you are interested in living and working in Southwest Minnesota, this website is designed to inform you about job availability and wages in this region of the state. The 40 Growing Industries featured below have been selected because they are currently adding jobs in Southwest Minnesota and are projected to continue growing into the future. Many of these industries also offer high pay compared to other occupations in the region. You can use this information to make better career choices as you develop your skills and plan your education.

While the 40 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)

Growing Industries in Southwest Minnesota, Sorted by Alphabetical Order
Total, All Industries
5,881
72,554
$27,768
2.2%
1,549
209,742
225,258
7.4%
15,516
81
312
$30,015
12.2%
34
720
1,050
45.8%
330
14
2,223
$39,250
7.3%
152
2,541
2,770
9.0%
229
209
2,798
$28,297
10.4%
263
5,250
6,747
28.5%
1,497
163
1,327
$9,724
3.7%
47
1,204
1,397
16.0%
193
17
3,520
$30,992
14.6%
449
4,427
5,100
15.2%
673
165
712
$29,162
2.0%
16
2,255
2,500
10.9%
245
30
193
$18,096
20.6%
33
930
1,015
9.2%
85
10
326
$51,636
75.3%
140
197
400
103.0%
203
18
216
$46,070
54.3%
76
179
300
67.6%
121
31
117
$34,632
18.2%
18
301
352
16.9%
51
43
742
$12,532
41.1%
216
562
1,117
98.8%
555
50
321
$49,816
8.1%
24
301
430
42.9%
129
26
2,439
$15,236
6.5%
148
2,210
2,450
10.9%
240
166
2,252
$46,644
4.3%
36
4,266
4,740
11.1%
474
31
154
$22,204
57.1%
56
506
545
7.7%
39
220
3,134
$8,268
7.7%
226
8,725
10,100
15.8%
1,375
182
1,301
$34,060
122.7%
344
2,880
3,400
18.1%
520
6
1,103
$30,836
5.3%
56
7,998
9,215
15.2%
1,217
33
313
$22,724
14.2%
39
1,059
1,168
10.3%
109
50
620
$28,184
13.3%
73
2,790
3,046
9.2%
256
16
1,253
$16,016
8.9%
102
1,089
1,290
18.5%
201
14
233
$13,156
47.5%
75
1,591
2,000
25.7%
409
180
407
$30,400
12.1%
44
860
1,250
45.3%
390
43
603
$32,240
9.8%
54
566
670
18.4%
104
94
1,095
$38,064
13.1%
123
3,168
2,962
-6.5%
-206
21
228
$36,816
29.5%
52
1,785
1,880
5.3%
95
15
372
$62,868
19.2%
60
983
1,230
25.1%
247
45
274
$31,096
7.5%
19
954
1,160
21.6%
206
74
441
$23,287
21.2%
77
809
1,050
29.8%
241
91
1,850
$16,276
14.6%
236
1,739
2,020
16.2%
281
10
22
$19,604
69.2%
9
510
545
6.9%
35
11
620
$33,020
13.1%
72
939
1,100
17.1%
161
4
162
$37,700
6.6%
10
186
240
29.0%
54
34
311
$51,272
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
134
1,151
$16,919
10.2%
107
2,615
3,700
41.5%
1,085
7
209
$43,160
65.9%
83
264
480
81.8%
216
53
331
$15,603
ND
ND
1,225
1,670
36.3%
445
118
592
$36,556
13.0%
28
898
934
4.0%
36
11
229
$20,072
ND
ND
1,592
2,150
35.1%
558
17
107
$27,716
ND
ND
112
190
69.6%
78
Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages (QCEW), 2004-2014 Employment Projections

 
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