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Career
exploration is all about gathering information. What are you interested
in doing? Are any of those jobs available?
How much do those occupations pay? Do you
have the education or training needed
for those jobs? This website was designed by the Southwest Minnesota WorkForce
Council to help you answer these career exploration questions. But there
is another important thing to consider: Where
do you want to live? Job availability depends on
where you live.
If you are interested in living and
working in Southwest Minnesota, this website is designed to show you job
availability and wages in this region of
the state. The 100 Hot Jobs
on this list have been selected because they are currently
in high demand in Southwest Minnesota and are projected
to stay that way into the future. Many
of these jobs also offer high pay compared
to other occupations in the region. The information contained in this
site will help you make better career choices as you develop your skills
and plan your education.
While the 100 occupations
shown below are great choices because of their current and future demand
in the region, should you limit your occupational choices to this list?
No! Choosing a career is a very personal
decision and you should still take into consideration all
aspects of a career 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 even though they did not
make this list of hot jobs. For additional information on how to plan
your career and conduct an effective job search,
please contact your local Minnesota WorkForce
Center.
(Occupational
titles are links to ISEEK
career information pages that will open in a new window,
where you can study the career description, work activities, and plan
your education)
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| Five-Star
Occupations in Demand |
| Home
Health Aides |
|
2,170 |
|
58.7% |
3,221 |
|
| Personal
& Home Care Aides |
|
520 |
|
48.4% |
1,835 |
|
| Computer-Controlled
(CNC) Machine Tool Operators & Machinists |
|
300 |
|
32.5% |
225 |
|
| Truck
Drivers, Heavy & Tractor-Trailer |
|
2,130 |
|
25.1% |
1,936 |
|
Industrial
Machinery Mechanics &
Fluid
Power Technicians |
|
370 |
|
24.5% |
423 |
|
| Family
& General Practitioners |
|
80 |
|
23.9% |
124 |
|
| Welders,
Cutters, Solderers & Brazers |
|
450 |
|
19.0% |
495 |
Postsecondary
voc. award |
| Radiologic
(X-ray) Technologists & Diagnostic
Med. Sonographers |
|
100 |
|
17.2% |
78 |
|
| Social
& Human Service Assistants |
|
420 |
|
17.1% |
706 |
|
| Registered
Nurses |
|
1,330 |
|
15.7% |
922 |
|
| General
Office Clerks |
|
1,340 |
|
14.2% |
1,568 |
|
| Licensed
Practical Nurses (LPNs) |
|
760 |
|
13.1% |
752 |
|
| Emergency
Medical Techs & Paramedics |
|
340 |
|
12.8% |
270 |
|
| Accountants
& Auditors |
|
440 |
|
11.8% |
382 |
|
| Network
& Computer Sys. Administrators |
|
110 |
|
10.7% |
83 |
|
| Retail
Salespersons |
|
1,430 |
|
10.2% |
2,315 |
|
| Purchasing
Agents & Buyers (incl. Farm Products & Wholesale Trade) |
|
160 |
|
10.1% |
183 |
|
| Route
Salespersons, Drivers |
|
200 |
|
10.0% |
250 |
|
| Fast
Food Prep & Serving Workers |
|
1,220 |
|
9.6% |
1,431 |
|
| Human
Resources, Employment & Training Specialists |
|
50 |
|
9.4% |
78 |
|
| Janitors
& Cleaners |
|
930 |
|
9.3% |
857 |
|
| Bookkeeping,
Accounting, & Audit Clerks |
|
1,160 |
|
9.2% |
626 |
|
| Loan
Officers |
|
220 |
|
8.8% |
226 |
|
| Farm
Equipment, Truck
Mechanics & Diesel Engine Specialists |
|
260 |
|
8.7% |
351 |
|
| Nursing
Aides, Orderlies & Attendants |
|
1,620 |
|
7.8% |
726 |
|
| Maids
& Housekeeping Cleaners |
|
580 |
|
7.4% |
437 |
|
| Electrical,
Industrial
& Mechanical
Engineers |
|
120 |
|
6.7% |
234 |
|
| Automotive
Service Techs & Mechanics |
|
190 |
|
5.4% |
307 |
|
| Cashiers
& Counter
& Rental Clerks |
|
2,120 |
|
4.0% |
2,450 |
|
| Shipping,
Receiving, & Traffic Clerks |
|
350 |
|
2.9% |
213 |
|
| Child,
Family & School Social Workers |
|
150 |
|
2.5% |
106 |
|
| Cooks,
Restaurant & Fast
Food |
|
560 |
|
1.9% |
455 |
|
| Bank
Tellers |
|
490 |
|
-1.4% |
458 |
|
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 |
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| Four-Star
Occupations in Demand |
| Wind
Energy Technicians & Mechanics |
|
130 |
|
100.0% |
130 |
Associate
degree |
| Veterinarians |
|
50 |
|
36.9% |
69 |
|
| Physical
Therapists & Occupational
Therapists |
|
120 |
|
36.8% |
204 |
|
| Occupational
& Physical
Therapy Assts. |
|
70 |
|
33.2% |
185 |
|
| Cost
Estimators |
|
110 |
|
29.4% |
111 |
|
| Team
Assemblers & Fabricators |
|
260 |
|
27.9% |
332 |
|
| Ethanol
& Chemical Plant Technicians |
|
90 |
|
27.4% |
64 |
|
| Trash
& Recyclable Material Collectors |
|
100 |
|
26.1% |
118 |
|
| Physician
Assistants |
|
50 |
|
24.0% |
32 |
|
| Mental
Health & Rehabilitation
Counselors |
|
230 |
|
23.6% |
156 |
|
| Pharmacy
Technicians |
|
170 |
|
23.6% |
163 |
|
| Dental
Assistants & Dental
Hygienists |
|
440 |
|
19.7% |
277 |
|
| Securities,
Commodities & Financial Services Sales Representatives |
|
90 |
|
16.8% |
155 |
|
| Dentists |
|
70 |
|
16.7% |
39 |
|
| Medical
Recs. & Health Info. Technicians |
|
110 |
|
15.4% |
101 |
|
| Landscapers
& Groundskeepers |
|
220 |
|
14.8% |
325 |
|
| Security
Guards |
|
260 |
|
13.5% |
83 |
|
| Medical
& Clinic Laboratory Technicians |
|
120 |
|
13.3% |
79 |
|
| Dietary
Aides & Assistants |
|
230 |
|
11.9% |
219 |
|
| Customer
Service Representatives |
|
760 |
|
10.7% |
762 |
|
| Cleaners
of Vehicles & Equipment |
|
560 |
|
10.4% |
281 |
|
| Forklift
Drivers/Industrial Truck & Tractor Operators |
|
380 |
|
10.0% |
336 |
|
| Broadband
Installers & Technicians |
|
190 |
|
9.8% |
58 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Retail Workers |
|
670 |
|
9.2% |
701 |
|
| Production,
Planning & Expediting Clerks |
|
120 |
|
8.3% |
108 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Mechanics, Installation, & Repair Workers |
|
240 |
|
6.5% |
227 |
|
| Sales
Representatives (Wholesale, Manufacturing & Services) |
|
730 |
|
6.3% |
467 |
|
| Computer
Systems Analysts & Software
Engineers |
|
60 |
|
5.6% |
75 |
|
| Laundry
& Dry-Cleaning Workers |
|
160 |
|
5.6% |
74 |
|
|
Exec. Secretaries & Administrative Assistants |
|
440 |
|
5.2% |
516 |
|
| Claims
Adjusters & Examiners |
|
20 |
|
4.8% |
50 |
|
| Professors
& Postsecondary Vocational Education Teachers, incl. Nursing |
|
240 |
|
2.3% |
271 |
|
|
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators |
|
210 |
|
1.7% |
99 |
|
| Computer
Support Specialists |
|
370 |
|
1.7% |
84 |
|
| Police
& Sheriff's Patrol Officers |
|
430 |
|
0.1% |
217 |
|
| Elementary
& High
School Teachers; incl. Special
Education |
|
1,980 |
|
-1.6% |
1,355 |
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| Three-Star
Occupations in Demand |
| Heating
& Cooling (HVAC) Installers & Mechanics |
|
30 |
|
44.0% |
93 |
|
| Child
Care Workers |
|
190 |
|
28.8% |
132 |
|
| Construction
Equipment Operators |
|
580 |
|
28.0% |
464 |
|
| Mental
Health, Substance Abuse & Behav. Disorder Social Workers |
|
130 |
|
25.3% |
41 |
|
| Management
& Market
Research Analysts |
|
170 |
|
21.1% |
264 |
|
| Construction
Supervisors & Construction
Managers |
|
180 |
|
20.9% |
269 |
|
| Bill
& Account Collectors |
|
140 |
|
20.1% |
89 |
|
| Carpenters |
|
530 |
|
19.6% |
681 |
|
| Agricultural
Equipment Operators |
|
160 |
|
17.9% |
208 |
|
| Pharmacists |
|
80 |
|
17.0% |
130 |
|
|
Construction
Laborers |
|
340 |
|
16.3% |
239 |
|
| Medical
& Health Services Managers |
|
150 |
|
15.5% |
139 |
|
| Quality
Control Inspectors & Testers |
|
240 |
|
15.2% |
214 |
|
| Farmworkers
& Laborers (Crop & Animal) |
|
180 |
|
14.7% |
195 |
|
| Cooks,
Institution & Cafeteria |
|
400 |
|
13.2% |
269 |
|
| Laborers
& Freight/Stock Movers |
|
980 |
|
12.8% |
989 |
|
| Receptionists
& Information Clerks |
|
400 |
|
12.1% |
541 |
|
| Hairstylists
& Cosmetologists |
|
120 |
|
12.1% |
296 |
|
| Sales
& Marketing
Managers |
|
300 |
|
10.6% |
180 |
Bachelor's
deg. + work exp. |
| First-line
Supervisors of Production & Operating Workers (Line Managers) |
|
440 |
|
10.0% |
286 |
|
| Compliance
Officers & Inspectors |
|
50 |
|
8.8% |
19 |
|
| Boiler
Operators & Stationary Engineers |
|
90 |
|
8.7% |
39 |
|
| Office
Managers & First-line Supervisors of Office Workers |
|
440 |
|
8.5% |
389 |
|
| Meat
Cutters, Slaughterers & Meat Packers |
|
2,180 |
|
6.2% |
1,250 |
|
| Agriculture
& Food Science Technicians |
|
80 |
|
5.8% |
41 |
|
| Amusement
& Recreation Attendants |
|
110 |
|
5.7% |
232 |
|
| Bus
Drivers, School & Transit |
|
580 |
|
4.6% |
344 |
|
| Education
Administrators |
|
110 |
|
0.6% |
147 |
|
| Waiters
& Waitresses; Bartenders |
|
1,030 |
|
0.0% |
1,311 |
|
| Teacher
Assistants |
|
1,430 |
|
-1.2% |
603 |
|
| Food
Service Managers |
|
90 |
|
-6.5% |
68 |
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Source:
Minnesota
Dept. of Employment & Economic Development
2012 Median Annual Salary Data from the 2012 Minnesota
Salary Survey for Region 6W and Region 8
Current 2012 Demand Data from the Occupations
in Demand Tool for Region 6W and Region 8
Projected Employment Data from the 2010-2020 Minnesota
Employment Projections Program |
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