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 piece of information to consider: Where do you want to live? Job availability depends on where you live.

Let's look at an example: Pretend that you want to go to college or get training which will keep you out of the labor force for one year or more, and you want to make sure that the career you are being trained for will be in demand by the time you complete your training. There are many jobs that are growing in Southwest Minnesota, not to mention the availability of replacement openings as the Baby Boom generation starts reaching retirement age. And there are many growing industries in Southwest Minnesota that offer good long-term career prospects, including health care, renewable energy and agriculture, manufacturing, and professional/technical services.

While the 100 occupations on this list 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)

Occupations in Demand in Southwest Minnesota, Sorted by Future Demand
Major Occupations with the Largest Number of Future Openings
Combined Food Prep & Serving Workers	$19,563	1,900	Large	2,500	3,184	Short-term on-the-job training
Retail Salespersons	$20,057	1,800	Large	2,070	2,719	Short-term on-the-job training
Cashiers and Counter & Rental Clerks	$16,417	2,370	Large	2,670	2,670	Short-term on-the-job training
Waiters & Waitresses	$19,975	960	Large	1,500	1,872	Short-term on-the-job training
Personal & Home Care Aides	$19,351	1,540	Small	600	1,771	Short-term on-the-job training
Truck Drivers, Heavy & Tractor-Trailer	$33,138	1,810	Large	740	1,312	Moderate on-the-job training
General Office Clerks	$21,875	1,680	Medium	1,040	1,245	Short-term on-the-job training
Registered Nurses	$52,316	1,260	Large	530	1,141	Assoc./Bachelor's degree
Home Health Aides	$20,252	580	Large	230	1,112	Short-term on-the-job training
Nursing Aides, Orderlies & Attendants	$22,311	1,810	Large	530	974	Postsecondary voc. award
Business Operations Specialists	$42,245	1,080	Large	420	972	Bachelor's degree
Farmworkers & Laborers (Crop & Animal)	$30,742	670	Large	810	949	Short-term on-the-job training
Precision Assemblers & Fabricators (incl. Electrical & Electronic Equip.)	$25,407	1,220	Large	700	876	Moderate on-the-job training
Elem. & Secondary School Teachers	$49,309	910	Small	780	780	Bachelor's degree
Tellers	$21,725	490	Large	590	746	Short-term on-the-job training
Stock Clerks & Order Fillers	$21,943	740	Large	740	740	Short-term on-the-job training
Child Care Workers	$19,193	130	Small	620	710	Short-term on-the-job training
Laborers and Freight & Stock Movers	$25,162	900	Medium	710	710	Short-term on-the-job training
Customer Service Representatives	$31,269	460	Large	310	708	Moderate on-the-job training
Cooks, Restaurant & Short Order	$23,482	350	Large	540	693	Moderate on-the-job training
Bookkeeping, Acctg., & Auditing Clerks	$26,443	1,170	Small	630	662	Moderate on-the-job training
Sales Representatives (Mfg. & Services)	$44,523	660	Medium	420	627	Moderate on-the-job training
General & Operations Managers	$65,175	790	Small	390	622	Bachelor's or higher degree
Licensed Practical Nurses	$34,136	950	Medium	470	617	Postsecondary voc. award
Receptionists & Information Clerks	$21,548	560	Medium	420	603	Short-term on-the-job training
Bartenders	$17,470	540	Medium	570	599	Short-term on-the-job training
Carpenters	$44,706	1,210	Large	390	583	Long-term on-the-job training
Accountants & Auditors	$43,284	480	Medium	280	572	Bachelor's degree
Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners	$20,583	770	Medium	400	552	Short-term on-the-job training
Major Occupations with a Large Number of Future Openings
First-line Supervisors of Production & Operating Workers	$39,297	550	Small	340	492	Related work experience
Packers & Packagers, Hand	$21,858	360	Large	340	492	Short-term on-the-job training
Teacher Assistants	$21,634	1,170	Medium	460	491	Short-term on-the-job training
Automotive Service Techs & Mechanics	$32,263	280	Small	320	440	Postsecondary voc. award
Community & Social Service Assistants	$40,589	500	Large	170	435	Bachelor's degree
Landscapers & Groundskeepers	$21,256	470	Small	250	426	Short-term on-the-job training
General Maintenance & Repair Workers	$29,672	410	Small	300	422	Moderate on-the-job training
First-line Supervisors of Retail Workers	$26,874	670	Large	390	410	Related work experience
Welders, Cutters, Solderers & Brazers	$32,745	480	Medium	320	370	Long-term on-the-job training
Insurance Sales Agents	$36,705	80	Small	170	317	Bachelor's degree
Social & Human Service Assistants	$34,299	400	Small	120	312	Moderate on-the-job training
Meat, Poultry & Fish Cutters & Trimmers	$22,922	290	Large	160	305	Short-term on-the-job training
Cleaners of Vehicles & Equipment	$19,987	440	Medium	240	297	Short-term on-the-job training
Construction Equipment Operators	$35,299	500	Small	170	297	Moderate on-the-job training
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$41,840	390	Medium	250	283	Long-term on-the-job training
First-line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installation, & Repair Workers	$47,481	240	Small	180	273	Related work experience
Fluid Power Technicians	$34,819	250	Small	160	266	Associate degree
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	$33,802	260	Medium	160	266	Long-term on-the-job training
Inspectors & Testers (Quality Control)	$27,914	220	Small	200	260	Moderate on-the-job training
Hairstylists & Cosmetologists	$25,563	400	Small	190	251	Postsecondary voc. award
Shipping, Receiving, & Traffic Clerks	$26,813	300	Small	190	239	Short-term on-the-job training
Exec. Secretaries & Admin. Assistants	$33,545	420	Medium	170	224	Moderate on-the-job training
Electricians	$42,741	330	Small	160	221	Long-term on-the-job training
Computer Software Engineers	$67,621	30	Small	40	213	Bachelor's degree
Loan Officers	$56,969	280	Small	110	212	Bachelor's degree
Emergency Medical Techs & Paramedics	$22,090	290	Small	70	204	Postsecondary voc. award
Bus & Truck Mechanics & Diesel Engine Specialists	$38,708	210	Small	140	203	Postsecondary voc. award
Bus Drivers, School & Transit	$29,194	470	Large	200	200	Short-term on-the-job training
Packaging & Filling Machine Operators	$28,546	410	Medium	200	200	Short-term on-the-job training
Industrial Truck & Tractor Operators	$28,544	200	Small	160	192	Short-term on-the-job training
Water & Liquid Waste Treatment Plant & System Operators	$36,650	140	Small	180	188	Long-term on-the-job training
First-line Supervisors of Transportation & Material Moving Workers	$43,954	250	Small	130	186	Related work experience
Wind Energy Technicians & Mechanics	$35,360	125	Medium	60	185	Associate degree
Medical Assistants	$27,290	160	Small	50	179	Moderate on-the-job training
First-line Supervisors of Personal Care & Service Workers	$36,442	160	Small	100	178	Related work experience
Secretaries, Exc. Legal, Medical & Exec.	$31,363	250	Medium	170	170	Moderate on-the-job training
Truck Drivers, Light & Delivery Services	$26,214	440	Small	130	169	Short-term on-the-job training
Cutting & Slicing Machine Operators	$24,440	150	Small	90	167	Moderate on-the-job training
Highway Maintenance Workers	$36,837	390	Small	90	160	Moderate on-the-job training
Financial Managers	$82,526	220	Medium	70	158	Bachelor's or higher degree
Network & Computer Systems Admins.	$45,890	110	Small	40	154	Bachelor's degree
Correctional Officers & Jailers	$33,582	190	Large	100	152	Moderate on-the-job training
Special Education Teachers	$47,145	160	Medium	110	150	Bachelor's degree
Minor Occupations with a Large Number of Future Openings
Human Resources & Training Specialists	$39,728	140	Small	60	143	Bachelor's degree
Construction Laborers	$27,194	250	Small	100	139	Moderate on-the-job training
Farm Equipment Mechanics	$34,757	230	Medium	120	131	Postsecondary voc. award
Medical Recs. & Health Info. Technicians	$30,414	120	Medium	40	121	Associate degree
Machinists	$43,422	90	Medium	90	120	Long-term on-the-job training
Plumbers, Pipefitters, & Steamfitters	$41,367	130	Large	70	119	Long-term on-the-job training
Dental Hygienists	$69,534	110	Small	30	118	Associate degree
Family & General Practitioners	$166,000	120	Small	40	117	First professional degree
Cost Estimators	$38,397	120	Small	70	115	Related work experience
Recreation Workers	$23,587	220	Small	90	115	Short-term on-the-job training
Purchasing Agents & Buyers (incl. Farm Products & Wholesale Trade)	$45,365	160	Small	80	112	Related work experience
Medical & Health Services Managers	$67,420	150	Medium	60	108	Bachelor's or higher degree
Heating, Air Cond., & Refrig. Mechanics	$34,920