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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 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.
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 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 website will help you make informed career choices as you develop
your skills and plan your education.
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 |
|
1,900 |
Large |
2,500 |
3,184 |
|
| Retail
Salespersons |
|
1,800 |
Large |
2,070 |
2,719 |
|
| Cashiers
and Counter & Rental Clerks |
|
2,370 |
Large |
2,670 |
2,670 |
|
| Waiters
& Waitresses |
|
960 |
Large |
1,500 |
1,872 |
|
| Personal
& Home Care Aides |
|
1,540 |
Small |
600 |
1,771 |
|
| Truck
Drivers, Heavy & Tractor-Trailer |
|
1,810 |
Large |
740 |
1,312 |
|
| General
Office Clerks |
|
1,680 |
Medium |
1,040 |
1,245 |
|
| Registered
Nurses |
|
1,260 |
Large |
530 |
1,141 |
|
| Home
Health Aides |
|
580 |
Large |
230 |
1,112 |
|
| Nursing
Aides, Orderlies & Attendants |
|
1,810 |
Large |
530 |
974 |
|
| Business
Operations Specialists |
|
1,080 |
Large |
420 |
972 |
|
| Farmworkers
& Laborers (Crop & Animal) |
|
670 |
Large |
810 |
949 |
|
| Precision
Assemblers & Fabricators (incl. Electrical & Electronic Equip.) |
|
1,220 |
Large |
700 |
876 |
|
| Elem.
& Secondary School Teachers |
|
910 |
Small |
780 |
780 |
|
| Tellers |
|
490 |
Large |
590 |
746 |
|
| Stock
Clerks & Order Fillers |
|
740 |
Large |
740 |
740 |
|
| Child
Care Workers |
|
130 |
Small |
620 |
710 |
|
| Laborers
and Freight & Stock Movers |
|
900 |
Medium |
710 |
710 |
|
| Customer
Service Representatives |
|
460 |
Large |
310 |
708 |
|
| Cooks,
Restaurant & Short Order |
|
350 |
Large |
540 |
693 |
|
| Bookkeeping,
Acctg., & Auditing Clerks |
|
1,170 |
Small |
630 |
662 |
|
| Sales
Representatives (Mfg. & Services) |
|
660 |
Medium |
420 |
627 |
|
| General
& Operations Managers |
|
790 |
Small |
390 |
622 |
|
| Licensed
Practical Nurses |
|
950 |
Medium |
470 |
617 |
|
| Receptionists
& Information Clerks |
|
560 |
Medium |
420 |
603 |
|
| Bartenders |
|
540 |
Medium |
570 |
599 |
|
| Carpenters |
|
1,210 |
Large |
390 |
583 |
|
| Accountants
& Auditors |
|
480 |
Medium |
280 |
572 |
|
| Maids
& Housekeeping Cleaners |
|
770 |
Medium |
400 |
552 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Major
Occupations with a Large Number of Future Openings |
| First-line
Supervisors of Production & Operating Workers |
|
550 |
Small |
340 |
492 |
|
| Packers
& Packagers, Hand |
|
360 |
Large |
340 |
492 |
|
| Teacher
Assistants |
|
1,170 |
Medium |
460 |
491 |
|
| Automotive
Service Techs & Mechanics |
|
280 |
Small |
320 |
440 |
|
| Community
& Social Service Assistants |
|
500 |
Large |
170 |
435 |
|
| Landscapers
& Groundskeepers |
|
470 |
Small |
250 |
426 |
|
| General
Maintenance & Repair Workers |
|
410 |
Small |
300 |
422 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Retail Workers |
|
670 |
Large |
390 |
410 |
|
| Welders,
Cutters, Solderers & Brazers |
|
480 |
Medium |
320 |
370 |
Long-term
on-the-job training |
| Insurance
Sales Agents |
|
80 |
Small |
170 |
317 |
|
| Social
& Human Service Assistants |
|
400 |
Small |
120 |
312 |
|
| Meat,
Poultry & Fish Cutters & Trimmers |
|
290 |
Large |
160 |
305 |
|
| Cleaners
of Vehicles & Equipment |
|
440 |
Medium |
240 |
297 |
|
| Construction
Equipment Operators |
|
500 |
Small |
170 |
297 |
|
| Police
& Sheriff's Patrol Officers |
|
390 |
Medium |
250 |
283 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Mechanics, Installation, & Repair Workers |
|
240 |
Small |
180 |
273 |
|
| Fluid
Power Technicians |
|
250 |
Small |
160 |
266 |
|
| Industrial
Machinery Mechanics |
|
260 |
Medium |
160 |
266 |
|
| Inspectors
& Testers (Quality Control) |
|
220 |
Small |
200 |
260 |
|
| Hairstylists
& Cosmetologists |
|
400 |
Small |
190 |
251 |
|
| Shipping,
Receiving, & Traffic Clerks |
|
300 |
Small |
190 |
239 |
|
| Exec.
Secretaries & Admin. Assistants |
|
420 |
Medium |
170 |
224 |
|
| Electricians |
|
330 |
Small |
160 |
221 |
|
| Computer
Software Engineers |
|
30 |
Small |
40 |
213 |
|
| Loan
Officers |
|
280 |
Small |
110 |
212 |
|
| Emergency
Medical Techs & Paramedics |
|
290 |
Small |
70 |
204 |
|
Bus
& Truck Mechanics &
Diesel Engine Specialists |
|
210 |
Small |
140 |
203 |
|
| Bus
Drivers, School & Transit |
|
470 |
Large |
200 |
200 |
|
| Packaging
& Filling Machine Operators |
|
410 |
Medium |
200 |
200 |
|
| Industrial
Truck & Tractor Operators |
|
200 |
Small |
160 |
192 |
|
| Water
& Liquid Waste Treatment Plant & System Operators |
|
140 |
Small |
180 |
188 |
Long-term
on-the-job training |
| First-line
Supervisors of Transportation & Material Moving Workers |
|
250 |
Small |
130 |
186 |
|
| Wind
Energy Technicians & Mechanics |
|
125 |
Medium |
60 |
185 |
Associate
degree |
| Medical
Assistants |
|
160 |
Small |
50 |
179 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Personal Care & Service Workers |
|
160 |
Small |
100 |
178 |
|
| Secretaries,
Exc. Legal, Medical & Exec. |
|
250 |
Medium |
170 |
170 |
|
| Truck
Drivers, Light & Delivery Services |
|
440 |
Small |
130 |
169 |
|
| Cutting
& Slicing Machine Operators |
|
150 |
Small |
90 |
167 |
|
| Highway
Maintenance Workers |
|
390 |
Small |
90 |
160 |
|
| Financial
Managers |
|
220 |
Medium |
70 |
158 |
|
| Network
& Computer Systems Admins. |
|
110 |
Small |
40 |
154 |
|
| Correctional
Officers & Jailers |
|
190 |
Large |
100 |
152 |
|
| Special
Education Teachers |
|
160 |
Medium |
110 |
150 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Minor
Occupations with a Large Number of Future Openings |
| Human
Resources & Training Specialists |
|
140 |
Small |
60 |
143 |
|
| Construction
Laborers |
|
250 |
Small |
100 |
139 |
|
| Farm
Equipment Mechanics |
|
230 |
Medium |
120 |
131 |
|
| Medical
Recs. & Health Info. Technicians |
|
120 |
Medium |
40 |
121 |
|
| Machinists |
|
90 |
Medium |
90 |
120 |
|
| Plumbers,
Pipefitters, & Steamfitters |
|
130 |
Large |
70 |
119 |
|
| Dental
Hygienists |
|
110 |
Small |
30 |
118 |
|
| Family
& General Practitioners |
|
120 |
Small |
40 |
117 |
|
| Cost
Estimators |
|
120 |
Small |
70 |
115 |
|
| Recreation
Workers |
|
220 |
Small |
90 |
115 |
|
| Purchasing
Agents & Buyers (incl. Farm Products & Wholesale Trade) |
|
160 |
Small |
80 |
112 |
|
| Medical
& Health Services Managers |
|
150 |
Medium |
60 |
108 |
|
| Heating,
Air Cond., & Refrig. Mechanics |
| |