|
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.
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 site will help you make informed career choices as you develop
your skills and plan your education.
While the
100 occupations featured 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)
Occupations
in Demand in Southwest Minnesota, Sorted by Alphabetical Order
(current demand)
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Accountants
& Auditors |
|
490 |
|
7.9% |
373 |
|
| Administrative
Services Managers |
|
80 |
|
6.0% |
65 |
|
| Agricultural
& Food Science Technicians |
|
40 |
|
8.6% |
31 |
|
| Agricultural
Equipment Operators |
|
30 |
|
29.3% |
108 |
|
| Appraisers
& Assessors of Real Estate |
|
50 |
|
2.1% |
42 |
|
| Automotive
Service Techs & Mechanics |
|
290 |
|
-1.5% |
244 |
|
| Bill
& Account Collectors |
|
80 |
|
2.5% |
28 |
|
| Boiler
Operators & Stationary Engineers |
|
50 |
|
6.8% |
35 |
|
| Bookkeeping,
Acctg., & Auditing Clerks |
|
870 |
|
5.4% |
744 |
|
| Cabinetmakers
& Bench Carpenters |
|
170 |
|
-0.5% |
130 |
|
| Cashiers
& Counter
& Rental Clerks |
|
2,190 |
|
-3.2% |
2,544 |
|
| Chemists |
|
30 |
|
7.7% |
13 |
|
| Claims
Adjusters, Exam. & Investigators |
|
70 |
|
3.2% |
45 |
|
| Clinical
& Counseling Psychologists |
|
100 |
|
8.5% |
48 |
|
| Computer
& Info. Systems Managers |
|
110 |
|
6.5% |
45 |
|
| Computer
Software Engineers |
|
360 |
|
24.1% |
151 |
|
| Computer
Systems Analysts |
|
110 |
|
20.1% |
83 |
|
| Computer-Controlled
Machine Tool Operators, Metal & Plastic |
|
120 |
|
0.7% |
36 |
|
| Construction
Laborers |
|
300 |
|
5.7% |
132 |
|
| Construction
Managers |
|
290 |
|
6.0% |
172 |
|
| Cooks,
Institution & Cafeteria |
|
240 |
|
3.9% |
239 |
|
| Correctional
Officers & Jailers |
|
400 |
|
9.2% |
150 |
|
| Cost
Estimators |
|
110 |
|
9.4% |
95 |
|
| Customer
Service Representatives |
|
670 |
|
13.6% |
879 |
|
| Dental
Hygienists |
|
80 |
|
28.4% |
102 |
|
| Dentists |
|
65 |
|
5.4% |
46 |
|
| Education
Administrators |
|
150 |
|
1.3% |
156 |
|
| Educational
& Vocational Counselors |
|
80 |
|
15.1% |
104 |
|
| Electrical
Engineers |
|
50 |
|
7.3% |
38 |
|
| Electrical
Powerline Installers & Repairers |
|
50 |
|
17.1% |
97 |
|
| Elementary
& High
School Teachers |
|
1,240 |
|
-6.8% |
1,132 |
|
| Eligibility
Interviewers, Gov't Programs |
|
80 |
|
-3.0% |
41 |
|
| Emergency
Medical Techs & Paramedics |
|
120 |
|
9.4% |
122 |
|
| Environmental
Scientists & Specialists |
|
30 |
|
14.3% |
25 |
|
| Ethanol
& Chemical Plant Technicians |
|
120 |
|
32.3% |
109 |
|
| Executive
Secretaries & Admin. Assts. |
|
640 |
|
9.1% |
308 |
|
| Family
& General Practitioners |
|
120 |
|
5.4% |
61 |
|
Farm
Equipment, Truck Mechanics &
Diesel Engine Specialists |
|
150 |
|
14.2% |
112 |
|
| Farmworkers
& Laborers (Crop & Animal) |
|
950 |
|
4.2% |
976 |
|
| Financial
Managers |
|
260 |
|
4.6% |
88 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Food Preparation Workers (Fast Food & Restaurant) |
|
420 |
|
1.6% |
100 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Mechanics, Installation, & Repair Workers |
|
240 |
|
0.7% |
205 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Personal Care & Service Workers |
|
110 |
|
23.0% |
171 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Production & Operating Workers (Line Managers) |
|
540 |
|
0.7% |
258 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Retail Workers |
|
530 |
|
2.3% |
476 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Transportation & Material Moving Workers |
|
160 |
|
3.3% |
100 |
|
| Food
Batchmakers |
|
30 |
|
10.6% |
109 |
|
| General
& Operations Managers |
|
750 |
|
-4.1% |
534 |
|
| General
Office Clerks |
|
1,560 |
|
7.6% |
1,402 |
|
| Hairstylists
& Cosmetologists |
|
100 |
|
3.2% |
123 |
|
| Home
Health Aides |
|
1,070 |
|
37.5% |
793 |
|
| HR,
Employment, & Training Specialists |
|
140 |
|
11.7% |
26 |
|
| Industrial
Engineers |
|
170 |
|
14.3% |
102 |
|
Industrial
Machinery Mechanics &
Fluid Power Technicians |
|
320 |
|
14.4% |
259 |
|
| Industrial
Production Managers |
|
140 |
|
2.3% |
127 |
|
| Insurance
Sales Agents |
|
240 |
|
14.5% |
220 |
|
| Janitors,
Maids,
Housekeeping Cleaners |
|
1,360 |
|
7.2% |
900 |
|
| Licensed
Practical Nurses (LPNs) |
|
710 |
|
5.9% |
668 |
|
| Loan
Officers |
|
200 |
|
13.0% |
152 |
|
| Machinists |
|
220 |
|
1.3% |
90 |
|
| Management
& Market Research Analysts |
|
140 |
|
7.2% |
209 |
|
| Meat,
Poultry & Fish Cutters & Trimmers |
|
240 |
|
2.4% |
115 |
|
| Mechanical
Engineers |
|
140 |
|
0.9% |
51 |
|
| Medical
& Clinic Laboratory Technicians |
|
90 |
|
20.7% |
64 |
|
| Medical
& Clinic Laboratory Technologists |
|
90 |
|
13.2% |
36 |
|
| Medical
& Health Services Managers |
|
150 |
|
16.1% |
99 |
|
| Medical
Assistants |
|
150 |
|
32.0% |
183 |
|
| Medical
Recs. & Health Info. Technicians |
|
100 |
|
14.5% |
123 |
|
| Medical
Secretaries |
|
220 |
|
16.4% |
99 |
|
| Network
& Computer Systems Admins. |
|
190 |
|
7.0% |
110 |
|
| Network
Systems & Data Comm. Analysts |
|
60 |
|
24.7% |
66 |
|
| Nursing
Aides, Orderlies & Attendants |
|
1,170 |
|
7.0% |
558 |
|
| Occupational
Therapists |
|
60 |
|
26.8% |
40 |
|
| Office
Managers |
|
640 |
|
0.4% |
312 |
|
| Packers
& Packagers, Hand |
|
450 |
|
-10.4% |
164 |
|
| Painting
& Coating Machine Operators |
|
80 |
|
-13.8% |
37 |
|
| Personal
& Home Care Aides |
|
420 |
|
40.1% |
1,929 |
|
| Pharmacists |
|
90 |
|
19.4% |
91 |
|
| Pharmacy
Technicians |
|
100 |
|
29.3% |
204 |
|
| Physical
Therapists |
|
90 |
|
28.7% |
58 |
|
| Police
& Sheriff's Patrol Officers |
|
320 |
|
5.7% |
469 |
|
| Postsecondary
Vocational Education Teachers, including
Nursing |
|
10 |
|
16.8% |
130 |
|
Precision
Assemblers & Fabricators
(incl. Electrical & Electronic Equip.) |
|
640 |
|
-24.7% |
187 |
|
| Purchasing
Agents & Buyers (incl. Farm Products & Wholesale Trade) |
|
140 |
|
-5.0% |
85 |
|
| Radiologic
Technologists & Technicians |
|
120 |
|
23.3% |
81 |
|
| Registered
Nurses |
|
1,690 |
|
27.5% |
1,116 |
|
| Retail
Salespersons |
|
1,500 |
|
8.4% |
1,939 |
|
| Route
Salespersons, Drivers |
|
200 |
|
-13.3% |
153 |
|
| Sales
& Marketing
Managers |
|
240 |
|
1.5% |
96 |
Bachelor's
deg. + work exper. |
| Sales
Representatives (Mfg. & Services) |
|
640 |
|
2.0% |
369 |
|
| Securities,
Commodities & Financial Services Sales Representatives |
|
130 |
|
15.1% |
89 |
|
| Shipping,
Receiving, & Traffic Clerks |
|
360 |
|
0.1% |
209 |
|
| Slaughterers
& Meat Packers |
|
550 |
|
0.8% |
761 |
|
| Social
& Human Service Assistants |
|
810 |
|
34.6% |
659 |
|
| Substance
Abuse & Behavioral Disorder Counselors & Social Workers |
|
50 |
|
30.9% |
62 |
|
| Tellers |
|
250 |
|
8.5% |
561 |
|
| Trash
& Recyclable Material Collectors |
|
40 |
|
19.7% |
97 |
|
| Truck
Drivers, Heavy & Tractor-Trailer |
|
1,520 |
|
0.3% |
763 |
|
| Welders,
Cutters, Solderers & Brazers |
|
280 |
|
-2.6% |
249 |
Postsecondary
voc. award |
| Wind
Energy Technicians & Mechanics |
|
125 |
|
100.0% |
125 |
Associate
degree |
Source:
Minnesota Dept.
of Employment & Economic Development
2009 Median Annual Salary Data from the 2009 Minnesota
Salary Survey for Region 6W and Region 8
Current Demand Data from the Occupations
in Demand Tool for Region 6W and Region 8
Projected Employment Data from the 2006-2016 Minnesota
Employment Projections Program for Southwest Minnesota |

|