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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: say that you want to go to college or get training
in another state, but some day you would like to move back to Southwest
Minnesota to live and work. It is important to note that many of the jobs
that are and will be available in the region require or prefer some sort
of post-secondary education, from a vocational award or certificate to
an associate degree or bachelor's degree. And although many other jobs
will be available with no post-secondary requirements, your education
is a very worthwhile investment. You'll see in the list of 100
Hot Jobs featured below that the highest-paying
jobs tend to require some education or experience, while the lowest-paying
jobs require little education and tend to have much higher turnover. Planning
for your education and career will help you enjoy a better
future.
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 Required Education/Training |
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Occupations
Requiring a Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Degree |
| Family
& General Practitioners |
|
120 |
Small |
26.7% |
117 |
|
| Dentists |
|
65 |
Medium |
3.1% |
36 |
|
| Pharmacists |
|
90 |
Small |
20.5% |
83 |
|
| Physical
Therapists |
|
90 |
High |
17.1% |
46 |
|
| Rehabilitation
Counselors |
|
60 |
High |
28.6% |
50 |
|
| Marketing
Managers |
|
90 |
High |
21.8% |
61 |
|
| Computer
& Info. Systems Managers |
|
110 |
High |
25.6% |
92 |
|
| Financial
Managers |
|
260 |
Small |
17.4% |
158 |
|
| Education
Administrators |
|
150 |
Medium |
0.0% |
110 |
|
| Industrial
Production Managers |
|
140 |
Small |
7.6% |
82 |
|
| General
& Operations Managers |
|
750 |
Small |
11.3% |
622 |
|
| Purchasing
Agents & Buyers (incl. Farm Products & Wholesale Trade) |
|
140 |
Medium |
10.6% |
112 |
|
| Cost
Estimators |
|
110 |
High |
14.9% |
115 |
|
| Computer
Systems Analysts |
|
110 |
High |
44.0% |
108 |
|
| Medical
& Health Services Managers |
|
150 |
Medium |
15.4% |
108 |
|
| Mechanical
Engineers |
|
140 |
Medium |
14.3% |
40 |
|
| Industrial
Engineers |
|
170 |
High |
20.1% |
78 |
|
| Computer
Software Engineers |
|
360 |
High |
52.0% |
213 |
|
| Market
Research Analysts |
|
140 |
Medium |
17.7% |
101 |
|
| Network
& Computer Systems Admins. |
|
190 |
Medium |
33.5% |
154 |
|
| Loan
Officers |
|
200 |
High |
14.5% |
212 |
|
| Securities,
Commodities & Financial Services Sales Representatives |
|
130 |
High |
14.8% |
47 |
|
| Accountants
& Auditors |
|
490 |
High |
19.8% |
572 |
|
| Elementary
& High
School Teachers |
|
1,240 |
Small |
0.2% |
474 |
|
| Special
Education Teachers |
|
340 |
Small |
6.6% |
216 |
|
| HR,
Employment & Training Specialists |
|
140 |
Small |
22.5% |
143 |
|
| Insurance
Sales Agents |
|
240 |
Small |
20.7% |
317 |
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Occupations
Requiring an Associate Degree or Postsecondary Vocational Award |
| Registered
Nurses |
|
1,690 |
High |
24.0% |
1,141 |
|
| Dental
Hygienists |
|
80 |
High |
29.9% |
118 |
|
| Radiologic
Technologists & Technicians |
|
120 |
Medium |
24.1% |
93 |
|
| Agricultural
& Food Science Technicians |
|
40 |
Small |
29.3% |
69 |
|
| Computer
Support Specialists |
|
200 |
Small |
15.0% |
83 |
|
| Laboratory
Technicians |
|
90 |
Small |
20.0% |
52 |
|
| Wind
Energy Technicians & Mechanics |
|
125 |
Medium |
100.0% |
185 |
Associate
degree |
| Medical
Recs. & Health Info. Technicians |
|
100 |
Medium |
26.8% |
121 |
|
Farm
Equipment, Truck Mechanics &
Diesel Engine Specialists |
|
150 |
High |
11.8% |
203 |
|
| Licensed
Practical Nurses |
|
710 |
High |
6.8% |
617 |
|
| Welders,
Cutters, Solderers & Brazers |
|
280 |
Small |
4.4% |
370 |
Postsecondary
voc. award |
| Ethanol
Plant Process Operators |
|
120 |
Small |
50.0% |
120 |
|
| Automotive
Service Techs & Mechanics |
|
290 |
High |
9.9% |
440 |
|
| Medical
Transcriptionists |
|
80 |
High |
22.4% |
108 |
|
| Emergency
Medical Techs & Paramedics |
|
120 |
High |
22.1% |
204 |
|
| Hairstylists
& Cosmetologists |
|
100 |
High |
6.3% |
251 |
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Occupations
Requiring Work Experience in a Related Occupation and/or Postsecondary
Education |
| Construction
Managers |
|
290 |
High |
8.1% |
235 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Mechanics, Installation, & Repair Workers |
|
240 |
High |
13.2% |
273 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Production & Operating Workers (Line Managers) |
|
540 |
High |
9.3% |
492 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Transportation & Material Moving Workers |
|
160 |
High |
10.6% |
186 |
|
| Office
Managers |
|
640 |
Medium |
2.0% |
371 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Personal Care & Service Workers |
|
110 |
Medium |
20.5% |
178 |
|
| First-line
Supervisors of Food Preparation Workers (Fast Food & Restaurant) |
|
420 |
High |
8.6% |
409 |
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Occupations
Requiring Long-Term On-The-Job Training and/or Postsecondary Education
|
| Computer-Controlled
Machine Tool Operators, Metal & Plastic |
|
120 |
High |
11.3% |
85 |
|
| Electricians |
|
190 |
Small |
7.5% |
221 |
|
| Police
& Sheriff's Patrol Officers |
|
320 |
High |
3.4% |
283 |
|
| Water
& Liquid Waste Treatment Plant & System Operators |
|
90 |
High |
1.5% |
188 |
Long-term
on-the-job training |
| Machinists |
|
220 |
Medium |
8.2% |
120 |
|
| Boiler
Operators & Stationary Engineers |
|
45 |
Medium |
8.0% |
43 |
|
| Heating,
Air Cond., & Refrig. Mechanics |
|
40 |
Small |
19.7% |
96 |
|
Industrial
Machinery Mechanics &
Fluid Power Technicians |
|
320 |
Small |
13.6% |
266 |
|
| Cement
Masons & Concrete Finishers |
|
80 |
Small |
17.5% |
76 |
|
| Plumbers,
Pipefitters, & Steamfitters |
|
150 |
Small |
16.1% |
119 |
|
| Carpenters |
|
570 |
High |
8.0% |
583 |
|
| General
Maintenance & Repair Workers |
|
430 |
High |
7.9% |
422 |
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Occupations
Requiring Moderate-Term On-The-Job Training and/or Postsecondary
Education |
| Sales
Representatives (Mfg. & Services) |
|
640 |
High |
9.4% |
435 |
|
| Correctional
Officers & Jailers |
|
400 |
High |
11.3% |
152 |
|
| Construction
Equipment Operators |
|
280 |
Small |
19.2% |
297 |
|
| Mixing
& Blending Machine Operators |
|
150 |
High |
-1.1% |
70 |
Moderate
on-the-job training |
| Truck
Drivers, Heavy & Tractor-Trailer |
|
1,520 |
High |
12.7% |
1,312 |
|
| Customer
Service Representatives |
|
670 |
High |
19.3% |
708 |
|
| Dental
Assistants |
|
125 |
Medium |
29.9% |
118 |
|
| Inspectors
& Testers (Quality Control) |
|
250 |
High |
6.8% |
260 |
|
| Construction
Laborers |
|
300 |
Small |
5.4% |
139 |
|
| Bookkeeping,
Acctg., & Auditing Clerks |
|
870 |
Small |
1.0% |
662 |
|
| Slaughterers
& Meat Packers |
|
550 |
High |
18.6% |
328 |
|
| Medical
Assistants |
|
150 |
Small |
44.0% |
179 |
|
| Precision
Assemblers & Fabricators (incl. Electrical & Electronic Equip.) |
|
640 |
Small |
8.2% |
723 |
|
| Pharmacy
Technicians |
|
100 |
Medium |
25.6% |
94 |
|
| Fiberglass
Laminators & Fabricators |
|
160 |
High |
-4.1% |
40 |
|
| Social
& Human Service Assistants |
|
810 |
High |
28.1% |
312 |
|
| Farmworkers
& Laborers (Crop & Animal) |
|
950 |
Small |
4.9% |
949 |
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Occupations
Requiring Short-Term On-The-Job Training |
| Bus
Drivers, School & Transit |
|
470 |
Small |
-0.4% |
270 |
|
| Production,
Planning & Expediting Clerks |
|
90 |
Small |
8.1% |
92 |
|
| Packaging
& Filling Machine Operators |
|
610 |
Small |
-9.0% |
200 |
|
| Shipping,
Receiving, & Traffic Clerks |
|
360 |
Medium |
5.4% |
239 |
|
| Laborers
and Freight & Stock Movers |
|
850 |
Small |
-1.5% |
710 |
|
| Personal
& Home Care Aides |
|
420 |
High |
31.1% |
1,771 |
| |