Publication: Occupational Outlook Quarterly
Publication Date: 22-SEP-06
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Crosby, Olivia ; Moncarz, Roger
Article Excerpt
Good news for those not planning to earn a 4-year degree: Millions of job openings are projected for high school graduates over the 2004-14 decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But jobseekers will probably need training beyond a high school diploma, particularly if they want a job with high pay.
Most jobs are filled by workers who do not have a bachelor's degree, and BLS expects that to continue in the future. Between 2004 and 2014, job openings for workers who are entering their occupation for the first time and who don't have a bachelor's degree are expected to total roughly 40 million. That's more than twice the number of job openings for 4-year college graduates.
But many of these job openings will be in occupations that require some training after high school. In fact, high-paying occupations almost always require training. That training could include taking a few college courses, getting an associate degree, training on the job in an apprenticeship program, or taking vocational classes at a technical school.
Which occupations should people prepare for? Which are expected to have the best prospects? Read on to discover the occupations that are projected to have the most openings over the 2004-14 decade for people who do not have a bachelor's degree and which occupations tend to pay well. Next, learn more about career fields--including construction, maintenance and repair, healthcare, and computers--that are expected to provide many opportunities for new workers. A later section of this article describes in detail the methods used to develop this information.
All of the numbers in this article are estimates. They are based on projections of future job growth and decline and on estimates of how many workers will leave their occupations and, thus, make room for new workers. The results shown here also rely on survey data that describe the education levels of current workers. And the results assume that future workers will have education levels similar to those of current workers.
Job openings and occupations
Between 2004 and 2014, BLS expects about 55 million job openings to be filled by workers who are new to their occupation. Of this total, more than 40 million openings are projected to be filled by workers who do not have a bachelor's degree and who are entering their occupation for the first time. About 25 million of these openings are expected to be held by workers who have a high school diploma or less education. Another 15 million openings are expected for workers who have some college education or an associate degree but do not have a bachelor's degree.
Job openings are expected in every type of occupation. But some occupations and career fields are projected to have more job openings and better earnings than others.
Occupations with potential
Two main factors determine whether an occupation will have many job openings. One factor is how many workers will leave the occupation permanently. Large occupations--that is, occupations in which many jobs exist nationwide--have more workers and, thus, also have more workers who leave the occupation and create openings. Occupations that have few training requirements or low earnings also have more workers who leave. And occupations that have many older workers usually provide more openings because of retirements.
The second factor affecting job openings is job growth. Some occupations gain new jobs faster than others, providing more openings.
The occupations that are expected to need the most new workers between 2004 and 2014 employ workers who have widely varying levels of education. People in some occupations can start work after high school. In other occupations, especially higher paying ones, workers often have more education or training. Sometimes, people can enter these occupations if they don't have training after high school, but they often earn less while they train on the job.
Occupations with the most openings. Chart 1 shows the occupations projected to have the most job openings between 2004 and 2014 for people who have less education than a bachelor's degree. Most of these occupations involve working with the public.
The chart also shows the occupations' 2004 median earnings. (Median earnings are the point at which half of the workers in the occupation make more than that amount, and half make less.) All but four of the occupations in the chart had median earnings below $28,580--the median for all workers in 2004.
[GRAPHIC 1 OMITTED]
But median earnings don't show the wide variation in pay that exists in some occupations. For example, earnings for some customer service representatives, such as those who provide help for complex computer problems, are sometimes significantly higher than the median. These workers are usually highly skilled and have several months of on-the-job training; some also have a bachelor's degree.
You can enter most of the occupations shown on the chart if you have a high school diploma or less education. Workers often qualify for jobs after less than 1 month of on-the-job training. But six of the occupations--customer service representatives; truck drivers; bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks; registered nurses; executive secretaries and administrative assistants; and general maintenance workers--require more training. These are also the highest paying occupations on the chart.
Customer service representatives, who often receive 1 month to 1 year of training, usually start their jobs by observing experienced workers. Truck drivers usually need 1 month to 1 year of training on the job; some attend vocational schools to learn the basics of commercial driving. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks also require 1 month to 1 year of training, and many have an associate degree in business.
Registered nurses, unlike the other occupations on the chart, almost always have some college training. In fact, among registered nurses in 2005, more than 35 percent had an associate degree and more than 55 percent had a bachelor's or higher degree. Executive secretaries and administrative assistants usually need 1 month to 1 year of on-the-job training, and more than 45 percent of these workers have completed some college coursework. Most general maintenance workers learn on the job or in...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
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