Get Education for Five Fast Growing Careers
Unless you have been on a remote island in the Pacific for the last few years, you probably know that we are in the middle of a recession. In many states the unemployment rate has risen above ten percent, which means that more than one in every ten people does not have a job. However, there are several occupations that are still growing, despite the economic downturn. So how do you make sure that you get in on these secure careers? Education! Here is a list of five fast growing careers taken from the Department of Labor’s website and what type of education you need for each of them.
- Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts: This career is expected to grow over 53 percent in the coming years; this means it is the fastest growing occupation in the U.S. And they make good money too – an average of $64,600 annually. These professionals commonly work on a contract basis setting up computer systems for businesses. In order to break into this career, you should get a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information sciences or management information systems (MIS).
- Computer Software Engineers: At a growth rate of over 44 percent, this is a great occupation to pursue. These individuals are responsible for developing new applications, including those used on the internet. They also make over $85,000 a year. Sounds good, doesn’t it? If so, look into earning a degree in computer science or software engineering.
- Personal Financial Advisors: These professionals advise individuals and businesses in making sound investment decisions, a job which is expected to grow 41 percent in the next few years. They have an average annual salary of over $66,000. Although education is not required for licensure, employers and clients often look for personal financial advisors to have a bachelor’s degree in finance, business, economics or accounting.
- Medical Assistants: Health careers are often safe bets in recessions and at a growth rate of over 35 percent, a medical assisting career definitely meets that definition. Unlike the occupations above, this career requires minimum education with most employers hiring those with an associate’s degree or who have gone through a medical assisting vocational program. If you enter this field, expect to earn around $30,000 a year.
- Substance Abuse Counselors: With all the news and TV shows about rehab, you probably could have guessed this was on the list. In order to become one of these professionals who help people live lives beyond addiction, you must earn at least a bachelor’s degree in counseling. But once you get the degree you will probably find a job fast since this job is projected to grow by more than 34 percent. You will also earn a decent annual salary – about $40,000 on average.
Comments
23 comments
July 29, 2009
[...] Read the original here: Get Education for Five Fast Growing Careers [...]
August 16, 2009
nice and very informative information
August 16, 2009
ah this what i need may be
August 17, 2009
does gi bill pay form on line colleges
August 17, 2009
Hi Heather – yes the GI Bill does pay for online colleges. The Montgomery GI Bill does and so does the new Post 9/11 GI Bill. However, with the 9/11 GI Bill if you choose an online college you will not receive the housing allowance. You can read more about it in our article on the GI Bill in the Financial Aid section. Thanks for asking a question!
May 5, 2010
Will financial aid pay for me to go back to school to become a medical assistant if I already used financial aid to become a nurse?
June 14, 2010
Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts starting at 64k doesn’t sound bad at all! Any chance those kind of classes can be taken strictly online?
June 22, 2010
Seems like after this recession, Personal Financial Advisors are going to be in demand!
June 22, 2010
This is very helpful information. I am very interested in becoming a computer software engineer, and it’s nice to see there are jobs available.
June 27, 2010
This is a realy informative article. I have been trying to decide what I want to do with my life and these are some great ideas that I can look into.
July 2, 2010
I am interested in starting onlne school and was wondering how much trouble it will be to get financial aid?
July 2, 2010
My brother recently went to a drug rehab center and I was very involved in his treatment and recovery. I felt very vital in his recovery and was wondering if I would be a good substance abuse counsellor?
July 4, 2010
computer software engineers are going to be in huge demand within the next 5 years
July 14, 2010
These are some really good ideas for careers. How do I get more information about them?
August 7, 2010
I have been taking online classes in information technology and have been doing very well. Now I am going to take a class in programming and was wondering if I would be better off taking it on campus?
December 11, 2010
The variety of these jobs is great! Its always discouraging to see lists of top jobs dominated by various engineering and medical practice jobs because not every one wants to be an engineer or a MD but you’d be hard press to find someone who didn’t want a good salary!
December 12, 2010
As I expected, technology degrees are the hottest thing right now. Is it my imagination, or is the technology field growing in leaps and bounds?
December 12, 2010
I do love technology and these careers sound like they are right for me. I was wondering if there is a list of degrees necessary for each career.
January 12, 2011
This is great news. I am going to look into these careers.
January 13, 2011
Hello Kenny. To find out more about these growing careers check out our career finder.
March 1, 2011
Hi Willy. Some people learn better on-campus and others online. Figure out which method is working for you and then discuss it with your advisor to make sure that if you take the class on-campus it is transferable and will count towards your degree. Good luck.
March 7, 2011
Wow, that career finder link is great! Thanks for adding that to the comments. I never realized that a substance abuse counselor made that much. These careers all seem to make decent money. Nice!
June 22, 2011
Hi Irwin. It is definitely not your imagination, it is growing every day!