Careers With Faster Than Average Growth Rates
With unemployment hovering at over 8%, many college graduates are pondering the question of what to do after college and what to major in so that they won't have to work at a barista at Starbucks or wait tables at the local Red Robin. Here are three career options that are growing faster than average in the United States.
Computer Programming/Software Developer
The need for computer programmers/software programmers is growing at such an astonishing rate. That is because technology is progressing faster than ever before. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently stated that 5 exabytes of data is created every two days. That is how fast technology is progressing. Although there are close to 1 million software developers in the United States, the industry is expected to grow 30% from 2010-2020 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median pay for software developers $90,530 as of 2010. Although you do not need a college degree to be a computer programmer/software developer, most reputed firms and high paying entry level positions will hire those who graduated with a Computer Engineering/Computer Science degree (or similar) from a reputable college. Also, with computer programming and software development, the oppurtunity to be self-employed is relatively easy as you can freelance for money or design your own software for no cost at all.
Personal Training
Personal training is another unexpected field that is expected to grow faster than average in the next several years. The BLS estimates that the field is expected to grow 29% from 2008 to 2018. This may be fueled by the the amount of Americans wanting to shape up and get fit. The average salary for a full time personal trainer is $53,300. What is the best part of being a personal trainer is that you don't even need a college degree to become a personal trainer. Once you have established yourself as personal trainer with a fair amount of clients, then you can take the independent route and train people yourself instead of for a gym. The drawback with personal training is that you do need to be fit to become a personal trainer and dedicate yourself to staying fit and maintaining a fairly good figure.
Social Work
The field of social work is expected to rise faster than average in the next several years. The BLS expects the field to grow at 26% as more social workers are needed for urbanization and a baby boom population that is growing old fast. Although the job isn't glamorous, the salary of a social worker beats out the salary of similar career paths (such as guidance counselors). This is because most social workers choose to obtain a Masters Degree in social work. Statistics show that a Masters in Social Work will increase the social worker salary by at least $15,000. In order to become a social worker, you must obtain a bachelors degree in social work. Most states will not let you practice without a degree in social work. The average social worker salary is $42,480 according to the BLS but this varies largely with locality and area of practice. The money might not be ideal but if you want to help people, this is a great career.
So if you are young pondering what your first career should be or someone who just wants to switch careers, the three options above represent some of the fastest growing oppurtunities in the United States.
