Posted on 06/07/2006 3:49:18 AM PDT by restornu
While America's job outlook is healthy and many industries are projected to grow in the coming years, there are also signs that some occupations are becoming obsolete.
The majority of the decreases are in office and administrative support and production occupations, which are affected by the implementation of office technology that reduces the needs for these workers, changes in business practices, and escalating plant and factory automation. A majority of the job openings occurring in these occupations will arise not from job growth, but from the need to replace those transferring to other industries, retire or leave for other reasons
Here are some of the jobs expected to severely decline between now and 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Farmers and Ranchers How many jobs are in jeopardy: 155,000 Why they're endangered: The long-term trend toward consolidation of farms into fewer and larger farms is expected to continue displacing small independent farmers.
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers How many jobs are in jeopardy: 115,000 Why they're endangered: The growing use of computers for inventory control and the installation of new, automated equipment are expected to inhibit growth in demand for stock clerks and order fillers, especially in manufacturing and wholesale trade industries, where operations are most easily automated.
Sewing Machine Operators How many jobs are in jeopardy: 93,000 Why they're endangered: Increasing imports, the use of offshore assembly and greater productivity through new automation will contribute to additional job losses.
Mail Clerks and Mail-Machine Operators How many jobs are in jeopardy: 59,000 Why they're endangered: The demand for such clerks will be offset by the use of electronic communications technologies and private delivery companies.
Computer Operators How many jobs are in jeopardy: 49,000 Why they're endangered: Advances in technology have reduced both the size and cost of computer equipment while increasing the capacity for data storage and processing automation, making systems more user-friendly and greatly reducing the need for operators.
Secretaries (Except Legal, Medical and Executive) How many jobs are in jeopardy: 48,000 Why they're endangered: Automated equipment is changing the distribution of work in many offices. Professionals and managers increasingly do their own word processing and data entry, and handle much of their own correspondence rather than submitting the work to secretaries and other support staff.
Telemarketers How many jobs are in jeopardy: 42,000 Why they're endangered: Telemarketers' employment will decrease as more people opt out of receiving telephone calls and as blocking technology improves.
Meter Readers How many jobs are in jeopardy: 22,000 Why they're endangered: Advances in computer, optical-scanning and voice recognition technologies and growth in automated, electronic business processes will reduce demand.
Parts Salespeople How many jobs are in jeopardy: 16,000 Why they're endangered: Electronic commerce ordering and reordering systems should automate much of the work of many parts salespersons.
Telephone Operators How many jobs are in jeopardy: 14,000 Why they're endangered: Developments in communications technologies -- particularly voice recognition systems -- will continue to have a significant impact, and electronic communication through the Internet or e-mail provides alternatives to telephone communication and requires no operators.
If is it POSSIBLE for a job to be done off-shore, Then in 20 Years It WILL BE. And that has nothing to do with any POTUS, or any political party, or signing any treaties or agreements. it doesn't even have to do with big business or lack of patriotism -- It's just economics.
Tell you children to pick fields that are difficult to move off shore -- Construction trades, medicine, restaraut-work, Repair {autos, homes, electronics, computers}, education, Or of course sales.
And when you're telling them that -- also tell them to learn Spanish.
Add rape and murder, jobs Americans don't want to do, that's why we have ILLEGALS..........
I've always wanted to be a meter reader.
Going the way of the buggy whip trade.
Thank you for posting this. You may have just saved me $1000's of dollars and lots of time. :)
9999lakes, what type of education? What about jobs where creativity is needed? Would web-page design be considered a construction job?
This sounds like a scare-story from the 60's. COMPUTERS WILL ONE DAY RULE THE WORLD!
I've urged my sons to learn Spanish for a long time now. I've advised them as far as occupations: "Fix things or fix people."
Web-page design a construction job?
I don't know, but it doesn't seem like it. But it DOES Seem as if it's the kind of job that can be done anywhere in the world. If you're good enough to compete globally, and willing to live with the global salary, you'll be alright.
On the other hand, if you just repair the computer, you probably will have very few competitors in New Delhi or Singapore.
Thank you for posting this. You may have just saved me $1000's of dollars and lots of time. :)
9999lakes, what type of education? What about jobs where creativity is needed? Would web-page design be considered a construction job?
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The best- and worst-paying jobsWhy do financially pushy parents want their children to marry doctors? Because, as Willie Sutton said of banks, that is where the money is.
The medical profession dominates the top end of our list of the 25 best- and worst-paying jobs in America. Surgeons are No. 1, with the next seven spots taken by various sorts of specialist medical practitioners. Chief executives, at No. 9, and airline pilots, at No. 13, are the only two non-medical occupations in the top 15.
At the other end of the scale are jobs in hotels, restaurants and leisure businesses. Lowest paid of all? Fast-food cooks, followed by busboys, dishwashers and waiters.
According to government data, the mean annual salary for America's 55,390 surgeons is $181,850; for a fast-food cook, $15,230. The mean annual pay for all jobs is $37,440.
Our numbers are drawn from the government's National, State and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. They, in turn, are based on a national survey of employers (the latest available one is from 2004) of every size and in all industry sectors covering 800 occupations.
The survey covers full- and part-time workers who are paid a wage or salary. It does not include the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers and unpaid family workers.
It asks about basic pay, incentive bonuses and commissions, but not overtime pay or non-wage compensation, such as stock options.
That all helps explain why mean annual wages appear lower than one might have expected at the top end and higher at the bottom, where undocumented workers are unlikely to be counted accurately.
Remember, too, that these are mean salaries and that they give no indication of how distant the outliers at either end of the salary scale for any occupation might be. There are plenty of lawyers who earn a lot more than $110,590, and surely there are dishwashers who earn a lot less than $15,670.
Earnings can vary widely for the same job in different industries and in different places. Farm workers and nurserymen who work for the federal government, for example, earn almost twice the average for the occupation. Ditto laundry and dry-cleaning workers.
Where you work makes a difference
In certain occupations, the discrepancy occurs because they are niche jobs in generally high-paying industries. The 150 souls employed to prepare food at law firms earn, at $29,020 on average, two-thirds as much as the 197,980 cooks working in full-service restaurants.
Where you live can also have a huge impact on what you make. The states and metropolitan areas in the high-wage Northeast pay top dollar in many occupations.
Fast-food cooks in the Worcester, Mass., metro area had an annual mean wage of $26,320, 73% more than the national average, and about the same as veterinarian technicians. Overall, Massachusetts is the most lucrative state for fast-food cooks, with an annual mean wage of $21,060. Fast-food cooks in neighboring Connecticut also earned more than $20,000 per year on average.
Remote states, particularly Alaska and Hawaii, also pay well for needed skills. On average, Hawaii pays best for waiters, bartenders and lifeguards. Dentists earn more on average in Alaska that in any other state, but there is a bigger premium for podiatrists in Kentucky.
As for America's 334,960 chief executives, New Jersey is the place to be. CEOs in the Garden State made $172,960 per year on average. But as our annual list of bosses' pay shows, there are plenty of chief executives that earn a lot more than that.
The 30 chief executives of securities and commodities exchanges are on average better paid than their peers, at $189,950 per year. Run an architectural or engineering firm, and you're likely to earn only $152,340 per year. Among the worst paid of all chief executives are those in local government ($81,780), but at 19,590, there are more of them than in any other industry.
The 25 worst-paying jobs
Cooks, fast-food: Prepare and cook food in a fast-food restaurant with a limited menu.
Mean annual salary: $15,230
Top-paying industry: Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing ($24,660)
Top-paying state: Massachusetts ($21,060)
Top-paying metro: Worcester, Mass.-Conn. ($26,320)
Combined food-preparation-and-serving workers, including fast-food: Perform duties which combine both food preparation and food service.
Mean annual salary: $15,430
Top-paying industry: Federal government ($26,600)
Top-paying state: District of Columbia ($19,330)
Top-paying metro: Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. ($19,970)
Dining-room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers: Bus boy
Mean annual salary: $15,560
Top-paying industry: Scenic and sightseeing transportation, land ($20,750)
Top-paying state: Hawaii ($20,720)
Top-paying metro: Honolulu ($20,170)
Dishwashers: Clean dishes, kitchen, food preparation equipment or utensils.
Mean annual salary: $15,670
Top-paying industry: Clothing stores ($19,430)
Top-paying state: District of Columbia ($19,680)
Top-paying metro: Las Vegas, Nev.-Arizona ($20,150)
Waiters and waitresses: Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
Mean annual salary: $15,980
Top-paying industry: Other personal services ($25,060)
Top-paying state: Hawaii ($22,590)
Top-paying metro: New York City ($25,140)
Shampooers: Shampoo and rinse customers' hair.
Mean annual salary: $16,020
Top-paying industry: Personal care services ($16,030)
Top-paying state: Illinois ($19,310)
Top-paying metro: Providence, R.I.-Fall River, Mass. ($21,180)
Gaming dealers: Operate table games of chance.
Mean annual salary: $16,210
Top-paying industry: Spectator sports ($23,920)
Top-paying state: Minnesota ($26,890)
Top-paying metro: Kansas City, Mo.-Kansas ($25,420)
Counter attendants, cafeteria, food-concession and coffee-shop: Serve food to diners at counter or from a steam table.
Mean annual salary: $16,290
Top-paying industry: Beverage manufacturing ($23,830)
Top-paying state: District of Columbia ($23,640)
Top-paying metro: Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. ($21,660)
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge and coffee-shop: Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
Mean annual salary: $16,310
Top-paying industry: Civic and social organizations ($25,640)
Top-paying state: District of Columbia ($22,220)
Top-paying metro: New York City ($24,450)
Amusement and recreation attendants: Perform variety of attending duties at amusement or recreation facility.
Mean annual salary: $16,730
Top-paying industry: Junior colleges ($24,200)
Top-paying state: Connecticut ($21,570)
Top-paying metro: Bloomington-Normal, Ill. ($23,540)
Ushers, lobby attendants and ticket takers: Assist patrons at entertainment events by performing duties such as collecting admission tickets and finding seats.
Mean annual salary: $16,770
Top-paying industry: State government ($32,230)
Top-paying state: New York ($21,630)
Top-paying metro: Wichita Falls, Texas ($28,050)
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery and greenhouse: Manually plant, cultivate and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties and field crops.
Mean annual salary: $17,110
Top-paying industry: Federal government ($33,890)
Top-paying state: North Dakota ($23,990)
Top-paying metro: Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, N.J. ($29,230)
Cashiers: Receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions.
Mean annual salary: $17,200
Top-paying industry: Postal service ($50,120)
Top-paying state: Washington ($22,100)
Top-paying metro: San Francisco ($23,560)
Bartenders: Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through staff.
Mean annual salary: $17,360
Top-paying industry: Museums, historical sites, zoos and parks ($24,500)
Top-paying state: Hawaii ($27,570)
Top-paying metro: Honolulu ($26,310)
Personal and home-care aides: Assist elderly or disabled adults with daily living activities at the person's home or in a daytime non-residential facility.
Mean annual salary: $17,560
Top-paying industry: Other investment pools and funds ($27,530)
Top-paying state: Alaska ($26,390)
Top-paying metro: Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. ($30,470)
Parking-lot attendants: Park automobiles or issue tickets for customers in a parking lot or garage.
Mean annual salary: $17,730
Top-paying industry: Other hospitals ($24,050)
Top-paying state: Massachusetts ($20,710)
Top-paying metro: San Francisco ($25,970)
Lifeguards, ski patrol and other recreational-protective-service workers: Monitor recreational areas such as pools, beaches or ski slopes to provide assistance and protection to participants.
Mean annual salary: $17,820
Top-paying industry: Management and technical consulting services ($24,060)
Top-paying state: Hawaii ($27,400)
Top-paying metro: Orange County, Calif. ($25,520)
Food-preparation workers: Perform a variety of food-preparation duties other than cooking.
Mean annual salary: $17,850
Top-paying industry: Legal services ($29,020)
Top-paying state: Alaska ($22,640)
Top-paying metro: Danbury, Conn. ($25,630)
Cooks, short order: Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time.
Mean annual salary: $17,870
Top-paying industry: Rail transportation ($28,760)
Top-paying state: Hawaii ($24,680)
Top-paying metro: Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. ($28,080)
Pressers, textile, garment and related materials: Press or shape articles by hand or machine.
Mean annual salary: $17,980
Top-paying industry: Fabric mills ($23,950)
Top-paying state: Alaska ($21,820)
Top-paying metro: Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. ($26,160)
Maids and housekeeping cleaners: Perform any combination of light cleaning duties to maintain private households or commercial establishments such as hotels, restaurants and hospitals.
Mean annual salary: $18,030
Top-paying industry: Cut and sew apparel manufacturing ($33,640)
Top-paying state: New York ($24,920)
Top-paying metro: New York City ($29,880)
Child-care workers: Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households and child-care institutions.
Mean annual salary: $18,060
Top-paying industry: State government ($29,720)
Top-paying state: Massachusetts ($22,200)
Top-paying metro: Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. ($25,910)
Graders and sorters, agricultural products: Grade, sort or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products.
Mean annual salary: $18,080
Top-paying industry: Dairy-product manufacturing ($29,390)
Top-paying state: Utah ($27,010)
Top-paying metro: Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C. ($33,960)
Food servers, non-restaurant: Serve food to patrons outside of a restaurant environment, such as in hotels, hospital rooms or cars.
Mean annual salary: $18,120
Top-paying industry: Grant-making and -giving services ($30,220)
Top-paying state: New York ($25,020)
Top-paying metro: New York City ($28,730)
Laundry and dry-cleaning workers: Operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean industrial or household articles.
Mean annual salary: $18,290
Top-paying industry: Federal government ($35,950)
Top-paying state: Minnesota ($22,770)
Top-paying metro: Manchester, N.H. ($26,100)
We can always bring in 20 or 30 or 40,000,000 illegals and legals to take more jobs away.
Anyone who thinks the illegals aren't creating disaster in the job market has their head up their _________.
Interestingly, the Triangle Business Journal recently published a listing of where the new jobs were coming from here in the six-county Triangle Area here in Central NC. Half were in state government, and of the rest, half were waitress, waiter, and bartender positions. No mention of temp jobs or part-timer positions. Average pay for new jobs: less than $24,000 a year. That's all I can remember.
Lovely economic boom we're going through.
Sorry. For the most part it looks like jobs in the buggy whip manufacturing industries are in danger.
I'm in Information Technology, which wrote the book on offshoring. At a recent physical, I was talking to my doctor about the threat of lost jobs in my sector, and he said that he was far from immune. He told me that there were Harvard-educated physicians in India who would fly a patient over, put him up in a hotel, perform the necessary tests and procedures, allow him to recuperate, then fly him back ... all at a cost less than a fourth of what it would be in the States. He just shook his head and said he was glad he was retiring soon.
That's VERY good advice
My dad (he's 72), who has retired from computer programming/ managerial position at a hospital just recently told me the same thing...stay away from machines and work with people.
BTW, the department he worked in at the hospital which set up the in house computer network is virtually defunct. It's only been about seven years.
I knew a guy who made $12,000 a month working in the oil industry. (That was not his normal wage... an exception to the rule. $8,000 a month was the minimum salary he'd accept.)
or the guy in the oil industry who parting gift at retirement was 4 hundred million dollars. EXXON. Just to put that in perspective --
The $85 million dollar lawsuit that an Iraq war vet is pursueing against Michael Moore -- Not ever a quarter of $400,000,000.
A School superintendant, over three schools, and earning $80,000 a year? -- 500 years and you earn it yourself.
Making $30,000 a year? In only 1300 or 1400 years you'll earn that much. And of course he's worth it, and your worth -- well less than .001% of him.
They argue "free market", but expect all sorts of government benefits. It's a protected monopoly and they ought to be ashamed.
I want to know this guy's retirement date. Maybe he was the one keeping gas prices down to less than $1.50 a gallon for over a decade. Maybe he *was* worth four hundred mil!
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