About
Career and Education Explorer offers a wide range of occupational information in a simple and easy-to-use online tool. Choose your region, choose your occupation, and go.
What’s the hourly wage for Twin Cities software developers? How many openings can we expect for Northwestern Minnesota truck drivers? What do hydrologists do all day? Are there training programs available? Select an occupation and explore a wealth of information.
How does it work?
After you select a region and occupation, an Overview page give you a description, typical job titles, typical wages, current demand, expected 10-year openings, education requirements, and top industries for your selected occupation. Want more? Select Wages from the navigation menu to browse detailed wage information. Also select Demand, Education, and On the Job to learn more about your occupation.
A link at the bottom of every page lets you apply for jobs. Another link lets you find help at your local CareerForce.
Use the Occupation Quick Search at any time to find a different occupation in your selected region. Or select Start New Search to start over again.
Who will use Career and Education Explorer?
Job seekers, career explorers, and employers can use Career and Education Explorer as a convenient all-in-one information source to learn about an occupation's wages, demand, education requirements and opportunities, and much more. Are you looking for a first job or a new job? Exploring a first career or a transition to a new career? Are you an employer looking to find a broad range of information on a specific occupation? Career and Education Explorer can help.
Where does the data come from?
Much of the data starts from censuses and surveys conducted and processed by Minnesota Labor Market Information, the U.S Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other state and federal agencies.
Specific sources include: Occupational Employment Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Occupational Staffing Patterns, Occupations in Demand, Match Jobs to Skills (JobSTAT), Employment Outlook, Job Vacancy Survey, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Unemployment Insurance Statistics, Cost of Living in Minnesota, American Community Survey, Occupational Information Network., and CAREERwise educational program database.
Click the next tab to learn more about the data sources.
Data Sources
Career and Education Explorer offers a wide range of occupational information in a single easy-to-use online tool.
Where does the data come from?
Much of the data starts from censuses and surveys conducted and processed by Minnesota Labor Market Information, the U.S Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other state and federal agencies.
Specific sources include: Occupational Employment Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Occupational Staffing Patterns, Occupations in Demand, Match Jobs to Experience (JobSTAT), Employment Outlook, Job Vacancy Survey, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Unemployment Insurance Statistics, Cost of Living in Minnesota, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Community Survey, O-NET Occupational Information Network, and CAREERwise educational program database.
Regions
The user can select any one of Minnesota’s thirteen Economic Development Regions from a dropdown list, a clickable map, or by entering a zip code. In each case, the Career Profile tool returns results for the relevant Economic Development Region. Some data is available only at the state or national level.
Occupations
Occupation names and code numbers are assigned according to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) of the U.S. Department of Labor. An occupation is a type of work or type of job. The SOC detailed occupation classifications have names like "Accountants and Auditors" or "Dentists, General" or "Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers." The SOC system includes 840 detailed occupations. Each of these may be searched through the Career Profile online tool. In cases where the number of positions or openings for an occupation in Minnesota is too small, the tool may yield incomplete results, generally indicated by a display of "N/A" meaning "not available."
Data sources - page by page
Overview page
Description
This is a description of the selected occupation. Source: O-NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Typical Job Titles
These are examples of typical job titles associated with the selected occupation. They may differ from the actual title a specific employer assigns to a job. Source: O-NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Hourly Wage
The wage is displayed as a 25th to 75th percentile range for the selected occupation in the selected Economic Development Region. Twenty-five percent of jobs in this occupation and region pay less than the 25th percentile, and 25% pay more than the 75th percentile, so 50% of jobs pay within the range shown. Source: Occupational Employment Statistics.
Current Demand
Current demand is calculated by Minnesota Labor Market Information using data for the selected occupation and Economic Development Region from the Job Vacancy Survey, Occupational Employment Statistics, and Unemployment Insurance Statistics. Source: Occupations in Demand.
Expected 10-Year Openings
Minnesota Labor Market Information estimates the number of openings expected ten years into the future for the selected occupation in the selected region. Source: Employment Outlook.
Education Requirements
This is the typical education needed to get this job in Minnesota, based on employer needs and licensing requirements in the state. Sources: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (main classification); Bureau of Labor Statistics (more detail for jobs requiring high school or less, and graduate degrees)..
Typical Wage by Industry – Wage, Employment
The median or 50th percentile wage and the employment or number of persons employed are displayed for the selected occupation at the statewide level, not specific to the selected Economic Development Region. Source: Occupational Employment Statistics.
Wages page
Hourly Wages
Wages are presented in percentiles: 10% of jobs pay less than the 10th percentile, 50% of jobs pay less than the median or 50th percentile, and so on. For comparison, figures are displayed for the selected region, Minnesota, and the U.S. as a whole. Source: Occupational Employment Statistics.
Typical Wage Offer for Job Openings
This is the median or 50th percentile wage offer: 50% of all wage offers are less. Source: Job Vacancy Survey.
Cost of Living
This is the estimated cost, in the selected region, of a simple living that meets basic needs for health and safety for a typical Minnesota family of two adults, working a combined 60 hours a week, with one child living in the selected Economic Development Region. Source: Minnesota Cost of Living Study.
Demand page
Current Demand
Current demand is a measure of employer demand within a selected Economic Development Region for a selected occupation. The measure ranges from one star, representing low demand, to five stars, representing high demand. Current demand is calculated by Minnesota Labor Market Information using data from the Job Vacancy Survey, Occupational Employment Statistics, and Unemployment Insurance Statistics. Source: Occupations in Demand.
Future Openings
Minnesota Labor Market Information estimates the number of openings expected one year and ten years into the future for the selected occupation. The one-year projection is updated quarterly and is available only for the state as a whole. The ten-year projection is updated every two years and is available for the state as a whole and for the Planning Region which contains the selected Economic Development Region. The estimate is based on a national trend analysis model which applies Minnesota's Current Employment Statistics data and Occupational Employment Statistics staffing pattern data. Source: Employment Outlook.
Education page
Education Requirements
This is the typical education needed to get this job. This is U.S. data, not specific to the selected Economic Development Region. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Educational Attainment - Typical education of people holding this job
Educational attainment shows the percentage of persons holding jobs in the selected occupation in Minnesota who have attained specified levels of education, for example, high school diploma, associate's degree, or master's degree. This is statewide data, not specific to the selected Economic Development Region. Source: American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed via Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.
Educational Programs
Source: Minnesota DEED Eligible Training Provider List database.
Certifications
Source: CareerOneStop.
Licenses
Source: License Minnesota.
Apprenticeships
Source: List of occupations with apprenticeship training programs, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
On the Job page
Typical tasks
These are typical tasks for the selected occupation. Source: O-NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Working Conditions
These are typical working conditions for the selected occupation. Source: O-NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Abilities
These are typical abilities required in the selected occupation. Source: O-NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Similar Careers
These are occupations whose skills are similar to the selected occupation. A higher percentage score reflects a closer skills match. The salary displayed is the statewide median salary for the displayed occupation. Source: Match Jobs to Experience (JobSTAT).
