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1/28/2021 9:00:00 AM
Tim O'Neill
Last month the metro area local look blog highlighted the profound importance and presence of Health Care and Social Assistance employment in the Seven-County Metro Area was highlighted, as well as the severe impacts COVID-19 has had upon the industry. Despite that impact, demand for health care jobs in the region remains high.
According to DEED’s Job Vacancy Survey (JVS), there were nearly 15,000 Metro Area job vacancies in Health Care and Social Assistance during the second quarter of 2020. This represented a slight 2% decline in total vacancies for the industry from last year. For reference, total vacancies in the region dropped by 23% during that same period, meaning Health Care saw a much smaller decline. Broken down by specific occupation, employers reported the most vacancies for Home Health and Personal Care Aides, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Nursing Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians and Registered Nurses.
Along with job vacancy data, DEED recently updated its Occupations in Demand (OID) data to better reflect hiring demand during COVID-19. This data combines job vacancy data with Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) and Unemployment Insurance (UI) Statistics to create a list of current career opportunities based on the most current labor market information. This information can be used by job seekers and employment counselors for job search and career planning. Table 1 below highlights those top 15 health care occupations in demand in the Metro Area. Just a glance at these occupations shows that there is a wide range of opportunities available, with numerous pathways for entering and advancing in health care.
| SOC Codes | Job Title | Estimated Employment | Median Annual Wage | Projected Growth Rate, 2018-2028 | Education Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291141 | Registered Nurses | 38,970 | $85,602 | +11.9% | Associate degree |
| 311120 | Home Health & Personal Care Aides | 66,580 | $28,922 | +34.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 292061 | Licensed Practical & Vocat. Nurses | 7,230 | $51,540 | +14.4% | Postsecondary non-degree award |
| 311131 | Nursing Assistants | 13,150 | $38,066 | +4.4% | Postsecondary non-degree award |
| 292052 | Pharmacy Technicians | 4,410 | $40,284 | +7.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 291171 | Nurse Practitioners | 2,470 | $120,092 | +22.3% | Graduate or professional degree |
| 291248 | Surgeons, Except Ophthalmologists | 690 | >$208,000 | +4.9% | Graduate or professional degree |
| 291216 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | 990 | >$208,000 | +8.9% | Graduate or professional degree |
| 319092 | Medical Assistants | 6,280 | $43,012 | +20.4% | Postsecondary non-degree award |
| 291151 | Nurse Anesthetists | 1,320 | $181,392 | +20.5% | Graduate or professional degree |
| 291215 | Family Medicine Physicians | 1,440 | >$208,000 | +12.9% | Graduate or professional degree |
| 319097 | Phlebotomists | 980 | $39,357 | +32.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 291221 | Pediatricians, General | 560 | $204,943 | +4.4% | Graduate or professional degree |
| 292057 | Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | 780 | $53,661 | +11.0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 291218 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 500 | >$208,000 | +5.1% | Graduate or professional degree |
| Source: DEED Occupations in Demand (OID), Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) | |||||
Knowing that demand in health care in the Metro Area remains high, CareerForce resources found online can provide that next step for discovering entry points into the industry and the wide variety of careers available. In fact, there is still plenty of time to catch hiring events and career exploration events focused just on health care careers. Such events will, undoubtedly, continue throughout the year.
Contact Tim O'Neill, Labor Market Analyst.
