Southeast Minnesota is a health care and agricultural powerhouse. The region is home to the renowned Mayo Clinic and some of the world's most recognized food companies and brands.
Advanced manufacturing is especially strong here, with machinery, chemicals, and electronics among the top products.
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6/14/2023 9:00:00 AM
Amanda O'Connell
The Health Care & Social Assistance industry is the largest employing industry in Southeast Minnesota, with 1,892 establishments providing 65,463 jobs. Remarkably, this industry accounts for 27% of total employment in Southeast, highlighting its significant contribution to the local economy. In 2022, the average annual wage was $80,600, which was 31.8% higher than the average annual wage across all industries.
There are abundant opportunities for individuals seeking healthcare-related employment. According to DEED's most recent Job Vacancy Survey, there were 19,304 job vacancies in Southeast in quarter 2 of 2022. Of these, Healthcare Practitioners & Technical occupations made up 1,328 job vacancies. The occupations with the most vacancies in this occupational group include:
In addition, there were 1,139 job vacancies in the Healthcare Support occupations. Of this occupational group, the most job vacancies are for:
These figures highlight the demand for skilled healthcare professionals in Southeast Minnesota and the wide range of opportunities available within the industry (see Figure 1).
As shown in Figure 1, the number of job vacancies has fluctuated over time in the Healthcare Practitioners & Technical and Healthcare Support occupations, with a strong upward trend over the past decade. The data reveals that the highest number of job vacancies for Healthcare Practitioners & Technical occupations was recorded in fourth quarter 2020, with 1,428 openings, followed closely by fourth quarter 2021, with 1,406 job vacancies. The lowest number of job vacancies was in fourth quarter 2011, with 280 jobs, as the region was coming out of the Great Recession.
Likewise, the highest number of job vacancies for Healthcare Support occupations was in fourth quarter 2021, with 1,585 openings, followed by second quarter 2022, with 1,139 job vacancies. Ang again, the lowest number of job vacancies was in second quarter 2011, with 301 jobs.
As shown above, there are many opportunities and job openings for individuals aspiring to pursue healthcare-related careers. Projections for the next 10 years suggest a sustained demand for healthcare occupations. Specifically, there are expected to be approximately 43,500 total job openings between 2020 and 2030, encompassing both Healthcare Practitioners & Technical occupations as well as Healthcare Support occupations.
Within the Health Practitioners & Technical Occupational group, the highest number of total openings is projected for Registered Nurses (8,736), followed by Emergency Medical Technicians & Paramedics (1,129), and Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurses (1,107). In the Healthcare Support occupations group, the greatest number of total openings is expected for Home Health & Personal Care Aides (11,807), Nursing Assistants (6,016), and Dental Assistants (665) (see Table 1).
| Table 1. Southeast Minnesota, Employment Outlook 2020-2030 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOC Code | Occupation | Estimated Employment 2020 | Projected Employment 2030 | Percent Change 2020-
2030 |
Numeric Change
2020-2030 |
2020-2030 Labor
Market Exit Openings |
2020-2030 Total Openings |
| 290000 | Healthcare Practitioners & Technical | 33,186 | 36,036 | +8.6% | +2,850 | +8,417 | +20,910 |
| 291125 | Recreational Therapists | 68 | 74 | +8.8% | +6 | +22 | +59 |
| 291248 | Surgeons, Except Ophthalmologists | 38 | 39 | +2.6% | +1 | +6 | +11 |
| 292053 | Psychiatric Technicians | 70 | 77 | +10.0% | +7 | +20 | +59 |
| 291122 | Occupational Therapists | 385 | 413 | +7.3% | +28 | +86 | +244 |
| 291215 | Family Medicine Physicians | 117 | 123 | +5.1% | +6 | +19 | +39 |
| 292040 | Emergency Medical Technicians & Paramedics | 1,423 | 1,579 | +11.0% | +156 | +278 | +1,129 |
| 291041 | Optometrists | 45 | 47 | +4.4% | +2 | +8 | +16 |
| 291131 | Veterinarians | 229 | 263 | +14.8% | +34 | +39 | +111 |
| 292032 | Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 218 | 260 | +19.3% | +42 | +65 | +210 |
| 292098 | Medical Dosimetrists, Med. Records Specialists | 547 | 577 | +5.5% | +30 | +153 | +425 |
| 291031 | Dietitians & Nutritionists | 182 | 196 | +7.7% | +14 | +61 | +141 |
| 291129 | Therapists, All Other | 27 | 29 | +7.4% | +2 | +9 | +21 |
| 292010 | Clinical Laboratory Technologists & Technicians | 782 | 799 | +2.2% | +17 | +204 | +514 |
| 292081 | Opticians, Dispensing | 132 | 136 | +3.0% | +4 | +55 | +105 |
| 291021 | Dentists, General | 150 | 156 | +4.0% | +6 | +28 | +47 |
| 291128 | Exercise Physiologists | 54 | 58 | +7.4% | +4 | +17 | +40 |
| 291298 | Acupuncturists & Health Diagnosing Practitioners | 63 | 64 | +1.6% | +1 | +27 | +38 |
| 292061 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 1,302 | 1,393 | +7.0% | +91 | +454 | +1,107 |
| 291011 | Chiropractors | 97 | 108 | +11.3% | +11 | +15 | +34 |
| 291127 | Speech-Language Pathologists | 260 | 311 | +19.6% | +51 | +66 | +219 |
| 291292 | Dental Hygienists | 361 | 388 | +7.5% | +27 | +134 | +255 |
| 292056 | Veterinary Technologists & Technicians | 314 | 354 | +12.7% | +40 | +91 | +275 |
| 291051 | Pharmacists | 1,010 | 1,050 | +4.0% | +40 | +190 | +428 |
| 291141 | Registered Nurses | 14,496 | 15,466 | +6.7% | +970 | +3,997 | +8,736 |
| 292034 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | 1,076 | 1,158 | +7.6% | +82 | +305 | +867 |
| 299098 | Health Information Techs., Medical Registrars | 160 | 169 | +5.6% | +9 | +45 | +125 |
| 291123 | Physical Therapists | 585 | 651 | +11.3% | +66 | +122 | +316 |
| 291218 | Obstetricians & Gynecologists | 40 | 41 | +2.5% | +1 | +7 | +13 |
| 292052 | Pharmacy Technicians | 717 | 745 | +3.9% | +28 | +199 | +541 |
| 310000 | Healthcare Support Occupations | 16,267 | 18,262 | +12.3% | +1,995 | +10,457 | +22,732 |
| 312021 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 215 | 245 | +14.0% | +30 | +98 | +302 |
| 319011 | Massage Therapists | 217 | 261 | +20.3% | +44 | +140 | +309 |
| 319091 | Dental Assistants | 524 | 561 | +7.1% | +37 | +247 | +665 |
| 312011 | Occupational Therapy Assistants | 76 | 82 | +7.9% | +6 | +39 | +103 |
| 311131 | Nursing Assistants | 4,714 | 4,919 | +4.3% | +205 | +3,084 | +6,016 |
| 311120 | Home Health & Personal Care Aides | 7,914 | 9,323 | +17.8% | +1,409 | +5,518 | +11,807 |
| 319099 | Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | 173 | 182 | +5.2% | +9 | +98 | +224 |
| Source: DEED Employment Outlook | |||||||
Overall, there is a great demand for healthcare occupations in Southeast Minnesota. The sustained demand for healthcare occupations indicates the importance of a skilled and dedicated workforce to provide quality care and support to the community. Aspiring healthcare professionals in Southeast Minnesota can look forward to a thriving industry with numerous job opportunities and a fulfilling career path.
Contact Amanda O'Connell, Labor Market Analyst, at amanda.oconnell@state.mn.us.
June is the kick off for the Follow Your Heart to a Caring Career campaign, including a proclamation from the Governor explaining the benefits of working in Health Care & Social Assistance. DEED's Regional Analysts put together a series of blogs focused on Health Care employment and opportunities in all 6 planning regions:
Central | Northeast | Northwest | Southwest | Twin Cities
As detailed in previous articles, the Health Care & Social Assistance industry has been under stress since the pandemic, but remains a great long-term career opportunity as it is projected to be the largest growing industry over the next decade. The goal of the Caring Careers campaign is to help jobseekers find their fit in health care employment that makes a real difference in the lives of others. Jobseekers that are interested can begin an in-demand career path with great growth potential and no training beyond high school required to start in many positions. Employers even pay for initial training in many cases – and they may also pay for future training to help workers grow their career and earn more money. Many employers also welcome employees who are learning English.
