Southwest Minnesota is a national leader in agricultural production, and renewable energy.
The region's thriving manufacturing sector includes food processing, machinery, printing, metal products, and computers and electronic products.
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5/28/2024 9:00:00 AM
Luke Greiner, Amanda O'Connell
Southwest Minnesota is well known for a high concentration of employment in the Agriculture and Manufacturing industries, as well as Educational Services and Public Administration. This is reflected in Location Quotients (LQ) calculated from the newly released Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) for the first quarter of 2024. The data show several unique distinguishing occupations in Southwest Minnesota, mostly related to the industries of strength.
Animal Breeders are more than 10 times more likely to be located in Southwest Minnesota than the rest of the state, making it the strongest concentration of all the measured occupations in the region. Likewise, over half of the Slaughterers & Meat Packers in the state are working in Southwest Minnesota, earning a LQ of 8.9. In the top 25, there are 20 Agriculture and Manufacturing-related occupations that stand out in Southwest Minnesota (see Table 1).
| Table 1. Top 25 Occupations by Location Quotient in Southwest Minnesota | Estimated Regional Employment | Location Quotient | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Breeders | 20 | 11.3 | $40,173 |
| Slaughterers & Meat Packers | 1,560 | 8.9 | $40,961 |
| Model Makers, Metal & Plastic | 50 | 7.7 | $50,742 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics & Service Technicians | 490 | 5.1 | $61,871 |
| Recreation & Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 50 | 5.0 | $84,540 |
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | 100 | 5.0 | $70,340 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, & Other Agricultural Managers | 40 | 4.9 | $81,015 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 190 | 4.5 | $47,959 |
| Food Science Technicians | 50 | 4.5 | $47,599 |
| Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, & Applicators, Vegetation | 240 | 4.1 | $48,596 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, & Aquacultural Animals | 100 | 4.0 | $37,860 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 640 | 3.8 | $37,685 |
| Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | 20 | 3.8 | $83,434 |
| Cooling & Freezing Equipment Operators & Tenders | 20 | 3.8 | $41,446 |
| Machine Feeders & Offbearers | 90 | 3.6 | $47,489 |
| Conveyor Operators & Tenders | 80 | 3.5 | $37,157 |
| Graders & Sorters, Agricultural Products | 10 | 3.4 | $49,010 |
| Food & Tobacco Roasting, Baking & Drying Machine Operators | 220 | 3.3 | $49,526 |
| Food Scientists & Technologists | 70 | 3.2 | $69,184 |
| Postmasters & Mail Superintendents | 60 | 3.2 | $88,908 |
| Mixing & Blending Machine Setters, Operators & Tenders | 330 | 3.2 | $51,556 |
| Food Batchmakers | 1,140 | 3.2 | $36,250 |
| Geography Teachers, Postsecondary | 20 | 3.1 | $84,638 |
| Physical Therapist Aides | 20 | 3.1 | $32,729 |
| Extruding & Drawing Machine Operators & Tenders, Metal & Plastic | 200 | 3.1 | $53,289 |
| Source: DEED Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics | |||
Almost half of the occupations that have the highest location quotients in the region earned median annual wages above $50,000, including five that earned more than $75,000 per year. Though most of these occupations are relatively small, with more than half having fewer than 100 jobs in the region, they provide great opportunities for jobseekers who are interested in these fields. Most of these jobs can be started with a high school diploma, some specialized on-the-job training, or limited postsecondary education.
Contact Luke Greiner at luke.greiner@state.mn.us or Amanda O'Connell at amanda.oconnell@state.mn.us.
