OLMIS

by Erik A Knoder
Published Feb-24-2010

High-Wage, High-Demand Occupations

There is no denying that more education tends to lead to a higher-paying job, but Oregon's economy generates many jobs that pay well and don't require extensive higher education. For example, the 2009 median hourly wage in Oregon for dental hygienists was higher than the hourly wage for veterinarians. The median hourly wage for electricians was higher than for wildlife biologists (although this is probably not a surprise to wildlife biologists). All in all, Oregon has more than 100 occupations that have numerous openings, pay better-than-average wages, and don't require an associate degree.

Although college often leads to higher pay (Graph 1), people can use occupational information provided by the Oregon Employment Department to find other options for a higher paying job. Since college or community college isn't for everyone, good career planning for some people means sorting through many occupations to find those jewels for which they can qualify without college and that pay well. This article does some of that sorting.

Table 1 lists some of the occupations that pay above average wages and should have more than the average number of openings over the next 10 years. The total number of openings includes those due to retirements as well as growth.

Only two of the selected occupations had a median wage of more than $30 per hour, so it isn't sensible to expect to make a fortune by working in most of these jobs. But the typical wage for these occupations is about $22 per hour, or around $880 for a 40 hour week, which is more than the U.S. average for someone with an associate's degree.

Gathering information about licensing and training providers is important when pursuing one of these occupations because many, if not most, require licenses, classes, or special experience. One reason they pay better than average is that there are barriers to entering many of them. The smaller the supply of qualified workers for an occupation, the more it tends to pay.

Community colleges and union apprenticeships are a source of training for many of the occupations that require post-secondary training. Community colleges try to offer training programs that fit with their local industries; they don't all offer the same training. Umpqua Community College offers an industrial technology program and 11 community colleges offer emergency medical technician training. Unions and apprenticeships are important for some of the construction occupations, such as carpenters and electricians.

For more information on occupations in Oregon, visit the Occupational Information Center at www.QualityInfo.org.