CHICAGO, April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of
Americans earn their living from behind a desk and computer screen,
and while that's a reality only likely to expand over the coming
years, hundreds of non-desk jobs continue to grow and thrive,
according to a new analysis of labor market data from
CareerBuilder.
Ninety percent of the twenty highest paying non-desk jobs are in
health care and most require a doctoral or professional degree,
according to the analysis. Many of the fast-growing non-desk jobs,
however, do not require a four-year degree or higher, and several
offer workers a direct path to the middle class in a variety of
industries.
The data for the analysis was provided by Economic Modeling
Specialists Intl. (EMSI) – CareerBuilder's labor market data arm
that pulls from more than 90 government and private resources.
"The U.S. workforce has gradually shifted to office-based work
due to the rise of the professional services economy and
productivity gains associated with information technology," said
Rosemary Haefner, chief human
resources officer at CareerBuilder. "But some of the healthiest
areas of job growth year-after-year are in middle-skill occupations
that don't require workers to sit in front of computer monitors and
phones for 40-hours a week."
Haefner states that while they tend to pay less than desk jobs
on average, occupations that require workers to move around provide
real benefits. A 2014 CareerBuilder/Harris Poll survey found that
workers in non-desk jobs were two times less likely to complain
about their work environment and significantly less likely to
report being overweight.
In all, there are 170 non-desk occupations that pay $15 per hour or more on average, do not require a
four-year degree for a typical entry-level position, and have seen
six percent job growth from 2010-2014. The following table shows
the top-paying non-desk occupations in various
categories.
|
Median Hourly
Earnings
|
2010-2014 Job
Growth
|
Health Care
Occupations
|
|
|
Dental
Hygienists
|
$34.19
|
9%
|
Diagnostic Medical
Sonographers
|
$31.93
|
15%
|
Occupational Therapy
Assistants
|
$26.57
|
14%
|
|
|
|
Construction &
Extraction Occupations
|
|
Elevator Installers
and Repairers
|
$37.81
|
6%
|
Boilermakers
|
$27.74
|
6%
|
Rotary Drill
Operators, Oil and Gas
|
$24.79
|
47%
|
|
|
|
Installation &
Maintenance Occupations
|
|
Electrical Power-Line
Installers and Repairers
|
$30.85
|
7%
|
Avionics
Technicians*
|
$26.92
|
6%
|
Signal and Track
Switch Repairers
|
$26.75
|
11%
|
|
|
|
Architecture &
Engineering Occupations
|
|
Mechanical
Engineering Technicians
|
$25.19
|
10%
|
Industrial
Engineering Technicians
|
$25.01
|
6%
|
Electro-Mechanical
Technicians
|
$24.68
|
8%
|
|
|
|
Green Energy
Occupations
|
|
|
Wind Turbine Service
Technicians
|
$23.79
|
21%
|
Solar Photovoltaic
Installers
|
$19.04
|
22%
|
|
|
|
Miscellaneous
Non-Desk Occupations
|
|
|
Locksmiths
|
$18.25
|
10%
|
Massage
Therapists
|
$17.27
|
17%
|
Travel
Guides
|
$16.26
|
7%
|
Fitness Trainers
& Aerobics Instructors
|
$15.88
|
8%
|
*Avionics technicians inspect and repair various aircraft
equipment, such as radar, radio and navigation
systems.
Definitions and Methodology
For this study, non-desk
jobs are defined as any occupation where the majority of the
average worker's time spent on the job would be away from a desk.
Many occupations have core responsibilities split between a
desk/office and non-stationary or field work – e.g. engineering
occupations, power plant technicians/operators, real estate
brokers, etc. Those occupations were not included in this analysis.
For more information on work environments, see the BLS's
Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Data for this report comes from EMSI's 2014.4 Class of Worker
data set and does not include self-employed workers.
The methodology for the referenced CareerBuilder/Harris Poll
survey data can viewed here.
About CareerBuilder®
CareerBuilder is the global
leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and
attract great talent. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®,
is the largest in the United
States with more than 24 million unique visitors and 1
million jobs. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers,
providing everything from labor market intelligence to talent
management software and other recruitment solutions. Owned by
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy
Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in
the United States, Europe, South
America, Canada and
Asia. For more information, visit
www.careerbuilder.com.
Media Contact
Ryan
Hunt
773-527-6923
ryan.hunt@careerbuilder.com
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR
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SOURCE CareerBuilder