Vocational Career Statistics
Computer-related Careers
- About half of all U.S. homes use high-speed Internet.
- India has only about 3.7 million computers, but the country also has the highest number of software professionals in the world, outside of California.
- The amount of spam email being sent has surpassed the amount of legitimate emails that are sent.
- Computer hardware engineers earned an average salary of $72,150 in 2002.
- Computer systems design is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. Between 2002 and 2012, and estimated 600,000 jobs are to be added.
- Some particularly hot fields for computer systems specialists, and their projected growth from 2002-2012:
- Marketing and sales managers: 74.5%
- Management analysts: 68.8%
- Computer software applications engineers: 69.9%
- Computer software engineers, systems software: 86.9%
- Receptionists and information clerks: 52.6%
- Database administrators: 74.8%
Business and Administrative Careers
- People seeking secretarial work increasingly need degrees or certifications, especially to demonstrate computer proficiency.
- There were about 4.1 million administrative assistants in 2002.
- Accountants and auditors held about 1.1 million jobs in 2002. Accountants and auditors working for the federal government earned the highest average salary; $51,070.
- Medical and health services managers earned an average salary of $61,370 in 2002. The field is growing quickly, and prospects are especially good for those with formal training and education.
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Paralegals usually earn between $28,000 and $48,000 a year, depending on the type of firm, years of experience, and level of formal training.
- The American Bar Association and the National Association of Legal Assistants define a paralegal as "a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible" (adopted by the ABA in 1997).
Engineering Technology
- Electrical/electronics engineering technicians have the highest average salary when employed by the federal government: $58,520 in 2002.
- Engineering technology jobs are influenced by local and national economic conditions.
- Employment prospects for environmental engineering technicians are looking quite good as demands increase for environmental protection.
