1. Biochemist
Biochemists study the chemical composition of living things. They analyze the complex chemical combinations and reactions involved in metabolism, reproduction, growth, and heredity. Biochemists and molecular biologists do most of their work in the field of biotechnology, which involves understanding the complex chemistry of life. Many biochemists work in research and development. Some conduct basic research to advance knowledge of living organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and other infectious agents. Biochemists work independently in private industry, university, or government laboratories, often exploring new areas of research or expanding on specialized research started in graduate school.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
2. Botanist
Botanists study plants and their environment. Some study all aspects of plant life, including algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants; others specialize in areas such as identification and classification of plants, the structure and function of plant parts, the biochemistry of plant processes, the causes and cures of plant diseases, the interaction of plants with other organisms and the environment, and the geological record of plants. Some botanists work in laboratory environments while others work in the field.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
3. Clinical Laboratory Technologist
Clinical laboratory technologists perform complex chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic, and bacteriological tests. Technologists microscopically examine blood and other body fluids. They make cultures of body fluid and tissue samples, to determine the presence of bacteria, fungi, parasites, or other microorganisms. Clinical laboratory technologists analyze samples for chemical content or a chemical reaction and determine concentrations of compounds such as blood glucose and cholesterol levels. They also type and cross match blood samples for transfusions. Clinical laboratory technologists evaluate test results, develop and modify procedures, and establish and monitor programs, to ensure the accuracy of tests. Some technologists supervise clinical laboratory technicians.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
4. Dietitian
Dietitians and nutritionists plan food and nutrition programs and supervise the preparation and serving of meals. They help to prevent and treat illnesses by promoting healthy eating habits and recommending dietary modifications, such as the use of less salt for those with high blood pressure or the reduction of fat and sugar intake for those who are overweight. Dietitians manage food service systems for institutions such as hospitals and schools, promote sound eating habits through education, and conduct research.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
5. Environmental Scientist
Environmental scientists conduct research to identify and abate or eliminate sources of pollutants that affect people, wildlife, and their environments. These workers analyze and report measurements and observations of air, water, soil, and other sources and make recommendations on how best to clean and preserve the environment. Understanding the issues involved in protecting the environment degradation, conservation, recycling, and replenishment is central to the work of environmental scientists, who often use their skills and knowledge to design and monitor waste disposal sites, preserve water supplies, and reclaim contaminated land and water to comply with Federal environmental regulations.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
6. Microbiologist
Microbiologists investigate the growth and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, or fungi. Most microbiologists specialize in environmental, food, agricultural, or industrial microbiology; virology (the study of viruses); or immunology (the study of mechanisms that fight infections). Many microbiologists use biotechnology to advance knowledge of cell reproduction and human disease.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
7. Pharmacist
Pharmacists dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. They advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications. Pharmacists also monitor the health and progress of patients in response to drug therapy to ensure safe and effective use of medication. Pharmacists must understand the use, clinical effects, and composition of drugs, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties. Traditionally, most pharmacists work in a community setting, such as a retail drugstore, or in a healthcare facility, such as a hospital, nursing home, mental health institution, or neighborhood health clinic.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
8. Physical Therapist
Physical therapists (PTs) provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. They restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health. Their patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy. Therapists examine patients' medical histories and then test and measure the patients' strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function. They also determine patients' ability to be independent and reintegrate into the community or workplace after injury or illness.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
9. Veterinarian
Veterinarians play a major role in the healthcare of pets, livestock, and zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. Some veterinarians use their skills to protect humans against diseases carried by animals and conduct clinical research on human and animal health problems. Others work in basic research, broadening the scope of fundamental theoretical knowledge and, in applied research, developing new ways to use knowledge. Most veterinarians perform clinical work in private practices. Veterinarians in clinical practice diagnose animal health problems; vaccinate against diseases, such as distemper and rabies; medicate animals suffering from infections or illnesses; treat and dress wounds; set fractures; perform surgery; and advise owners about animal feeding, behavior, and breeding.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
10. Public Accountants
Public accountants perform a broad range of accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting activities for their clients, which may be corporations, governments, nonprofit organizations, or individuals. For example, some public accountants concentrate on tax matters, such as advising companies about the tax advantages and disadvantages of certain business decisions and preparing individual income tax returns. Others offer advice in areas such as compensation or employee health care benefits, the design of accounting and data-processing systems, and the selection of controls to safeguard assets. Public accountants, many of whom are Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), generally have their own businesses or work for public accounting firms.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
11. Auditor
Auditors verify the accuracy of their organization’s internal records and check for mismanagement, waste, or fraud. Internal auditing is an increasingly important area of accounting and auditing. Internal auditors examine and evaluate their firms’ financial and information systems, management procedures, and internal controls to ensure that records are accurate and controls are adequate to protect against fraud and waste. They also review company operations, evaluating their efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with corporate policies and procedures, laws, and government regulations.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
12. Public Relations
Public relations specialists handle organizational functions such as media, community, consumer, industry, and governmental relations; political campaigns; interest-group representation; conflict mediation; and employee and investor relations. They do more than “tell the organization’s story.” They must understand the attitudes and concerns of community, consumer, employee, and public interest groups and establish and maintain cooperative relationships with them and with representatives from print and broadcast journalism. Public relations specialists draft press releases and contact people in the media who might print or broadcast their material. Public relations specialists also arrange and conduct programs to keep up contact between organization representatives and the public.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
13. Advertising
Advertising executives and public relations specialist prepare advertisements for other companies and organizations and design campaigns to promote the interests and image of their clients. This industry also includes media representatives—firms that sell advertising space for publications, radio, television, and the Internet; display advertisers—businesses engaged in creating and designing public display ads for use in shopping malls, on billboards, or in similar media; and direct mail advertisers. A firm that purchases advertising time (or space) from media outlets, thereafter reselling it to advertising agencies or individual companies directly, is considered a media buying agency. Divisions of companies that produce and place their own advertising are not considered part of this industry.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
14. Human Relations
Human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists attract the most qualified employees and match them to the jobs for which they are best suited. In the past, these workers have been associated with performing the administrative function of an organization, such as handling employee benefits questions or recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new staff in accordance with policies and requirements that have been established in conjunction with top management. Today’s human resources workers manage these tasks and, increasingly, consult top executives regarding strategic planning.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
15. Software Engineer
Software engineers working in applications or systems development analyze users’ needs and design, construct, test, and maintain computer applications software or systems. Software engineers can be involved in the design and development of many types of software, including software for operating systems and network distribution, and compilers, which convert programs for execution on a computer. In programming, or coding, software engineers instruct a computer, line by line, how to perform a function. They also solve technical problems that arise. Software engineers must possess strong programming skills, but are more concerned with developing algorithms and analyzing and solving programming problems than with actually writing code.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
16. Computer Programmer
Computer programmers write, test, and maintain the detailed instructions, called programs, that computers must follow to perform their functions. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. Computer programs tell the computer what to do—which information to identify and access, how to process it, and what equipment to use. Programs vary widely depending on the type of information to be accessed or generated. In most cases, several programmers work together as a team under a senior programmer’s supervision.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
17. Economist
Economists study how society distributes scarce resources, such as land, labor, raw materials, and machinery, to produce goods and services. They conduct research, collect and analyze data, monitor economic trends, and develop forecasts. They research issues such as energy costs, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, business cycles, taxes, or employment levels. Preparing reports, including tables and charts, on research results is an important part of an economist’s job.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
18. Construction Engineer
Engineering technicians use the principles and theories of science, engineering, and mathematics to solve technical problems in research and development, manufacturing, sales, construction, inspection, and maintenance. Engineering technicians who work in research and development build or set up equipment; prepare and conduct experiments; collect data; calculate or record results; and help engineers or scientists in other ways, such as making prototype versions of newly designed equipment. They also assist in design work, often using computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) equipment.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
19. Financial Analyst
Financial analysts, also called securities analysts and investment analysts, work for banks, insurance companies, mutual and pension funds, securities firms, and other businesses, helping these companies or their clients make investment decisions. Financial analysts read company financial statements and analyze commodity prices, sales, costs, expenses, and tax rates in order to determine a company’s value and to project its future earnings. Usually, financial analysts study an entire industry, assessing current trends in business practices, products, and industry competition. They must keep abreast of new regulations or policies that may affect the industry, as well as monitor the economy to determine its effect on earnings.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
20. Athletic Trainer
Athletic trainers help prevent and treat injuries for people of all ages. Their clients include everyone from professional athletes to industrial workers. Recognized by the American Medical Association as allied health professionals, athletic trainers specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. Athletic trainers are often one of the first heath care providers on the scene when injuries occur, and therefore must be able to recognize, evaluate, and assess injuries and provide immediate care when needed. They also are heavily involved in the rehabilitation and reconditioning of injuries.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
21. Paralegal
Paralegal’s help lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. Paralegals investigate the facts of cases and ensure that all relevant information is considered. They also identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that are relevant to assigned cases. After they analyze and organize the information, paralegals may prepare written reports that attorneys use in determining how cases should be handled. Paralegals also organize and track files of all important case documents and make them available and easily accessible to attorneys.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
22. Physicist
Physicists explore and identify basic principles and laws governing motion and gravitation, the macroscopic and microscopic behavior of gases, and the structure and behavior of matter, the generation and transfer between energy, and the interaction of matter and energy. Some physicists use these principles in theoretical areas, such as the nature of time and the origin of the universe; others apply their knowledge of physics to practical areas, such as the development of advanced materials, electronic and optical devices, and medical equipment. Physicists design and perform experiments with lasers, particle accelerators, telescopes, mass spectrometers, and other equipment. Physicists also find ways to apply physical laws and theories to problems in nuclear energy, electronics, optics, materials, communications, aerospace technology, and medical instrumentation.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
23. Psychologist
Psychologists study the human mind and human behavior. Research psychologists investigate the physical, cognitive, emotional, or social aspects of human behavior. Psychologists in health service provider fields provide mental health care in hospitals, clinics, schools, or private settings. Psychologists employed in applied settings, such as business, industry, government, or nonprofits, provide training, conduct research, design systems, and act as advocates for psychology.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
24. Social Worker
Social workers help people function the best way they can in their environment, deal with their relationships, and solve personal and family problems. Social workers often see clients who face a life-threatening disease or a social problem, such as inadequate housing, unemployment, a serious illness, a disability, or substance abuse. Social workers also assist families that have serious domestic conflicts, sometimes involving child or spousal abuse. Social workers often provide social services in health-related settings that now are governed by managed care organizations. To contain costs, these organizations emphasize short-term intervention, ambulatory and community-based care, and greater decentralization of services.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
25. Dentist
Dentists diagnose, prevent, and treat problems with teeth or mouth tissue. They remove decay, fill cavities, examine x rays, place protective plastic sealants on children’s teeth, straighten teeth, and repair fractured teeth. They also perform corrective surgery on gums and supporting bones to treat gum diseases. Dentists extract teeth and make models and measurements for dentures to replace missing teeth. They provide instruction on diet, brushing, flossing, the use of fluorides, and other aspects of dental care. They also administer anesthetics and write prescriptions for antibiotics and other medications. Dentists in private practice oversee a variety of administrative tasks, including bookkeeping and buying equipment and supplies. They may employ and supervise dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental laboratory technicians, and receptionists.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
26. Reporter
Assignment reporters write about newsworthy occurrences—such as accidents, political rallies, visits of celebrities, or business closings—as assigned. Large newspapers and radio and television stations assign reporters to gather news about specific topics, such as crime or education. Some reporters specialize in fields such as health, politics, foreign affairs, sports, theater, consumer affairs, social events, science, business, or religion. Investigative reporters cover stories that may take many days or weeks of information gathering. Some publications use teams of reporters instead of assigning each reporter one specific topic, allowing reporters to cover a greater variety of stories. Reporters on small publications cover all aspects of the news. They take photographs, write headlines, lay out pages, edit wire-service stories, and write editorials. Some also solicit advertisements, sell subscriptions, and perform general office work.
Information was extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook through the Department of Labor website. Please see the full listing for more information regarding the nature of the work, training involved, median salary, and job outlook. For additional information also try the Occupational Information Network.
