1

STATEMENT OF KEITH HALL 

COMMISSIONER 

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

BEFORE THE 

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 

EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 25, 2009 

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ occupational 

outlook information with you. 

I will provide a brief overview of the current economy and then discuss long-term 

employment trends through 2016, with special attention to occupations with above 

average wages and large numbers of job openings, as well as those with above average 

growth rates. In light of the Committee’s interest in healthcare, I will address this field 

specifically. 

Finally, concerning a topic currently of intense interest -- “green jobs” -- I want to briefly 

discuss with you the challenge of measuring the number and characteristics of these jobs. 

The current economy. As you know, the Nation is in the midst of a sharp and widespread 

contraction of the labor market. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, 4.4 

million payroll jobs have been lost, and the unemployment rate has increased from 4.9 to 

8.1 percent, the highest level in over 25 years. Job losses have occurred in nearly all 

major industry sectors; employment has grown only in healthcare, private education, and 

government. Unemployment is up among all major demographic groups, and the number 

of people working part time involuntarily has jumped by 4.0 million. Job losses have 
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occurred throughout the country, and, in January, 4 states had unemployment rates above 

10 percent.1

BLS projections. The BLS prepares long-term national projections every two years, 

including the labor force, industry output, and industry and occupational employment. 

The most recent projections were published in December 2007 for the 2006-2016 period. 

The projections are widely used by individuals and career guidance counselors for career 

exploration, by public officials for policy decisions regarding workforce development, 

and for many other purposes. Our State partners use BLS projections as an input into 

state and area projections, which help drive the State and local decisions on education, 

training and workforce policy and funding, as well as helping individuals in their career 

decision-making and job search. 

The projections describe the composition of a full-employment economy in 2016, and the 

change in employment by industry and occupation required to achieve that economy. We 

make specific assumptions about several economic, demographic, and policy topics, such 

as rates of productivity growth. We conduct a series of analytical processes ranging from 

econometric and time-series modeling to explicitly subjective analysis. 

We use data from many sources, including the Current Employment Statistics, 

Occupational Employment Statistics, and Producer Price programs, along with labor 

force data from the Current Population Survey and productivity data. We also use data 

from other Federal statistical agencies, primarily the Census Bureau and the Bureau of 

Economic Analysis. 

Impact of the recession on projections. I want to note that the 2006-2016 projections 

were completed before the current economic downturn and therefore are based on a prerecession perspective of the economy. The impact of the current recession on the 

 

1

 These states and their January 2009 preliminary unemployment rates are Michigan (11.6 percent), South 

Carolina (10.4 percent), Rhode Island (10.3 percent), and California (10.1 percent). 
3

accuracy of our depiction of a full-employment economy in 2016 projections is uncertain. 

It may not be clear for some time whether the recession will have permanent impacts on 

the structure of the economy and on the long-term trends that are the focus of the 

projections analysis. 

 

Broad trends. To put the occupational projections into context, let me briefly review the 

broad trends. We expect growth in the labor force and total employment to slow, and the 

decline in manufacturing employment and shift towards services employment to 

continue. We project the labor force to grow at an annual rate of 0.8 percent between 

2006 and 2016, down from a 1.2 percent rate during the previous decade (1996-2006). 

Nonagricultural wage and salary employment is projected to grow at an annual rate of 1.0 

percent over 2006-2016, slower than the 1.3 percent annual rate during 1996-2006. 

Manufacturing employment is projected to decline at an annual rate of -1.1 percent, down 

1.5 million jobs over the decade. Manufacturing output is expected to grow, however, 

reflecting continued increases in productivity. Declining employment is also projected 

for the mining, federal government, and utilities industries. All other major industry 

groups are projected to gain jobs, with the most rapid growth expected in health care and 

social assistance at 2.4 percent annual growth, professional and business services at 2.1 

percent, and educational services at 1.9 percent. (See charts 1 and 2.) 

Occupational trends. Turning to occupations, we categorize occupational employment 

into 10 major groups. The three largest major groups are professional and related 

occupations, service occupations, and office and administrative support occupations, with 

2006 employment of 30 million, 29 million, and 24 million, respectively. These 3 groups 

accounted for well over half of the Nation’s total employment. The smallest occupational 

group is farming, forestry, and fishing occupations, with just 1 million jobs. (See chart 3.) 

Total employment is expected to grow about 10 percent over the decade, resulting in 15.6 

million new jobs. The two groups with the largest employment in 2006—professional 
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and related occupations and service occupations—also are expected to grow faster than 

any other groups, with each increasing by 17 percent. (See chart 4.) 

Because of their large size and projected fast growth, these 2 groups also will add the 

most new jobs to the economy—nearly 10 million—accounting for more than 60 percent 

of all new jobs. (See chart 5.) Both groups include detailed occupations that are 

concentrated in the large and fast-growing health care and social assistance and 

professional and business services industries, such as registered nurses, home health 

aides, and computer software engineers 

These 2 major groups also represent the opposite ends of education and earnings ranges. 

Many occupations in the professional and related group pay wages above the median for 

all occupations and require higher levels of education or training, while many service 

occupations pay lower wages and require less education or training. 

Two occupational groups are expected to decline over the long term, continuing their past 

trends. Farming, forestry, and fishing occupations are projected to decline by 3 percent, 

losing 29,000 jobs, and production occupations are projected to decline by 5 percent, 

losing over half a million jobs. Production occupations are concentrated in 

manufacturing, where strong productivity growth and rising import penetration will lower 

demand for workers. 

All other groups are expected grow at or below the 10 percent average rate of growth. 

Expected job gains in these groups range from 1.7 million for office and administrative 

support occupations to about 462,000 for transportation and material moving 

occupations. 

So far, I have mentioned only job growth. However, job openings arise not just when 

new jobs are added to the economy, but also when existing jobs become permanently 

vacant, such as when workers retire. This second source, known as replacement needs, is 
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expected to generate 33.4 million job openings, or more than twice as many openings as 

job growth alone. 

For this reason, examining job openings information, instead of focusing primarily on 

fast growth, provides a more complete picture of expected job opportunities and the 

extent of training that must be provided to prepare workers to fill these jobs. 

As the baby boom generation ages, retirements will create many replacement openings. 

Replacement needs also are strong in occupations—such as waiters and waitresses—that 

employ large numbers of young workers who usually work in such occupations 

temporarily before leaving for more permanent employment elsewhere. 

Large occupations are likely to be the source of large numbers of job openings regardless 

of whether they are growing rapidly. Some occupations that are not growing, or are even 

declining, can generate significant numbers of openings because of replacement needs. 

On the other hand, many rapidly-growing occupations are small in employment and, 

therefore, will add relatively few openings. 

When the two sources for job openings—growth and replacements—are added together, 

a different picture emerges than given by expected job growth. Service occupations, 

where replacement needs are high, top the list, and are expected to generate more than 12 

million total job openings. Although professional and related occupations are expected to 

add more new jobs than service occupations, replacement needs are lower. This group is 

expected to generate 11 million job openings. (See chart 6.) 

Detailed occupations. To examine detailed occupations, I will refer to 2 tables. Table 1 

lists the 30 occupations expected to be the fastest-growing and also have wages above the 

median. Table 2 lists the 30 occupations expected to have the most job openings and also 

have wages above the median. 
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Many of the fastest-growing higher wage occupations are related to information 

technology and health care. Of the 30 occupations listed in Table 1, six are computerrelated, including network systems and data communication analysts (53 percent growth 

and $64,6002

); computer software engineers, applications (45 percent and $79,780); and 

computer systems analysts (29 percent and $69,760). Demand for computer occupations 

is driven by organizations’ need to adopt and integrate increasingly sophisticated and 

complex technologies, and to address computer network security issues. 

Eight health-related occupations fall into the top 30 list of fastest growth, higher wage 

occupations, and include physical therapist assistants (32 percent and $41,360), dental 

hygienists (30 percent and $62,800), and mental health counselors (30 percent and 

$34,380). I will discuss health occupations in more detail later. 

Every occupation listed in Table 1 has at least some postsecondary education as its most 

significant source of education or training. For most, a bachelor’s degree or higher is 

typically required. 

As I noted earlier, fast-growing occupations do not necessarily generate large numbers of 

job openings, including replacement needs as well as new jobs. Occupations that were 

relatively large in 2006 will have many openings, despite their sometimes slower growth. 

Table 2 indicates that several education, health-related, and computer-related occupations 

are among those with the most job openings and that pay relatively well. 

Unlike many of the fastest growing occupations, some level of education or training 

below the bachelor’s level is sufficient for many occupations in Table 2, including truck 

drivers (moderate-term on-the-job training) and bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing 

clerks (moderate-term on-the-job training). 

 

2

 All wages are 2006 median annual wages from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics program. 

The median wage for all occupations was $30,400 in 2006. 
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Education and training requirements. In addition to information on job growth, job 

openings, and wages, it is important to be aware of the education and training 

requirements for in-demand occupations. To provide this information, we classify 

occupations by the most significant source of education or training required for entry. 

The education and training categories range from short-term on-the-job training to a 

graduate degree. 

Occupations falling in the categories generally requiring a postsecondary award or degree 

are projected to have faster than average growth between 2006 and 2016. However, the 

largest number of new jobs—4.6 million—is expected in occupations in the short-term 

on-the-job training category. Many of these are service occupations, such as retail 

salespersons, home health aides, janitors and cleaners, waiters and waitresses, child care 

workers, and landscaping and groundskeeping workers. An additional 3.1 million new 

jobs are expected to require a bachelor’s degree, many of which are professional and 

related, such as computer software engineers, applications; accountants and auditors; and 

elementary school teachers. (See chart 7.) 

Healthcare occupations. Increasing demand for healthcare services will generate 

significant employment growth throughout the healthcare sector. The primary driver of 

this growth is an aging population. The number of people in older age groups, with 

substantially more health care needs than younger cohorts, will grow faster than the total 

population over the next decade. Advances in medical technology will continue to 

improve the survival rate of severely ill and injured patients, who will then need 

extensive therapy and care. At the same time, cost-containment policies will generate 

faster-than-average growth in demand for healthcare workers who assist health care 

practitioners and have lower training requirements. 

In presenting healthcare occupations, we look at two groups: health care practitioners 

and technical occupations, which are found in the professional and related major group, 

and healthcare support occupations, which are found in the service occupations major 

group. 
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Health care practitioners and technical occupations accounted for 7.2 million jobs in 2006 

and are projected to add 1.4 million new jobs over the decade and generate 279,000 job 

openings annually. (See table 3.) Technological advances in medicine will lead to 

increased demand for more medical procedures and the workers who perform them. 

Physicians and surgeons are projected to add about 90,000 jobs. Registered nurses, 

already the largest healthcare occupation with 2.5 million jobs in 2006, is projected to 

add about 587,000 new jobs. Strong employment growth is projected for many 

healthcare technicians and assistants as these workers become more productive and 

perform more medical procedures that have been typically performed by healthcare 

practitioners. For example, physician assistants are projected to add about 18,000 jobs, 

while physical therapists are projected to add about 47,000 jobs. 

Healthcare support occupations accounted for 3.7 million jobs in 2006 and are projected 

to add 1 million jobs over the 2006-2016 decade. (See table 3). The broad occupation of 

nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides, accounting for 2.3 million jobs in 2006, is 

expected to add 647,000 jobs through 2016 as demand increases for these lower-cost 

workers. Home health aides, in particular, are projected to experience much faster than 

average employment growth. An emphasis on less costly home care and outpatient 

treatment of the elderly population, as opposed to expensive institutional care, will lead 

to a growing number of aides who provide in-home health care. In addition, patients of 

all ages are being sent home from hospitals and nursing facilities more quickly, and they 

often require continued health care at home. Other large and fast growing healthcare 

support occupations include medical assistants, projected to increase 35 percent between 

2006 and 2016, and dental assistants, projected to increase 29 percent. 

Measuring green jobs. Any time there are emerging industries or occupations, there is a 

growing need by households, businesses, and policy-makers to understand and evaluate 

the levels and types of jobs created. This often requires us to adapt and/or expand our 

programs and generates some measurement challenges. 
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BLS produces comprehensive employment and wage data for 670 industries and over 800 

occupations following the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) and 

the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, respectively. While we can 

identify some of the industries and occupations that are likely to have green jobs, most 

green activities either cut across industries and occupations or account for a subset of 

activity within an individual industry and occupational category. 

For example, retrofitting buildings to increase energy efficiency currently falls within the 

construction industry, but likely supports only a small fraction of the current 6.6 million 

construction jobs in the U.S. There are, of course, a few industries where this problem 

does not exist. For example, the production of renewable electric power exactly matches 

the hydroelectric and other electric power generation industries3

 in the current NAICS. 

Accurately measuring employment in green industries and in green occupations will 

therefore require additional research and data collection to supplement our existing 

information on industries and occupations. We are developing approaches that include 

surveying establishments in industries where green activity is expected to occur to 

identify both the extent they are performing green activities and the occupations of the 

employees who are doing such work. 

An additional challenge for us will come from the number of alternative definitions of 

what constitutes green activity. For example, the White House Task Force on the Middle 

Class defined green activity quite broadly as anything dealing with some aspect of 

environmental improvement. They concluded that “definitions of green jobs are so broad 

at this point in time, it is impossible to generate a reliable count of how many green jobs 

there are in America today.”4

 There will likely always be some alternative definitions of 

green jobs since many are driven by specific policy initiatives. For example, the Green 

Jobs title of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (co-sponsored by 

 

3

 NAICS industries 221111 and 221119 employed 68,000 workers in the second quarter of 2008. 

4

 Middle Class Task Force, The Vice President of the United States, “Green Jobs: A Pathway to a Strong 

Middle Class,” February 28, 2009, page 2. 
10

Secretary of Labor Solis during her time in Congress) focuses on a number of energy 

efficiency and renewable energy industries. 

BLS welcomes the opportunity to help inform the discussion on green jobs. We are 

learning more about the questions being asked and about green technology so we can 

fashion a useful and measurable definition – or perhaps multiple definitions. 
11

Table 1. Detailed occupations with the fastest job growth and above-the-median wages, 2006 and projected 2016, 

ranked by percent change 

 (Numbers in thousands) 

Employment 

Detailed occupation title Major occupational 

group 2006 2016 Percent 

change 

2006 

Median 

annual 

wages 

Most significant 

source of 

postsecondary 

education or training 

Network systems and data 

communications analysts Professional and related 262 402 53.4 $64,600 Bachelor's degree 

Computer software engineers, 

applications Professional and related 507 733 44.6 79,780 Bachelor's degree 

Personal financial advisors Management, business, 

and financial 176 248 41.0 66,120 Bachelor's degree 

Makeup artists, theatrical and 

performance Service 2 3 39.8 31,820 Postsecondary 

vocational award 

Veterinarians Professional and related 62 84 35.0 71,990 First professional 

degree 

Substance abuse and behavioral 

disorder counselors Professional and related 83 112 34.3 34,040 Bachelor's degree 

Financial analysts Management, business, 

and financial 221 295 33.8 66,590 Bachelor's degree 

Physical therapist assistants Service 60 80 32.4 41,360 Associate degree 

Forensic science technicians Professional and related 13 17 30.7 45,330 Bachelor's degree 

Dental hygienists Professional and related 167 217 30.1 62,800 Associate degree 

Mental health counselors Professional and related 100 130 30.0 34,380 Master's degree 

Mental health and substance abuse 

social workers Professional and related 122 159 29.9 35,410 Master's degree 

Marriage and family therapists Professional and related 25 32 29.8 43,210 Master's degree 

Computer systems analysts Professional and related 504 650 29.0 69,760 Bachelor's degree 

Database administrators Professional and related 119 154 28.6 64,670 Bachelor's degree 

Computer software engineers, systems 

software Professional and related 350 449 28.2 85,370 Bachelor's degree 

Environmental science and protection 

technicians, including health Professional and related 36 47 28.0 38,090 Associate degree 

Physical therapists Professional and related 173 220 27.1 66,200 Master's degree 

Network and computer systems 

administrators Professional and related 309 393 27.0 62,130 Bachelor's degree 

Physician assistants Professional and related 66 83 27.0 74,980 Master's degree 

Health educators Professional and related 62 78 26.2 41,330 Bachelor's degree 

Multi-media artists and animators Professional and related 87 110 25.8 51,350 Bachelor's degree 

Cardiovascular technologists and 

technicians Professional and related 45 57 25.5 42,300 Associate degree 

Environmental engineers Professional and related 54 68 25.4 69,940 Bachelor's degree 

Occupational therapist assistants Service 25 31 25.4 42,060 Associate degree 

Environmental scientists and 

specialists, including health Professional and related 83 104 25.1 56,100 Master's degree 

Securities, commodities, and financial 

services sales agents Sales and related 320 399 24.8 68,500 Bachelor's degree 

Radiation therapists Professional and related 15 18 24.8 66,170 Associate degree 

Environmental engineering technicians Professional and related 21 26 24.8 40,560 Associate degree 

Social and community service 

managers 

Management, business, 

and financial 130 162 24.7 52,070 Bachelor's degree 
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Table 2. Occupations with the most job openings and above-the-median wages, 2006 and projected 2016, ranked by 

numeric change

(Numbers in thousands) 

Employment 

Detailed occupation title Major occupational 

group 2006 2016 Percent 

change 

Annual 

average job 

openings, 

2006-16 

(1)

2006 

Median 

annual 

wages 

Most significant 

source of 

postsecondary 

education or 

training 

Registered nurses Professional and related 2,505 3,092 23.5 100 $57,280 Associate 

degree 

Postsecondary teachers Professional and related 1,672 2,054 22.9 66 56,120 Doctoral degree 

Bookkeeping, accounting, and 

auditing clerks 

Office and administrative 

support 2,114 2,377 12.5 59 30,560 

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training 

Elementary school teachers, 

except special education Professional and related 1,540 1,749 13.6 55 45,570 Bachelor's 

degree 

Truck drivers, heavy and tractortrailer Transportation and 

material moving 1,860 2,053 10.4 52 35,040 

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training 

Executive secretaries and 

administrative assistants 

Office and administrative 

support 1,618 1,857 14.8 50 37,240 

Work experience 

in a related 

occupation 

Sales representatives, wholesale 

and manufacturing, except 

technical and scientific products 

Sales and related 1,562 1,693 8.4 48 49,610 

Work experience 

in a related 

occupation 

Accountants and auditors Management, business, 

and financial 1,274 1,500 17.7 45 54,630 Bachelor's 

degree 

General and operations managers Management, business, 

and financial 1,720 1,746 1.5 44 85,230 

Bachelor's or 

higher degree, 

plus work 

experience 

First-line supervisors/managers of 

retail sales workers Sales and related 1,676 1,747 4.2 42 33,960 

Work experience 

in a related 

occupation 

Secondary school teachers, 

except special and vocational 

education 

Professional and related 1,038 1,096 5.6 37 47,740 Bachelor's 

degree 

First-line supervisors/managers of 

office and administrative support 

workers 

Office and administrative 

support 1,418 1,500 5.8 37 43,510 

Work experience 

in a related 

occupation 

Carpenters Construction and 

extraction 1,462 1,612 10.3 35 36,550 Long-term onthe-job training 

Licensed practical and licensed 

vocational nurses Professional and related 749 854 14.0 31 36,550 Postsecondary 

vocational award 

Computer software engineers, 

applications Professional and related 507 733 44.6 30 79,780 Bachelor's 

degree 

Computer systems analysts Professional and related 504 650 29.0 28 69,760 Bachelor's 

degree 

Automotive service technicians 

and mechanics 

Installation, 

maintenance, and repair 773 883 14.3 27 33,780 Postsecondary 

vocational award 

Management analysts Management, business, 

and financial 678 827 21.9 26 68,050 

Bachelor's or 

higher degree, 

plus work 

experience 

Police and sheriff's patrol officers Service 648 719 10.8 24 47,460 Long-term onthe-job training 

Computer support specialists Professional and related 552 624 12.9 24 41,470 Associate 

degree 

Lawyers Professional and related 761 844 11.0 23 102,470 First professional 

degree 
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Table 2. Occupations with the most job openings and above-the-median wages, 2006 and projected 2016, ranked by 

numeric change

(Numbers in thousands) 

Employment 

Detailed occupation title Major occupational 

group 2006 2016 Percent 

change 

Annual 

average job 

openings, 

2006-16 

(1)

2006 

Median 

annual 

wages 

Most significant 

source of 

postsecondary 

education or 

training 

Electricians Construction and 

extraction 705 757 7.4 23 43,610 Long-term onthe-job training 

Middle school teachers, except 

special and vocational education Professional and related 658 732 11.2 22 46,300 Bachelor's 

degree 

Physicians and surgeons Professional and related 633 723 14.2 20 (2) First professional 

degree 

Network systems and data 

communications analysts Professional and related 262 402 53.4 19 64,600 Bachelor's 

degree 

First-line supervisors/managers of 

construction trades and extraction 

workers 

Construction and 

extraction 772 842 9.1 18 53,850 

Work experience 

in a related 

occupation 

Correctional officers and jailers Service 442 516 16.9 18 35,760 

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training 

Maintenance and repair workers, 

general 

Installation, 

maintenance, and repair 1,391 1,531 10.1 17 31,910 

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training 

Securities, commodities, and 

financial services sales agents Sales and related 320 399 24.8 16 68,500 Bachelor's 

degree 

Plumbers, pipefitters, and 

steamfitters 

Construction and 

extraction 502 555 10.6 16 42,770 Long-term onthe-job training 

Notes: (1) Annual average job openings due to both growth and net replacement needs. 

 (2) Wage is equal to or greater than $145,600 per year. 
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Table 3. Healthcare practitioner and technical and healthcare support occupations: projected employment growth, 

2006-16, 2006 wages, and education and training category (Numbers in thousands) 

Employment 

Occupation title 2006 2016 Percent 

change 

Annual 

average 

job 

openings, 

2006-16 

(1) 

2006 

Median 

annual 

wages 

Most significant source of 

postsecondary education 

or training 

Healthcare practitioner and technical 

occupations 7,198 8,620 19.8 279 $51,980 ____ 

Chiropractors 53 60 14.4 1 65,220 First professional degree 

Dentists, general 136 149 9.2 4 132,140 First professional degree 

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons 8 8 9.1 0 (2) First professional degree 

Orthodontists 9 10 9.2 0 (2) First professional degree 

Prosthodontists 1 1 10.7 0 (2) First professional degree 

Dentists, all other specialists 7 7 6.8 0 91,200 First professional degree 

Dietitians and nutritionists 57 62 8.6 2 46,980 Bachelor's degree 

Optometrists 33 36 11.3 1 91,040 First professional degree 

Pharmacists 243 296 21.7 10 94,520 First professional degree 

Physicians and surgeons 633 723 14.2 20 (2) First professional degree 

Physician assistants 66 83 27.0 3 74,980 Master's degree 

Podiatrists 12 13 9.5 1 108,220 First professional degree 

Registered nurses 2,505 3,092 23.5 100 57,280 Associate degree 

Audiologists 12 13 9.8 0 57,120 First professional degree 

Occupational therapists 99 122 23.1 4 60,470 Master's degree 

Physical therapists 173 220 27.1 7 66,200 Master's degree 

Radiation therapists 15 18 24.8 1 66,170 Associate degree 

Recreational therapists 25 26 3.7 0 34,990 Bachelor's degree 

Respiratory therapists 102 126 22.6 4 47,420 Associate degree 

Speech-language pathologists 110 121 10.6 3 57,710 Master's degree 

Therapists, all other 35 38 10.0 1 42,250 Bachelor's degree 

Veterinarians 62 84 35.0 3 71,990 First professional degree 

Health diagnosing and treating practitioners, all 

other 65 73 11.8 2 61,570 Bachelor's degree 

Medical and clinical laboratory technologists 167 188 12.4 5 49,700 Bachelor's degree 

Medical and clinical laboratory technicians 151 174 15.0 5 32,840 Associate degree 

Dental hygienists 167 217 30.1 8 62,800 Associate degree 

Cardiovascular technologists and technicians 45 57 25.5 2 42,300 Associate degree 

Diagnostic medical sonographers 46 54 19.1 1 57,160 Associate degree 

Nuclear medicine technologists 20 23 14.8 1 62,300 Associate degree 

Radiologic technologists and technicians 196 226 15.1 6 48,170 Associate degree 

Emergency medical technicians and paramedics 201 240 19.2 6 27,070 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Dietetic technicians 25 29 14.8 1 24,040 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Pharmacy technicians 285 376 32.0 18 25,630 Moderate-term on-the-job 

training 

Psychiatric technicians 62 60 -3.3 2 27,780 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Respiratory therapy technicians 19 19 0.9 1 39,120 Associate degree 

Surgical technologists 86 107 24.5 5 36,080 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Veterinary technologists and technicians 71 100 41.0 5 26,780 Associate degree 
15

Table 3. Healthcare practitioner and technical and healthcare support occupations: projected employment growth, 

2006-16, 2006 wages, and education and training category (Numbers in thousands) 

Employment 

Occupation title 2006 2016 Percent 

change 

Annual 

average 

job 

openings, 

2006-16 

(1) 

2006 

Median 

annual 

wages 

Most significant source of 

postsecondary education 

or training 

Licensed practical and licensed vocational 

nurses 749 854 14.0 31 36,550 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Medical records and health information 

technicians 170 200 17.8 8 28,030 Associate degree 

Opticians, dispensing 66 72 8.7 3 30,300 Long-term on-the-job 

training 

Orthotists and prosthetists 6 6 11.8 0 58,980 Bachelor's degree 

Healthcare technologists and technicians, all 

other 79 91 15.0 2 35,140 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Occupational health and safety specialists 45 49 8.1 1 58,030 Bachelor's degree 

Occupational health and safety technicians 10 12 14.6 0 42,160 Bachelor's degree 

Athletic trainers 17 21 24.3 1 $36,560 Bachelor's degree 

Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, 

all other 53 61 14.8 2 37,200 Bachelor's degree 

Healthcare support occupations 3,723 4,721 26.8 140 22,870 __ 

Home health aides 787 1,171 48.7 45 19,420 Short-term on-the-job 

training 

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants 1,447 1,711 18.2 39 22,180 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Psychiatric aides 62 62 -0.1 1 23,900 Short-term on-the-job 

training 

Occupational therapist assistants 25 31 25.4 1 42,060 Associate degree 

Occupational therapist aides 8 10 21.9 0 25,020 Short-term on-the-job 

training 

Physical therapist assistants 60 80 32.4 3 41,360 Associate degree 

Physical therapist aides 46 58 24.4 2 22,060 Short-term on-the-job 

training 

Massage therapists 118 142 20.3 4 33,400 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Dental assistants 280 362 29.2 13 30,220 Moderate-term on-the-job 

training 

Medical assistants 417 565 35.4 20 26,290 Moderate-term on-the-job 

training 

Medical equipment preparers 45 52 14.2 1 25,950 Short-term on-the-job 

training 

Medical transcriptionists 98 112 13.5 3 29,950 Postsecondary vocational 

award 

Pharmacy aides 50 45 -11.1 1 19,440 Short-term on-the-job 

training 

Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal 

caretakers 75 86 15.7 2 19,960 Short-term on-the-job training 
16

Table 3. Healthcare practitioner and technical and healthcare support occupations: projected employment growth, 

2006-16, 2006 wages, and education and training category (Numbers in thousands) 

Employment 

Occupation title 2006 2016 Percent 

change 

Annual 

average 

job 

openings, 

2006-16 

(1) 

2006 

Median 

annual 

wages 

Most significant source of 

postsecondary education 

or training 

Healthcare support workers, all other 204 236 15.6 6 26,990 Short-term on-the-job 

training 

Notes: (1) Annual average job openings due to both growth and net replacement needs. 

 (2) Wage is equal to or greater than $145,600 per year. 
17

1

-1.1

0.7

0.7

1.0

1.1

1.3

1.3

1.4

1.9

2.1

2.4

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.4

0.7

 Health care and social assistance

 Professional and business services

 Educational services

 Financial activities

 Leisure and hospitality

 Other services

 Transportation and warehousing

 Construction

 State and local government

 Wholesale trade

 Information

 Retail trade

 Mining

 Federal Government

 Utilities

 Manufacturing

Chart 1. Growth rate for wage and salary 

employment by industry sector

Annual rate (percent), projected 2006-16

Service-providing

Goods-producing

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

2

Chart 2. Net (numeric) change in wage and 

salary employment by industry sector

609

687

781

843

1,207

1,434

1,873

4,034

4,092

496

429

-10

212

-103

-31

-1,503

Professional and business services

Health care and social assistance

Leisure and hospitality

State and local government

Financial activities

Other services 

Construction

Retail trade

Educational services, private

Transportation and warehousing

Wholesale trade

Information

Mining

Utilities

Federal government

Manufacturing

Thousands of jobs, projected 2006-16

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Service-providing

Goods-producing
18

3

Chart 3. Employment by major occupational 

group

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Millions of jobs, 2006

30

29

24

16

15

11

10

8

6

Farming, fishing, and forestry 1

Installation, maintenance, and repair 

Construction and extraction

Transportation and material moving

Production

Management, business, and financial

Sales and related

Office and administrative support

Service

Professional and related

4

17

-5

-3

5

7

8

9

9

10

17

Production

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Transportation and material moving

Office and administrative support

Sales and related

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Construction and extraction

Management, business, and financial

Service

Professional and related

4

Chart 4. Percent change in employment by 

major occupational group

Percent change, projected 2006-16

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Average, all occupations=10%
19

6

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Construction and extraction

Production

Transportation and material moving 

Management, business, and financial

Sales and related

Office and administrative support

Professional and related

Service

From growth

From replacement needs

Chart 6. Job openings by major occupational 

group

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Millions of jobs, projected 2006-16

12,218

251

1,502

2,249

2,323

2,952

4,575

6,171

7,424

11,067

5

Chart 5. Numeric change in employment 

by major occupational group

Thousands of jobs, projected 2006-16

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

4,830

1,745

1,596

1,218

785

550

462

-29

-528

4,970

Production

Farm ing, fishing, and forestry

Transportation and m aterial m oving

Installation, m aintenance, and repair

Construction and extraction

Sales and related

Managem ent, business, and financial

Office and adm inistrative support

Service

Professional and related
20

7

Chart 7. Numeric growth in employment 

by education or training category

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Thousands of jobs, projected 2006-16

4,613

2,018

711

1,310

1,072

1,087

3,074

592

1,122

Short-term on-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Long-term on-the-job training

Work experience in related occupation

Postsecondary vocational award

Associate degree

Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree or higher, plus work

experience

Graduate degree