In terms of percentage growth, desktop publishing is expected to be the top growth field, with 114 percent more such specialists needed five years from now than there were five years ago. Percentage growth ignores the fact that some increases may be quite small in terms of actual number of jobs, so it's wise to also look at predictions for job growth in raw numbers. Forecasts for the average annual number of job openings over the 1996-2006 period also put retail sales in the No. 1 spot. In the Kansas City area, an estimated 1,470 retail sales openings occur per year. So, though there's a good chance jobs will be available is those fields, they aren't necessarily high-paying hot jobs.
Users can enter job titles, industries and geographic areas to obtain current wage ranges.
Many other compensation consulting companies and staffing service firms publish national salary reports and guides. Professional associations and industry groups also are possible sources for pay information. It's a bit harder to find salary forecasts. If the 1990s offer any clue to compensation patterns over the next five years, then adding in a annual average raise of 4 percent offers a reasonable estimate of future earnings. Throughout the past decade, salary increases stayed modestly ahead of the annual inflation rate.