Careers: Life after School...

College seniors are closing in on their four-year journey. Most have begun preparing for their next move(s) requires putting a plan in motion. If you need help in getting started, building a track record, and career planning, CPAP has the tools to assist you to make the process! 
Experts came up with a list of the top 15 in-demand jobs in 2021 and it will surprise you what job demands are at the top. 

Bachelor's Degree: Where are the Best Jobs Opportunities?

Hiring growth: 73% year-over-year.
Over 400,000 jobs are available.
Top Job Titles: Driver, Supply Chain Associate, Package Handler, Personal Shopper
Skills: Time Management, Customer Service, Leadership
Education: 75% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Hiring growth: nearly 59% from 2019
Top job titles: Underwriter, Mortgage Loan Officer, Escrow Officer, Loan Closer
Skills: Risk Management, Customer Service, Credit Analysis
Education: 86% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Hiring growth: 34% since 2019
Top job titles: Health Care Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, Home Health Aide
Skills: Patient Education, Data Entry, Physician Relations
Education: 83% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Hiring growth: 45% between 2020 and 2019.
Top job titles: Sales Consultant, Sales Operations Assistant, Inbound Sales Specialist, Strategic Advisor
Skills: Customer Retention, Sales Process, Team Building
Education: 92% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Hiring growth: more than 90% since 2019
Top job titles: Diversity Manager, Diversity Officer, Head of Diversity, Diversity Coordinator
Skills: Community Outreach, Teaching, Organizational Development
Education: 99% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Hiring growth: nearly 33% year-over-year
Top job titles: Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, Marketing Representative, Search Engine Optimization Specialist
Skills: Product Marketing, Digital Strategy, Brand Management.
Education: 94% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Hiring growth: nearly 30% year-over-year in 2020
Top job titles: Registered Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Intensive Care Nurse
Skills: Patient Advocacy, Clinical Research, Time Management
Education: 89% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

15 Top Jobs with a Degree

1. Frontline Ecommerce Worker
Hiring growth
: 73% year-over-year.
Over 400,000 jobs are available.
Top Job Titles: Driver, Supply Chain Associate, Package Handler, Personal Shopper
Skills: Time Management, Customer Service, Leadership
Education: 75% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

2. Loan and Mortgage Experts
Hiring growth:
nearly 59% from 2019
Top job titles: Underwriter, Mortgage Loan Officer, Escrow Officer, Loan Closer
Skills: Risk Management, Customer Service, Credit Analysis
Education: 86% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

3. Health Care Supporting Staff
Hiring growth:
34% since 2019
Top job titles: Health Care Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, Home Health Aide
Skills: Patient Education, Data Entry, Physician Relations
Education: 83% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

4. Business Development and Sales Professionals
Hiring growth:
45% between 2020 and 2019.
Top job titles: Sales Consultant, Sales Operations Assistant, Inbound Sales Specialist, Strategic Advisor
Skills: Customer Retention, Sales Process, Team Building
Education: 92% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher5.

5. Experts in Workplace Diversity
Hiring growth: more than 90% since 2019
Top job titles: Diversity Manager, Diversity Officer, Head of Diversity, Diversity Coordinator
Skills: Community Outreach, Teaching, Organizational Development
Education: 99% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Digital Marketing Professionals
Hiring growth: nearly 33% year-over-year
Top job titles: Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, Marketing Representative, Search Engine Optimization Specialist
Skills: Product Marketing, Digital Strategy, Brand Management
Education: 94% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

7. Nurses
Hiring growth: nearly 30% year-over-year in 2020
Top job titles: Registered Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Intensive Care Nurse
Skills: Patient Advocacy, Clinical Research, Time Management
Education: 89% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

8. Education Professionals
Hiring growth: more than 20% between 2019 and 2020
Top job titles: Teaching Assistant, Elementary School Teacher, Mathematics Tutor, Curriculum Developer
Skills: Lesson Planning, Time Management, Differentiated Instruction
Education: 97% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

9. Digital Content Creators
Hiring growth: grew 49% year-over-year
Top job titles: Content Coordinator, Writing Consultant, Podcaster, Blogger
Skills: Video Editing, Creative Writing, Public Speaking
Education: 92% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

10. Professional and Personal Coaches
Hiring growth: more than 51% since 2019
Top job titles: Career Coordinator, Life Coach, Fitness Coach, Business Coach
Skills: Mentoring, Social Media, Entrepreneurship
Education: 92% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

11. Specialized Engineers
Hiring growth: nearly 25% between 2019 and 2020
Top job titles: Web Developer, Full Stack Engineer, Frontend Developer, Game Developer
Skills: Program Management, Web Development, Distributed Systems
Education: 93% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

12. Mental Health Specialists
Hiring growth: nearly 24% year-over-year
Top job titles: Behavior Therapist, Mental Health Specialist, Psychotherapist, Mental Health Technician
Skills: Play Therapy, Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Education: 97% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

13. User Experience (UX) Professionals
Hiring growth: 20% between 2019 and 2020
Top job titles: User Experience Designer, Product Design Consultant, User Interface Designer, User Experience Researcher
Skills: Web Design, Design Thinking, User Experience Testing
Education: 97% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

14. Data Science Specialists
Hiring growth: nearly 46% since 2019
Top job titles: Data Scientist, Data Science Specialist, Data Management Analyst
Skills: TensorFlow, Statistical Modeling, Data Visualization
Education: 98% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

15. Artificial Intelligence Practitioners
Hiring growth: 32% between 2019 and 2020
Top job title: Machine Learning Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Specialist, Machine Learning Researcher
Skills: C++, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Python (Programming Language)
Education: 99% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

High Earnings with Associate Degrees

For those who balance work and study and sometimes family, associate degrees have been a blessing as well as profitable. Two-year community colleges offer degrees and certifications that are in high demand in the workforce. 

Salary: $124,540

Job Outlook: 3%

Number of Jobs: 24,900

Salary: $82,240

Job Outlook: -8%

Number of Jobs: 294,900

Salary: $80,570

Job Outlook: 13%

Number of Jobs: 19,100

Salary: $80,370

Job Outlook: 1%

Number of Jobs: 6,900

Salary: $75,660

Job Outlook: 10%

Number of Jobs: 20,100

Salary: $74,070

Job Outlook: 20%

Number of Jobs: 207,900

Salary: $70,000

Job Outlook: 15%

Number of Jobs: 2,955,200

High Earnings with Associate Degrees

Air Traffic Controller
Salary: $124,540
Job Outlook: 3%
Number of Jobs: 24,900

Computer Programmer
Salary: $82,240
Job Outlook: -8%
Number of Jobs: 294,900

Radiation Therapist
Salary: $80,570
Job Outlook: 13%
Number of Jobs: 19,100

Nuclear Technician
Salary: $80,370
Job Outlook: 1%
Number of Jobs: 6,900

Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Salary: $75,660
Job Outlook: 10%
Number of Jobs: 20,100

Dental Hygienist
Salary: $74,070
Job Outlook: 20%
Number of Jobs: 207,900

Registered Nurse
Salary: $70,000
Job Outlook: 15%
Number of Jobs: 2,955,200

Web Developer
Salary: $67,990
Job Outlook: 15%
Number of Jobs: 162,900

Aerospace Engineering Technician
Salary: $67,240
Job Outlook: 7%
Number of Jobs: 12,100

Medical Sonographer
Salary: $65,620
Job Outlook: 17%
Number of Jobs: 122,300

Electronic Engineering Technician
Salary: $63,660
Job Outlook: 2%
Number of Jobs: 137,000

Police Officer
Salary: $62,690
Job Outlook: 7%
Number of Jobs: 807,000

Avionics Technician
Salary: $61,270
Job Outlook: 5%
Number of Jobs: 149,500

Radiologic & MRI Technologist
Salary: $60,070
Job Outlook: 13%
Number of Jobs: 241,700

Respiratory Therapist
Salary: $59,710
Job Outlook: 23%
Number of Jobs: 130,200

Electro-Mechanical Technician
Salary: $56,740
Job Outlook: 4%
Number of Jobs: 13,800

Occupational Assistant
Salary: $56,690
Job Outlook: 28%
Number of Jobs: 46,800

Mechanical Engineering Technicians
Salary: $55,360
Job Outlook: 5%
Number of Jobs: 46,100

Telecom Installer
Salary: $53,880
Job Outlook: -8%
Number of Jobs: 237,600

Funeral Service Worker
Salary: $53,550
Job Outlook: 5%
Number of Jobs: 54,400

Drafter
Salary: $53,480
Job Outlook: 7%
Number of Jobs: 207,700

Computer Network Specialist
Salary: $52,160
Job Outlook: 10%
Number of Jobs: 835,300

Paralegal
Salary: $49,500
Job Outlook: 15%
Number of Jobs: 285,600

HVAC Installer
Salary: $45,910
Job Outlook: 15%
Number of Jobs: 332,900

Highest-Paying Trade Careers

If you like working with your hands (and brains!) you can enjoy the benefits of making a great salary doing something you love. Most jobs in these fields require vocational schooling or training. CPAP can help you choose a career that best fits you.

National average salary: $25.18 per hour

National average salary: $23.25 per hour

National average salary: $52,066 per year

National average salary: $24.58 per hour

National average salary: $24.83 per hour

National average salary: $54,862

National average salary: $27.18 per hour

National average salary: $35.13 per hour

Top Trade Jobs

1. Licensed Practical Nurse
National average salary: $25.18 per hour
Licensed practical nurses work under the direction of doctors and registered nurses.

2. HVAC Technician
National average salary: $23.25 per hour
HVAC technicians install, repair and maintain heating, ventilation, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems.

3. Home Inspector
National average salary: $52,066 per year
Home inspectors do a thorough inspection of the exterior and interior of a newly built or previously owned home to make sure it is safe to live in.

4. Plumber
National average salary: $24.58 per hour
Plumbers install and repair water and gas supply lines. They also install appliances that connect to water supply lines.

5. Electrician
National average salary: $24.83 per hour
Electricians install and maintain electrical systems in homes, businesses and factories

6. Landscape Designer
National average salary: $54,862
Landscape designers work on outdoor residential or garden design projects.

7. Boilermaker
National average salary: $27.18 per hour
Boilermakers assemble and install boilers, tanks and vats that contain liquids or gases, such as oil and other various chemicals.

8. Respiratory Therapist
National average salary: $35.13 per hour
Respiratory therapists work with patients who have difficulty breathing. They assess and treat dysfunction of the lungs and provide patient care for all ages.

9. Construction Manager
National average salary: $84,476 per year
Construction managers work with architects and engineers on residential, commercial or federal construction projects.

10. Dental Hygienist
National average salary: $38.10 per hour
Dental hygienists clean teeth and provide patients with preventative dental care.

11. Ultrasonographer
National average salary: $38.49 per hour
Ultrasonographers, also called diagnostic medical sonographers, perform diagnostic image testing on the body.

12. Radiation therapist
National average salary: $115,241 per year
Radiation therapists work as part of an oncology team to provide treatment to cancer patients.

CPAP puts a high volume of information at your fingertips!. Simply sign up and get all the help you need! Remember, it’s absolutely free to all students and athletes.   

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