Rather than comment further on the unwarranted euphoria over getting the words “fossil fuels” in the final COP28 statement, I’ll finish the week on a positive note. On Monday we’ll return to the massive flaws in the COP process, along with identifying a silver lining or two.
Any idea what the hottest job in America is? The clue is in the headline. If you didn’t correctly identify it, don’t’ feel bad. I wouldn’t have guessed it in a million years.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted what they believe will be the fastest growing occupations over the next 10 years. And yes, I realize this is a government entity that probably has no idea what’s really going to happen, but just go with the flow.
The second fastest growing job isn’t a surprise. It’s healthcare related - nurse practitioners. I was involved in the healthcare industry almost a decade ago and there was a shortage of nurses then that still exists today. The BLS believes nurse practitioner jobs will grow 44.5%. Healthcare also accounts for the sixth, seventh, eighth, nineth, and tenth fastest growing occupations.
Data holds the three through five positions. At 35.2% projected growth data scientists is the third hottest job followed by statisticians, and information security analysts.
But #1 is – drumroll please – at a predicted 44.9% growth rate – wind turbine service technicians.
Experienced technicians can earn around $80,000 and a college degree is not required. However, the job may require travel extensively, you will deal with extreme weather conditions, haul 50 pounds of gear up 300-foot ladders, and work in confined spaces.
Entry-level turbine techs earn from $21 to $27 an hour. That’s roughly $50k a year, but the work week is 50 hours. If you’re willing to travel and work overtime, you can expect to make another $30k or more.
Decades ago, becoming an electrician or plumber was a great career path for those that didn’t opt for a college degree. We are still in desperate need for more electricians to grow the solar sector, and now we can add wind turbine technicians to the list of good-paying opportunities for those that don’t wish to amass $200k of student debt.