In the occupational outlook handbook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a career resource with information about the majority of U. Learn more about the handbook and how to use it. The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a career guide developed and maintained by the U. It provides information on a wide range of occupations. For each profession, it describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, required training and education, earnings, and expected job prospects.

The BLS is an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U. Congress, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and business and labor.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is an excellent resource for job seekers and career changers. One way to start is to use the Occupational Outlook Handbook A—Z Index to browse a list of all the occupations included and then conduct in-depth research by reviewing the detailed descriptions of occupations that sound appealing. You can also look at clusters. The Occupational Outlook Handbook organizes information about occupations into 25 major groups.

Users can scan groups that seem related to their interests and find lists of specific jobs related to the group in order to investigate options. Occupational clusters in the Occupational Outlook Handbook include:. You can also browse information in the Occupational Outlook Handbook by:. The Occupation Finder allows you to filter a list of occupations in the handbook by combining any of five factors: median pay, level of education, whether on-the-job training is required, projected number of new jobs, and projected level of growth.

The site also has detailed descriptions of many jobs. For each occupation included, the handbook provides a helpful summary of the job with brief references to median pay, education required, work experience required, on-the-job training, number of jobs, job outlook, and projected changes in employment.

For example, the description of a Registered Nurse offers information about what nurses actually do on the job, including the specific types of tasks that are carried out. The work environment is detailed, including the types of employers where one might work and the stresses encountered on the job.

It also explains the process of how to become a registered nurse, including education, licenses, and important qualities to have. If you're looking at a job description that interests you but doesn't seem quite right, click on the "Similar Occupations" tab to see careers with similar duties.

Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Recreational therapists plan, direct, and coordinate recreation-based treatment programs for people with disabilities, injuries, or illnesses.

Respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing—for example, from a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or emphysema. Speech-language pathologists assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Veterinarians care for the health of animals and work to protect public health. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians collect samples and perform tests to analyze body fluids, tissue, and other substances.

Dental hygienists examine patients for signs of oral diseases, such as gingivitis, and provide preventive care, including oral hygiene. Diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians, including vascular technologists operate special imaging equipment to create images or to conduct tests. Nuclear medicine technologists prepare and administer radioactive drugs for imaging or treatment. Radiologic technologists perform diagnostic imaging examinations on patients.

Emergency medical technicians EMTs and paramedics respond to emergency calls, performing medical services and transporting patients to medical facilities. Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals.

Surgical technologists assist in surgical operations. Medical records and health information specialists organize, manage, and code health information data. Opticians help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, following prescriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists. Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians collect data on and analyze many types of work environments and work procedures. Athletic trainers specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating muscle and bone injuries and illnesses.

Home health and personal care aides monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and help them with daily living activities. Nursing assistants provide basic care and help patients with activities of daily living. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas. Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental illness and developmental disabilities. Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working.

Physical therapist assistants and aides work under the direction and supervision of physical therapists. Massage therapists treat clients by using touch to manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body. Dental assistants provide patient care, take x rays, keep records, and schedule appointments. Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in hospitals, offices of physicians, and other healthcare facilities. Medical transcriptionists listen to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports.

Firefighters control and put out fires and respond to emergencies involving life, property, or the environment. Correctional officers oversee those who have been arrested and are awaiting trial or who have been sentenced to serve time in jail or prison. Bailiffs are law enforcement officers who maintain safety and order in courtrooms.

Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes. Private detectives and investigators search for information about legal, financial, and personal matters. Security guards and gambling surveillance officers patrol and protect property from illegal activity.

Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. Cooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods.

Food preparation workers perform many routine tasks under the direction of cooks, chefs, or food service managers. Bartenders mix drinks and serve them directly to customers or through wait staff.

Food and beverage serving and related workers take and prepare orders, clear tables, and do other tasks associated with providing food and drink to customers.

Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments. Janitors and building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, orderly, and in good condition. Pest control workers remove unwanted pests that infest buildings and surrounding areas.

Grounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy. Animal care and service workers attend to or train animals. Gambling services workers serve customers in gambling establishments, such as casinos or racetracks. Barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists provide haircutting, hairstyling, and a range of other beauty services.

Manicurists and pedicurists clean, shape, and beautify fingernails and toenails. Flight attendants provide routine services and respond to emergencies to ensure the safety and comfort of airline passengers. Fitness trainers and instructors lead, instruct, and motivate individuals or groups in exercise activities. Recreation workers design and lead activities to help people stay active, improve fitness, and have fun. Cashiers process payments from customers purchasing goods and services.

Advertising sales agents sell advertising space to businesses and individuals. Insurance sales agents contact potential customers and sell one or more types of insurance. Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations.

Models pose for artists, photographers, and other clients to help advertise products. Real estate brokers and sales agents help clients buy, sell, and rent properties. Sales engineers sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses. Bill and account collectors try to recover payment on overdue bills. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks produce financial records for organizations and check financial records for accuracy.

Tellers are responsible for accurately processing routine transactions at a bank. Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and answer questions. Receptionists do tasks such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing information about their organization to the public.

Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers, also called public safety telecommunicators, answer emergency and nonemergency calls. Postal service workers sell postal products and collect, sort, and deliver mail. Secretaries and administrative assistants perform routine clerical and administrative duties. Desktop publishers use computer software to design page layouts for items that are printed or published online. Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend livestock. Fishing and hunting workers catch and trap various types of animal life.

Masonry workers use bricks, concrete and concrete blocks, and natural and manmade stones to build structures. Carpenters construct, repair, and install building frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials.

Flooring installers and tile and stone setters lay and finish carpet, wood, vinyl, tile, and other materials. Construction laborers and helpers perform many tasks that require physical labor on construction sites. Construction equipment operators drive, maneuver, or control the heavy machinery used to construct roads, buildings and other structures. Drywall and ceiling tile installers hang wallboard and install ceiling tile inside buildings.

Tapers prepare the wallboard for painting, using tape and other materials. Glaziers install glass in windows, skylights, and other fixtures in buildings. Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, large machinery and equipment, and bridges and other structures.

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair piping fixtures and systems. Roofers replace, repair, and install the roofs of buildings. Ironworkers install structural and reinforcing iron and steel to form and support buildings, bridges, and roads.

Construction and building inspectors ensure that construction meets building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications.

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers install, maintain, and fix elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other lifts. Hazardous materials removal workers identify and dispose of harmful substances such as asbestos, lead, and radioactive waste. Automotive body and glass repairers restore, refinish, and replace vehicle bodies and frames, windshields, and window glass.

Automotive service technicians and mechanics inspect, maintain, and repair cars and light trucks. Diesel service technicians and mechanics inspect, repair, and overhaul buses, trucks, or any vehicle with a diesel engine. Small engine mechanics inspect, service, and repair motorized power equipment. General maintenance and repair workers fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. Line installers and repairers install or repair electrical power systems and telecommunications cables, including fiber optics.

Medical equipment repairers install, maintain, and repair patient care equipment. Assemblers and fabricators build finished products and the parts that go into them. Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes in order to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods.

Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate machines that cut, shape, and form metal and plastic materials or pieces. Machinists and tool and die makers set up and operate machine tools to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools.

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair, or cut metal parts and products view profile ». Woodworkers manufacture a variety of products such as cabinets and furniture, using wood, veneers, and laminates.

Stationary engineers and boiler operators control stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment. Quality control inspectors examine products and materials for defects or deviations from specifications. Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers design, construct, adjust, repair, appraise and sell jewelry. Dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians construct, fit, or repair medical appliances and devices.

Airline and commercial pilots fly and navigate airplanes, helicopters, and other aircraft. Air traffic controllers coordinate the movement of aircraft to maintain safe distances between them. Passenger vehicle drivers operate buses, taxis, and other modes of transportation to take people from place to place.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Railroad workers ensure that passenger and freight trains operate safely. They may drive trains, coordinate the activities of the trains, or control signals and switches in the rail yard.

Water transportation workers operate and maintain vessels that take cargo and people over water. Material moving machine operators use equipment to transport objects.

Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations. Purchasing managers oversee the work of buyers and purchasing agents. Agricultural engineers solve problems concerning power supplies, machine efficiency, the use of structures and facilities, pollution and environmental issues, and the storage and processing of agricultural products. Health and safety engineers combine knowledge of engineering and of health and safety to develop procedures and design systems to protect people from illness and injury and property from damage.

Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians run and maintain equipment used to develop, test, produce, and sustain aircraft and spacecraft. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians help engineers design and develop equipment that is powered by electricity or electric current.

Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians operate, test, and maintain electromechanical or robotic equipment. Conservation scientists and foresters manage the overall land quality of forests, parks, rangelands, and other natural resources.

Geographers study the Earth and the distribution of its land, features, and inhabitants. Historians research, analyze, interpret, and write about the past by studying historical documents and sources. Agricultural and food science technicians assist agricultural and food scientists.

Craft and fine artists use a variety of materials and techniques to create art for sale and exhibition. Orthotists and prosthetists design and fabricate medical supportive devices and measure and fit patients for them. Fire inspectors examine buildings in order to detect fire hazards and ensure that federal, state, and local fire codes are met. Financial clerks do administrative work, help customers, and carry out transactions that involve money.

Information clerks perform routine clerical duties, maintain records, collect data, and provide information to customers. Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.

Forest and conservation workers measure and improve the quality of forests. Logging workers harvest forests to provide the raw material for many consumer goods and industrial products. Boilermakers assemble, install, maintain, and repair boilers, closed vats, and other large vessels or containers that hold liquids and gases. Sheet metal workers fabricate or install products that are made from thin metal sheets. Food and tobacco processing workers operate equipment that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients used in the manufacture of food and tobacco products.

Painting and coating workers apply finishes, often using machines, to a range of products. High school teachers teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers handle routine animal care and help scientists, veterinarians, and others with their daily tasks. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents connect buyers and sellers in financial markets.

Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers set up and maintain devices that carry communications signals. Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft.

Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, and other industries.

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers work on heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration systems. Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights install, maintain, and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control the systems that generate and distribute electric power. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators manage a system of machines to transfer or treat water or wastewater.

Electrical and electronics installers and repairers install or repair a variety of electrical equipment. Members of the U. Servicemembers work in occupations specific to the military, such as fighter pilots or infantrymen. Many other members work in occupations that are equivalent to civilian occupations, such as nurses, doctors, and lawyers.

Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists oversee wage and nonwage programs that an organization provides to its employees in return for their work. They also evaluate position descriptions to determine details such as classification and salary. Fundraisers organize events and campaigns to raise money and other kinds of donations for an organization. Training and development specialists plan and administer programs that improve the skills and knowledge of their employees. Computer network architects design and build data communication networks, including local area networks LANs , wide area networks WANs , and Intranets.

Web developers design and create websites. Solar photovoltaic PV installers assemble, set up, and maintain rooftop or other systems that convert sunlight into energy. Genetic counselors assess individual or family risk for a variety of inherited conditions, such as genetic disorders and birth defects. Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare.

Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations. Wind turbine service technicians install, maintain, and repair wind turbines. Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators facilitate negotiation and dialogue between disputing parties to help resolve conflicts outside of the court system.

Emergency management directors prepare plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters or other emergencies. They also help lead the response during and after emergencies. Public relations managers direct the creation of materials that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization. Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent.

Butchers cut, trim, and package meat for retail sale. Judges and hearing officers apply the law by overseeing the legal process in courts.

Insulation workers install and replace the materials used to insulate buildings or mechanical systems. Labor relations specialists interpret and administer labor contracts. Exercise physiologists develop fitness and exercise programs that help injured or sick patients recover.

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 15, Menu Search button Search:. Insurance Underwriters. Computer and Information Research Scientists. Mathematicians and Statisticians. Atmospheric Scientists, Including Meteorologists.

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners. Dietitians and Nutritionists. Travel Agents. Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers. Sales Managers. Administrative Services and Facilities Managers. Computer and Information Systems Managers. Financial Managers. Compensation and Benefits Managers.

Training and Development Managers. Human Resources Managers. Industrial Production Managers. Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers. Construction Managers. Preschool and Childcare Center Directors.

Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals. Postsecondary Education Administrators. Architectural and Engineering Managers. Food Service Managers. Lodging Managers. Medical and Health Services Managers. Natural Sciences Managers. Social and Community Service Managers. Top Executives. Claims Adjusters, Appraisers, Examiners, and Investigators.

Cost Estimators. Human Resources Specialists. Management Analysts. Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners. Accountants and Auditors. Property Appraisers and Assessors. Budget Analysts. Financial Analysts. Personal Financial Advisors. Financial Examiners. Loan Officers. Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents. Computer Programmers. Computer Support Specialists.

Computer Systems Analysts. Database Administrators and Architects. Network and Computer Systems Administrators. Operations Research Analysts. Landscape Architects. Cartographers and Photogrammetrists. Aerospace Engineers. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers.

Chemical Engineers. Civil Engineers. Computer Hardware Engineers. Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Environmental Engineers. Industrial Engineers. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects. Materials Engineers. Mechanical Engineers. Mining and Geological Engineers. Nuclear Engineers. Petroleum Engineers. Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians. Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians.

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians. Market Research Analysts. Surveying and Mapping Technicians. Agricultural and Food Scientists. Biochemists and Biophysicists. Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists. Medical Scientists. Physicists and Astronomers. Chemists and Materials Scientists. Environmental Scientists and Specialists. Survey Researchers. Urban and Regional Planners.

Anthropologists and Archeologists. Political Scientists. Biological Technicians. Chemical Technicians. Geological and Hydrologic Technicians. Nuclear Technicians. Environmental Science and Protection Technicians. Forensic Science Technicians. School and Career Counselors and Advisors. Marriage and Family Therapists. Rehabilitation Counselors. Social Workers. Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists. Social and Human Service Assistants. Paralegals and Legal Assistants.

Postsecondary Teachers. Preschool Teachers. Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers. Middle School Teachers. Career and Technical Education Teachers. Special Education Teachers. Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers. Librarians and Library Media Specialists. Library Technicians and Assistants.

Instructional Coordinators. Teacher Assistants. Art Directors. Special Effects Artists and Animators. Industrial Designers. Fashion Designers. Floral Designers. Graphic Designers. Interior Designers. Producers and Directors. Athletes and Sports Competitors. Coaches and Scouts. Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials. Dancers and Choreographers. Music Directors and Composers. Musicians and Singers.

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists. Technical Writers. Writers and Authors. Interpreters and Translators. Broadcast, Sound, and Video Technicians.

Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators. Physicians and Surgeons. Physician Assistants. Registered Nurses. Occupational Therapists.