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Top 100 Jobs
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West Central Minnesota has weathered the recession better than most metropolitan areas, and in-migration to the region’s lakes areas has boosted demand for services and construction, resulting in job growth in the larger cities. The region’s rural prairie areas have steady population and employment levels. Regionwide, job growth - combined with a large percentage of the population in retirement - has kept unemployment low.

If you are interested in living and working in West Central Minnesota, this website is designed to inform you about job availability and wages in this region of the state. The 25 Growing Industries featured below have been selected because they are currently adding jobs in West Central Minnesota and are projected to continue growing into the future. Many of these industries also offer high pay compared to other occupations in the region. You can use this information to make better career choices as you develop your skills and plan your education.While the 25 growing industries on this list are great choices because of their current and future growth in the region, should you limit your occupational choices to industries on this list? No! Choosing a career is a very personal decision and you should still take into consideration all aspects of a career and industry when you’re making a choice, such as educational requirements, annual wages, and your personality style and work values. In fact, the state of Minnesota tracks more than 770 different occupations, many of which are available in West Central Minnesota. For additional information on how to plan your career and conduct an effective job search, please contact your local Minnesota WorkForce Center.

(Industry titles are links to detailed industry information pages that will list demand occupations)

Growing Industries in West Central Minnesota
Total, All Industries
7,100
83,565
$27,976
11.8%
Natural Resources / Energy        
110
649
$23,610
Growth***
69
851
$22,845
Growth***
16
757
$67,792
2.2%
5
665
$29,191
9.3%
1 to 4**
20 to 49**
NR
Growth***
26
590
$26,662
12.1%
11
412
$31,668
Growth***
38
1,813
$41,669
13.3%
7
404
$42,922
Growth***
20 to 49**
100 to 249**
NR
0.0%
163
2,181
$38,085
Growth***
53
2,711
$17,699
19.6%
24
333
$47,992
Growth***
20 to 49**
250 to 499**
NR
Growth***
214
550
$32,361
31.1%
250 to 499**
1,000 to 2,499
NR
10.5%
344
1,800
$32,456
26.6%
29
424
$57,059
139.2%
77
462
$21,047
106.7%
112
619
$21,448
35.7%
100 to 249**
10,000 or more
NR
3.9%
231
2,788
$38,852
44.8%
250 to 499**
2,500 to 4,999
NR
44.2%
23
114
$13,629
60.4%
94
914
$10,722
47.5%
Source: InfoUSA, DEED Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages (QCEW), 2004-2014 Employment Projections
* - Refers to data from the 26-County Northwest Planning Region
** - State information is not reportable in compliance with data privacy law. Ranges of jobs or firms are estimates from the InfoUSA ALMIS database, which is not government data.
*** - Industry is growing, but projections are not reportable for the region.

Feedback: Nathan.Dorr@state.mn.us
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