Fast-track careers
Looking for a new job or your very first one? Here's where the hiring is the hottest
How to land the job: Applicants and employers are in a little bit of a bind since wireless networks are so new that very few people have hands-on experience building and maintaining them. But those who do are being snapped up. Techies already qualified as network administrators can take private or community college courses that lead to certification.
How much: Wireless network administrators make anywhere from $48,000 to $70,000 a year. -Kim Clark
Dental hygienist : Healthcare
Dental hygienist
How hot: To keep the 77 million aging baby boomers smiling, the number of dental care professionals is projected to soar. What's more, older dentists who traditionally don't employ hygienists are retiring and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to employ one or two hygienists. There were 148,000 hygienists in 2002, and the Department of Labor predicts that job opportunities will increase by more than 36 percent through 2012.
How to land the job: Most dental hygienist programs grant an associate's degree; others offer a bachelor's or master's degree. Hygienists must have an accredited degree and be state licensed, which requires both a written and a clinical exam.
How much: Average salary is about $35,000 per year, though earnings vary widely depending on geography and years of experience. -Alex Kingsbury
Biomedical engineers : Manufacturing
Biomedical engineers
How hot: An aging population with an insatiable demand for better medical products and services ensures that biomedical engineers will be in high demand for the foreseeable future. The Department of Labor predicts a 21 to 35 percent job increase through 2012.
How to land the job: The huge demand for training in biomedical engineering has increased the number of undergraduate departments from a few in 1990 to 32 accredited programs today, with many more in development, says Patricia Horner, executive director of the national Biomedical Engineering Society. She says graduates can find employment in many industrial, academic, and governmental fields, including nanotechnology, human-genome mapping, and building bionic body parts.
How much: Average starting salaries for engineers with a bachelor's degree are about $50,000. Having a master's degree bumps the average to $80,000. -Alex Kingsbury
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