20 Hot Job Tracks When Baby Boomers Retire
WHAT SALES JOBS PAY SALES REP (ENTRY): $39,800 SENIOR SALES REP: $68,300 MAJOR ACCOUNT REP: $71,200 NATIONAL ACCOUNT REP: $76,100 DISTRICT SALES MANAGER: $83,700 NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER: $85,600 REGIONAL SALES MANAGER: $92,300 TOP SALES EXECUTIVE: $122,700
Note: Median compensation for 1996 for individuals earning salary plus incentives. Sources: Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, Dartnell, Gale Research Inc., Lexis-Nexis, Sales and Marketing Executives International, SIMBA Information, UMI
SCIENCE RESEARCH: Drug Developer When it hit the market in 1987, the genetically engineered hepatitis B vaccine ushered in a new era of drug development. The highly efficient recombinant DNA technology that produced the vaccine--mixing DNA from different species--has reinvigorated drug companies' interest in research. U.S. firms are now developing 125 medicines and vaccines--many of them through genetic engineering--for infectious diseases like AIDS, hepatitis C and Lyme disease. That represents a 33 percent increase over 1994; some experts predict a herpes vaccine within a decade. Small biotech firms are doing most of the hiring.
HOT TRACK SALARIES (AVERAGE) ENTRY LEVEL: $60,000--$90,000 MIDLEVEL: $100,000--$140,000 TOP: $150,000--$300,000
TRAINING. A B.S. or M.S. in molecular biology for entry-level work. Medical training with postdoctorate work or a Ph.D. in immunology or pharmacology is required at higher levels.
RUNNER-UP HOT TRACK. Genomics. Funding has exploded for research on the links between genes and illness and on testing for hereditary diseases.
WHAT SCIENCE RESEARCH JOBS PAY MEDICAL SCIENTIST: $36,800 CHEMIST (B.S.): $37,752--$44,000 CHEMIST (PH.D.): $55,000--$60,000 GEOLOGIST (B.S.): $55,500* GEOLOGIST (PH.D.): $74,652* BIOTECHNOLOGIST (B.S.): $59,800
Note: Median salaries for 1995. *For 1996. Sources: Abbott, Langer & Associates, American Chemical Society, Astra Pharmaceuticals, Bureau of Labor Statistics, MedImmune, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, University of Maryland Hospital
TECHNICAL SERVICES: Computer Technician Last year, at a plant near Chicago, computer-chip maker Motorola interviewed 40,000 hopeful computer technicians, hired 4,000--and still ended up short. Why are the techies who install, maintain and fix the nation's computers such a hot property? The hardware is multiplying much faster than the work force, and the job has grown far more complex. Ten years ago, it was enough to master the nuts and bolts--how to repair a circuit board, say. Today, even before anything breaks, technicians are called upon to "fix" systems by upgrading disk drives or monitors. They're expected to foil viruses and to set up networks. And they're needed on all fronts, from retail to manufacturing and engineering.
HOT TRACK SALARIES (AVERAGE) ENTRY LEVEL: $21,000 MIDLEVEL: $30,500 TOP: $40,000 and up
TRAINING. On-the-job training or a two-year associate's or vocational degree in electronics is the typical preparation.
RUNNER-UP HOT TRACK. Medical technician. The number of jobs for EEG (brain scan) and radiological (X-ray) technicians is expected to grow more than 50 percent over the next 10 years.
WHAT TECHNICAL JOBS PAY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN: $19,000--$20,000 MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST: $23,000--$24,000 ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN: $26,581 ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN: $29,000 MACHINE TOOL WORKER: $30,000--$40,000 AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC: $31,900
Note: Average salaries for 1996. Sources: American Association of Medical Assistants, American Society of Radiologic Technologists, DeVry Institutes, Electronics Technicians Association International, International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians, Jobs '96
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