Top Jobs of 2008

The Jackpots: The Top 20 Jobs

Of the 20 fastest growing jobs in America, seven have growth rates of more than 40 percent. If you're looking for a new job, this is the place to start -- but keep in mind, only a few of these positions have standout salaries.

• Computer software engineers (the #4 fastest growing job) had the highest median income in 2006, coming in at more than $79,000.
• Veterinarians (the #9 fastest growing job) are close behind with a median income of nearly $72,000.
• Financial analysts and advisors place next in terms of salary (#12 and #6) at $66,000 median income for each.
• Dental hygienists (#18) are also well compensated at a median of nearly $63,000.

The best-of-both-worlds jobs are in network systems/data communications analysis, which has a whopping growth rate of a 53 percent coupled with a comfortable median salary of $65,000.

The Up and Comers: Jobs Best Poised for Future Growth

While so-called "green" jobs haven't made the BLS report to date, some career experts believe that they will proliferate in 2008, shaking up the list of the "fastest growing" jobs. "More and more companies are adding dedicated staff to focus their environmental efforts," says Alison Doyle, About.com's Guide to Job Searching. Citing the increase in the number of green-centric job listings websites, Doyle advocates her belief that green jobs are arriving in two breeds: some green jobs, she predicts, will be positions at specialized firms whose business is reducing human environmental impact; others will simply be "jobs at environmentally friendly companies" looking to improve their eco-friendliness or image.

Chris Higgins' observations of Wharton graduate students seem to substantiate Doyle's prediction. "There's a big buzz on campus about renewable energy, specifically on companies in the investment phase" of the nascent industry, he says, noting that "biofuels seem to be the biggest area of investment."

The "green" buzz is also growing among undergraduate students. Nicole Schwab, a career counselor at the University of Virginia, reports that "jobs in corporate social responsibility are also on students' radars," in addition to the usual interest in PR, advertising, finance and marketing.

Another hot topic: jobs abroad. "Students in a variety of fields like business, communications and technology, are inquiring about opportunities to work overseas," Schwab says. However, it's not a supply-side phenomenon. Entry-level jobs abroad, she notes, are actually rarely available to U.S. students. That doesn't deter students' wanderlust, however: "From what we have seen, many students who do go overseas work in education, often teaching English, or volunteering with the Peace Corps."

For the Newby: Best First Jobs

When President Bush gives his State of the Union address on the 29th of this month, it's likely that he'll discuss how many jobs were added to the economy this year. Behind his "total new jobs" figure there will be three specific jobs doing the heavy lifting: registered nursing, retail sales and customer services, which also happen to be the three top jobs for workers new to the workforce. Luckily for freshmen entering the job market, these three jobs alone will account for about 1/10th of all new jobs this year. That's 168,000 out of about 1.6 million new jobs nationwide -- not a bad selection for the recent high school or college grad.

For the young, the options are plenty -- if not plenty lucrative. Retail sales, wait staff, and cashier jobs are numerous, but each carries a wince-inducing median salary of between $14,000 and $20,000 per year. Customer service offers the fourth most job openings for new workers, with a substantially better median salary of just over $28,000. Financially, the best bet for a new worker: becoming a registered nurse. With over 50,000 new nursing jobs to be created this year alone, nurses will have their pick of jobs and salaries, the latter averaging about $57,000 per year.

The increasing growth in nursing, as in the social services and health fields at large, can be attributed to the upswing in retirees in need of medical care, according to the BLS. In 2008, the first of the baby boom generation will reach age 62, qualifying them for early retirement. From there, roughly 70 million more Americans will begin enjoying ever-lengthening life-spans, often with the assistance of medical staff -- many of whom will graduate from college this year.