Although consumer, homemaking, and personal services are as diverse as dog grooming, wedding consulting, window cleaning, and consumer advocacy, they all have one important thing in common: service. Service-producing industries can be divided into several areas, including transportation, business, communications, finance, health, retail trade, utilities, and government. The service-producing indus…
Good jobs do not magically appear. Anyone who has been in the job market knows that landing the right job takes planning, preparation, perseverance, and patience. This is true whether you are looking for your first job, reentering the job market, trying to get a new job, or planning a mid-career change. This essay is designed to guide you through the process of finding a job, from helping you defi…
Education and Training: License Salary: Median—$9.41 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Chauffeurs drive and maintain cars, limousines, or vans for private households, government agencies, business firms, and limousine companies. Chauffeurs who work for private households may drive family members to and from their daily activities, which may include school, work, and various business and soc…
Education and Training: High school Salary: Median—$21,330 per year Employment Outlook: Good Bakers produce varying quantities of bread, pastries, and other baked goods for sale in establishments such as bakeries, grocery stores, and manufacturers' outlets. In small bakeries or specialty shops, bakers bake small quantities of breads, pastries, cookies, and pies for consumers. They ma…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$8.06 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Child care workers look after young children. Those who care for children on a short-term or part-time basis are sometimes called babysitters. Child care workers who live in the family's home and work full time are called nannies. In family day care, children from different families are cared for in t…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$8.12 per hour Employment Outlook: Excellent Companions perform homemaking, personal care, social, and business services for people who are elderly, disabled, or recovering from illness. The duties of companions, sometimes referred to as personal and home care aides, vary depending on the needs of their employers. They may read to their employers,…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$8.28 per hour Employment Outlook: Poor Dry cleaning workers clean, repair, and press clothes, linens, and other fabric items that cannot be cleaned in water. Dry cleaning involves the use of a variety of chemicals to clean fabrics. Most of the workers in this industry are employed by dry cleaning plants. Some workers have their own businesses. Th…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$25,881 per year Employment Outlook: Very good Gardeners and groundskeepers take care of lawns and gardens. They are sometimes called landscape gardeners or grounds custodians. Those who specialize in caring for lawns and have technical training are called turfgrass management technicians. Gardeners and groundskeepers work wherever lawns, trees, s…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$28,800 to $65,000 per year Employment Outlook: Good Home cooks or caterers prepare food at home and serve it at parties and other functions. A good, well-organized cook can start a small catering business and serve gourmet food to large and small gatherings. Catering offers people the opportunity to be their own bosses. It also can be a part-time…
Education and Training: None Salary: None Employment Outlook: Excellent People who take care of households for themselves and for the other people who live with them are called homemakers. They are responsible for managing the resources of their household. Homemakers may also perform general housekeeping chores and personal services, or they may assign them to other members of the household. Somet…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$16,900 per year Employment Outlook: Good Housekeepers clean private homes, buy food, cook and serve meals, and do laundry for family members. Some housekeepers work for several households, spending one or two days a week with each one. These housekeepers are called day workers. Other housekeepers work full time for one family. Some full-time work…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$8.28 per hour Employment Outlook: Poor Laundry workers take part in the washing, drying, and ironing of clothes and other fabric items. Most laundry workers are employed by commercial laundries, which may be independent plants or parts of large institutions, such as hospitals or hotels. Some laundry workers are employed by firms that specialize i…
Education and Training: None Salary: Average—$5.15 to $25 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Personal service workers help people who are unable to perform certain tasks because of various reasons such as being too busy or too ill. They may stand in line for license renewals, organize retirement parties, index videotape collections, or take elderly people to their doctors' appointment…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$30,000 to $57,500 per year Employment Outlook: Good Personal shoppers help people to select and purchase clothing and other merchandise. The scope of the job ranges from gift buying for their clients to providing advice for a complete change of image. In this emerging field several other job titles are used, including fashion consultant and image…
Education and Training: High school Salary: Median—$12.61 per hour Employment Outlook: Very good Pest control workers help to eliminate and control undesirable insects and animals. These pests include rats, mice, and other rodents as well as termites, cockroaches, spiders, bedbugs, ants, fleas, bees, and wasps. Sometimes workers are also asked to rid buildings of birds or snakes. They contr…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$8.39 per hour Employment Outlook: Very good Pet care workers provide a wide variety of services for the owners of small animals, such as dogs, cats, and birds. Pet care workers are employed in animal hospitals, boarding kennels, animal shelters, pet grooming establishments, pet training schools, and pet shops. Some pet care workers have their own…
Education and Training: None Salary: Starting—$25 to $35 per hour Employment Outlook: Very good Professional organizers bring order to everything from office filing systems and medical records to family budgets and bedroom closets. They help businesses and individuals gain more control over time and space, reduce stress, and increase productivity by providing information and ideas, structur…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$15,320 to $24,420 per year Employment Outlook: Good Rug and carpet cleaners use chemical solutions, soap and water, and a variety of hand brushes and mechanical equipment to clean rugs and carpets. Carpets are usually sewed together and tacked to the floor. They are cleaned in a customer's home. Rugs usually do not cover an entire floor. T…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Median—$9.29 per hour Employment Outlook: Poor Shoe repairers rebuild, remodel, and repair boots and shoes. They also mend luggage, handbags, and sports equipment, such as tents, saddles, and golf bags. Some shoe repairers specialize in making and repairing orthopedic shoes following a doctor's prescription. Most shoe repairer…
Education and Training: High school Salary: Median—$9.82 to $16.99 per hour Employment Outlook: Very good Swimming pool servicers clean and check the water in swimming pools. They maintain certain standards of water quality by adding chemicals such as chlorine, iodine, and hydrochloric acid to the water. Swimming pool servicers must follow strict rules for pool treatment and must handle and…
Education and Training: None Salary: Median—$18,790 per year Employment Outlook: Good Window cleaners wash and dry glass surfaces on the insides and outsides of buildings. They usually work for window cleaning companies or for building maintenance firms that do many different kinds of cleaning. Large business and industrial firms often hire window cleaners as permanent employees. Some windo…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Median—$32,180 per year Employment Outlook: Fair Appliance service workers fix and sometimes install the wide variety of gas and electric appliances used in the home. They work on large appliances like refrigerators and freezers, as well as on small appliances such as toasters, blenders, and irons. Some service workers specialize in …
Education and Training: Vocational/technical school; license Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Good Barbers and hairstylists shampoo, cut, style, and color hair. They shave and cut beards and mustaches. They also give facial massages and hair and scalp treatments. Many use, recommend, and sell a variety of grooming products such as shampoo, styling gels, and hairbrushes. Barber…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Median—$34,436 per year Employment Outlook: Very good Consumer credit counselors help customers to use credit wisely. Some of them work for businesses that give credit. These businesses include loan agencies, banks, credit unions, and large stores. Counselors in these businesses usually work under the supervision of a credit manager.…
Education and Training: Vocational/technical school; license Salary: Median—$19,800 per year Employment Outlook: Good Cosmetologists care for people's hair, skin, and nails. They are also called beauty operators, hairdressers, or beauticians. Most cosmetologists work in beauty salons, and many have their own businesses. Some work in unisex shops, barbershops, department stores, hospi…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Median—$10.79 per hour Employment Outlook: Poor Custom tailors and dressmakers make clothing according to the needs and requests of their customers. Custom tailors work on tailored or shaped garments, such as coats and suits for men or women. Custom dressmakers usually work on women's garments, such as dresses and blouses. Mos…
Education and Training: Varies—see profile Salary: Median—$12.35 per hour Employment Outlook: Poor Custom upholsterers repair, rebuild, and re-cover upholstered furniture, such as sofas and chairs. Most custom upholsterers work in small upholstery shops. Some work for furniture or department stores. A few are employed by hospitals, hotels, and theaters. Many custom upholsterers have …
Education and Training: College Salary: Average—$10.99 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Dietetic technicians help dietitians in the daily operation of food services. Technicians help to plan and prepare meals that are nutritious and satisfying. They work in hospitals, day care centers, nursing homes, and other institutions. Many dietetic technicians work for schools, colleges, or factories…
Education and Training: Vocational/technical school Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Good Electrologists permanently remove unwanted hair from the face and body by a process called electrolysis. This process uses an electric current to destroy the tissue called the papilla that produces each hair. Electrologists work in private offices or salons. Many have their own businesses…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Median—$20,450 per year Employment Outlook: Good Floral designers artistically arrange real and artificial flowers, leaves, and other decorations. They make corsages, bouquets, wreaths, wedding decorations, and other kinds of floral designs. They follow standard designs or fill special orders. Sometimes they create original designs. …
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Fair Home security consultants provide hardware and customer support services to help homeowners prevent crime and fires in their homes and on their property. The home security consultant assesses a customer's risk of property and personal loss due to fire or crime and recommends a securi…
Education and Training: Varies—see profile Salary: Median—$27,400 per year Employment Outlook: Poor Jewelers design, make, sell, and repair jewelry. Their field is a broad one, including many kinds of workers. Jewelers work in design and crafts studios, factories, retail stores, and repair shops. They work with gold, silver, diamonds, and other metals and gems. Jewelers deal with rin…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Median—$31,331 per year Employment Outlook: Good Locksmiths install, adjust, repair, and open locks. They also change lock combinations and make keys. Most locksmiths work in locksmith shops. Many have their own businesses. Hardware and department stores sometimes employ locksmiths. Some locksmiths work for manufacturers of safes and…
Education and Training: On-the-job training, apprenticeships, or classroom training Salary: Median—$21,330 per year Employment Outlook: Good Pastry chefs and bakers make a variety of baked goods—from fresh loaves of bread to layer cakes—for restaurants, bakeries, and hotel dining rooms. Restaurant and hotel bakeries supply food for a limited number of customers. Because they w…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Median—$400 to $700 per week Employment Outlook: Good Nannies are child care specialists who provide full-time care for children in the employer's home. People sometimes confuse nannies with babysitters, teachers, or housekeepers. However, unlike other child care workers, a nanny usually provides long-term care for the childre…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Median—$13.47 per hour Employment Outlook: Poor Piano and organ tuners and technicians tune, repair, and rebuild pianos and organs. Most work for independent repair shops, and many have their own shops. Some tuners and technicians work for piano and organ dealers. Others work for manufacturers of pianos and organs. There are four dif…
Education and Training: Varies—see profile Salary: Median—$13.87 per hour Employment Outlook: Poor Watch repairers clean, repair, and adjust watches and clocks. They work in watch and jewelry repair shops, in jewelry stores, or in factories that make clocks and watches. Many watch repairers are self-employed. Watch repairers are sometimes called watchmakers. Watch repairers use small…
Education and Training: None Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Fair Wedding consultants help people to plan weddings. Consultants who work for bridal shops or department stores that have bridal departments may be called bridal consultants. Many wedding consultants are self-employed. They often sell the goods and services that they suggest to the bride and groom. Wedding consult…
Education and Training: Varies—see profile Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Good Appraisers examine works of art, jewelry, antiques, and the contents of estates to determine their value and authenticity. This job requires detailed knowledge of the subjects and an understanding of current market values and trends. A fine art appraiser, for example, will study a work of a…
Education and Training: College Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Good Business family and consumer scientists apply their special knowledge of and skills in family and consumer science to the problems of a business firm. They help their companies research and understand what consumers want and need. They also teach consumers about products and services. Business family and con…
Education and Training: College Salary: Average—$30,000 to $70,000 per year Employment Outlook: Varies—see profile Consumer advocates support the rights of the consumer to obtain safe goods and services at fair prices. They are employed by government agencies, corporations, consumer protection organizations, and community groups to ensure that the needs of purchasers are met. Some co…
Education and Training: College plus training Salary: Median—$43,630 per year Employment Outlook: Very good Dietitians and nutritionists are health professionals who study and apply the principles of nutrition and food management. There are several kinds of dietitians and nutritionists. The largest group is made up of administrative dietitians. Administrative dietitians manage food services…
Education and Training: College Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Good Divorce mediators have become increasingly popular with couples seeking to negotiate their divorce agreement under the guidance of an impartial professional. While a divorce lawyer counsels only one of the marriage partners, a mediator assists both husband and wife. The mediator's task is to help the …
Education and Training: High school plus training; license Salary: Average—$34,690 per year Employment Outlook: Good Embalmers prepare the dead for burial. The embalming process disinfects the body to prevent the spread of disease. It also preserves the body for funeral services. Most embalmers work for funeral homes, hospitals, medical schools, and morgues (places where bodies are held unt…
Education and Training: College Salary: Median—$54,500 per year Employment Outlook: Fair Family and consumer science researchers plan and carry out studies in various areas related to family and consumer science. For example, they may do research on nutrition or child development or on the preparation and preservation of food, clothing, and furniture. Most family and consumer science resear…
Education and Training: College Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Fair Family and consumer science teachers teach students how to manage a home. They teach topics that include nutrition, menu planning, food preparation, clothing care and construction, money management, grooming, consumer awareness, and child development. Some family and consumer science teachers teach at severa…
Education and Training: Vocational/technical school; license Salary: Median—$45,960 per year Employment Outlook: Good Funeral directors arrange funeral services and burials. They work in funeral homes, where bodies are kept until cremation or burial. Most funeral homes are small and owned by the funeral director. Some, however, have many employees. Funeral directors are sometimes called mor…
Education and Training: College Salary: Median—$40,670 per year Employment Outlook: Good Interior designers plan and design the interiors of buildings. They work for interior design firms, architectural firms, retail stores, and the design departments of large industries or institutions. Some have their own businesses. Interior designers often specialize in homes, hospitals, hotels, or bank…
Education and Training: High school and certification Salary: Median—$25,470 per year Employment Outlook: Excellent Personal exercise trainers provide one-on-one fitness instruction to people desiring a program tailored to their specific needs. Trainers evaluate their clients' physical fitness and keep track of their progress. They typically conduct sessions at a health club or a cli…
