Public and community services date back to the colonial era, when settlements took responsibility for the welfare of poor people and established public schools to ensure that all children could read the Bible. In some areas, they financed these efforts by collecting taxes from residents. Despite this support of public services, however, colonial citizens resisted government intervention in their l…
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 Varies—see profile Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Good The armed services—the U.S. Army, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Navy, and the Coast Guard—offer jobs in the United States and abroad that are comparable to hundreds of civilian positions. The jobs range from postal clerk and helicopter repairer to court reporter and dental…
Education and Training On-the-job training Salary Median—$23,414 per year Employment Outlook Good Building custodians, or janitors, wash and wax floors, vacuum carpets, and clean bathrooms. They make minor repairs, such as replacing lightbulbs and fixing leaky faucets; kill insects and rodents; and collect and discard trash. Some custodians clear snow from sidewalks and mow lawns. A few col…
Education and Training None Salary Median—$16.60 to $25.27 per hour Employment Outlook Poor Electric companies employ many people to help their customers. Service representatives, who work in offices, deal directly with the public by telephone or in person. They take orders for service, explain rates and billing procedures, and handle complaints. Meter installers and repairers work in custo…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Median—$23.61 per hour Employment Outlook Poor Power transmission and distribution workers move electricity from generating plants to homes, offices, and factories. One group of workers controls the flow of energy, while another group installs and maintains the power lines and other transmission and distribution equipment. Load dispatc…
Education and Training High school plus training Salary Median—$18.43 per hour Employment Outlook Very good Firefighters protect life and property from fires. Called first responders, they are usually the first emergency personnel at traffic accidents or explosions and may be called upon to put out fires or treat injuries. Firefighters are organized in companies under commanding officers. A…
Education and Training On-the-job training Salary Median—$8.47 to $9.11 per hour Employment Outlook Very good Geriatric aides offer personal care and assistance to elderly people who no longer have the health, strength, or resources to be completely self-sufficient. They work in nursing homes, adult day care centers, specialized recreation programs, health care facilities, and private homes…
Education and Training High school plus on-the-job training Salary Median—$14.21 per hour Employment Outlook Very good Highway maintenance workers keep state, county, and city highways and roads in safe condition. They repair guardrails and snow fences; put up stop signs; paint dividing lines between traffic lanes; and fix potholes caused by weather or heavy traffic. When it snows, maintena…
Education and Training On-the-job training Salary Median—$16,900 per year Employment Outlook Good Institutional housekeepers clean the interiors of hotels, hospitals, school dormitories, and government residences. The size of the institution determines the number of workers on the housekeeping staff and the range of duties that individual housekeepers perform. While hotel housekeepers may o…
Education and Training High school plus on-the-job training Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Poor More than six hundred thousand postal workers are employed in the United States. They sort, distribute, and deliver mail; sell stamps and money orders; and figure postal rates for boxes and large envelopes. They also collect postage-due fees and obtain signed receipts for registered…
Education and Training High school plus on-the-job training Salary Median—$52,530 per year Employment Outlook Poor Power plants produce electricity by drawing energy from such natural resources as oil, coal, falling water, and radioactive ore. They are located throughout the country, usually near population centers where energy needs are highest. The jobs of power plant workers vary from pl…
Education and Training High school plus on-the-job training Salary Median—$13.87 per hour Employment Outlook Poor Refuse workers remove waste material from industrial plants, businesses, and private homes and take it to disposal sites. Some workers, the refuse collectors, can be heard on city streets, often at night. Crews of collectors pick up garbage and put it into trucks with built-in c…
Education and Training High school plus training Salary Median—$20,320 per year Employment Outlook Good Security guards protect people and property from robberies, fires, and other damage. They work in banks, museums, nightclubs, government offices, stores, factories, and office buildings. They are employed by the companies they protect, by building management companies, and by private agen…
Education and Training College and training Salary Average—$55,000 per year Employment Outlook Good Border patrol agents, who are federal law enforcement officers, make sure that laws are observed when goods or people enter the United States. They work at ports of entry and all along the border to prevent smuggling and the entrance of illegal aliens. One of their chief duties is covert surv…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Median—$33,600 per year Employment Outlook Very good Correctional officers guard inmates inside and outside local, state, and federal prisons. They counsel individuals and groups on prison rules and listen to their complaints and needs. Inside prisons, they escort inmates from their cells to dining rooms, classrooms, hospitals, chapels…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Median—$27,300 per year Employment Outlook Very good Court clerks are responsible for the administrative work of the city, county, state, and federal court systems. Their duties often depend on which courts they serve. In all courts, they record and transcribe the minutes of proceedings, prepare the docket of scheduled cases, and admin…
Education and Training High school plus training Salary Median—$42,920 per year Employment Outlook Good Court reporters create verbatim transcripts of legal proceedings, speeches, meetings, and even conversations. They use several methods to ensure that the spoken word is accurately recorded. Some court reporters use stenotype machines. When they press multiple keys on the machine at the sa…
Education and Training Two-year or four-year college Salary Median—$21.16 per hour Employment Outlook Very good Crime laboratory technicians, also called forensic science technicians or police science technicians, help solve crimes. They use scientific laboratory methods to analyze evidence found at crime scenes or accidents. Their findings often determine the guilt of criminals or the inno…
Education and Training College plus training Salary Median—$49,736 per year Employment Outlook Good Customs workers enforce the laws governing the import and export of goods. Most of these laws are designed to protect citizens' health and to raise revenues for the federal government. Some tariff laws protect selected businesses from foreign competition. Occasionally, under congressio…
Education and Training High school plus training Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Very good Detectives investigate, prevent, and solve crimes against people and property. Many work for police departments, while others are employed by business and industry. Detectives use modern techniques and tools, including computers and elaborate communications systems, to prevent and solve c…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Fair The federal government employs about 1.9 million civilians in the United States and abroad. Many hold jobs similar to those in private industry, such as secretaries, lawyers, physicians, biologists, truck drivers, and painters. Others have jobs exclusive to the government: postal service worke…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Median—$39,130 per year Employment Outlook Very good As laws grow more complex and legal services more expensive, many companies are relying on corporate legal assistants to handle tasks that do not require lawyers' expertise. Working under the supervision of a corporate attorney, assistants research background material, index a…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Median—$39,130 per year Employment Outlook Very good Paralegal aides help lawyers prepare for hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. They research public documents, records, and law books; investigate the validity of wills and income tax returns; get information from clients; and organize and analyze data. They are trained to use co…
Education and Training High school plus training Salary Median—$45,210 per year Employment Outlook Good Police officers protect the lives and property of citizens. They maintain order, catch lawbreakers, and work to prevent crimes. In small towns they perform many duties. Larger cities have a more structured division of responsibility. Police officers may patrol the streets on foot or in sq…
Education and Training High school plus training Salary Median—$23.55 per hour Employment Outlook Good State police officers, or troopers, patrol and enforce laws on highways, issuing traffic tickets, investigating accidents, and administering first aid. They also help motorists by radioing for automobile mechanics and by giving directions and tourist information. Sometimes they check the w…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Average—$16,000 to $18,000 per year Employment Outlook Fair The YMCA down the street, the Girl Scout troop that meets in the church basement, and the teen center just opened in the municipal building are all led by youth organization workers. These workers are employed by many different organizations, but all share the same goal: helpi…
Education and Training College Salary Median—$88,695 per year Employment Outlook Fair City managers are professional administrators who try to make city governments operate with the efficiency of successful businesses. However, they are not authorized to take action on their own. Their work is directed by elected officials, such as mayors and city councils, who hire them. For example, a cit…
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Poor Criminologists study the social and psychological conditions that cause crime, the criminals themselves, and methods of rehabilitation. One branch of criminology, called criminalistics, develops scientific ways to detect and solve crime. All criminologists work toward the same ends: to ensure that laws …
Education and Training College plus training Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Fair Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents investigate violations of U.S. laws and report their findings to the office of the attorney general. They investigate crimes such as kidnapping, extortion, espionage, bank robbery, fraud, and sabotage. To carry out their jobs, they talk to witne…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Fair Foreign service workers represent the United States in countries with which the nation has diplomatic relations. The foreign service, a branch of the U.S. State Department, includes officers and reserve officers as well as support staff members and specialists. Foreign service officers interpr…
Education and Training College Salary Median—$60,259 per year Employment Outlook Good Professional fund-raisers solicit contributions from corporations and individuals for nonprofit institutions, such as hospitals, colleges and charities, and for politicians running for office. They develop fund-raising drives, organize volunteers to run them, and monitor progress every step of the way. The…
Education and Training Varies—see profile Salary Median—$32,000 to $40,000 per year Employment Outlook Good Inspectors and examiners work for many government agencies, enforcing regulations that keep the public safe. Food and drug inspectors, for example, visit companies that manufacture, warehouse, or sell food and drugs to verify that their products are fresh or effective. Meat gra…
Education and Training College plus training Salary Average—$36,963 to $81,417 per year Employment Outlook Fair Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workers collect taxes for the federal government and make sure taxpayers abide by the law. They work in the national office in Washington, DC, and in regional offices throughout the country. IRS personnel hold a number of professional positions. Tax …
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Median—$93,070 per year Employment Outlook Good Judges preside over trials and hearings in federal, state, and local courts. They rule on the admissibility of evidence, monitor the testimony of witnesses, and settle disputes between prosecutors and defense attorneys. When standard procedures do not already exist, judges establish new rules based…
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Median—$94,930 per year Employment Outlook Good Lawyers serve as both advocates and advisers. As advocates, they speak for their clients in court by presenting supportive evidence. As advisers, they counsel their clients on their legal rights and obligations. Lawyers—also called attorneys and counselors—can interpret laws, apply la…
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Average—$50,000 to $90,000 per year Employment Outlook Good Corporate lawyers advise their clients or employers on their legal rights and obligations. As advocates, they may represent companies in both criminal and civil court cases. Self-employed corporate lawyers may advise several corporate clients. Corporate lawyers may also work in-house as…
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Good Lawyers who work in public service usually specialize. Legal aid lawyers, for example, offer their services to people who cannot afford to pay for them. They give legal advice; draw up legal documents, such as contracts and wills; and represent their clients in court proceedings. Their salaries are usua…
Education and Training: Associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree Salary: Median—$40,080 per year Employment Outlook: Excellent Social workers help people function in their environments, deal with their relationships, and solve personal and family problems. Geriatric social work is a division of social work concerned with the welfare of the elderly. Geriatric social w…
Education and Training College Salary Median—$38,980 per year Employment Outlook Very good Marriage and family counselors provide therapy for people who wish to solve emotional conflicts. Their goal is to modify people's perceptions and behavior, improve communication, and prevent individual and family crises. Counselors work in mental health centers, clinics, hospitals, social servi…
Education and Training College plus training Salary Median—$39,600 per year Employment Outlook Good Parole officers identify and supervise offenders who are eligible for conditional release from prison before they have completed their sentences. To merit parole, prisoners must obey prison rules, perform prison jobs well, and show progress in rehabilitation and therapy programs. Some parole …
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Very good Political consultants promote the election of certain candidates or the interests of certain groups. They plan campaign strategies, coordinate campaign staffs, and arrange meetings to publicize candidates or causes. Using advertising, press releases, fund-raising drives, and other activities, polit…
Education and Training College plus training Salary Median—$39,600 per year Employment Outlook Good Probation officers monitor offenders who get sentences of supervision—known as probation—instead of or in addition to jail time. They meet with offenders regularly to check their activities and to evaluate their progress. They make regular reports to the courts about the offende…
Education and Training College plus training Salary Median—$27,870 per year Employment Outlook Very good Rehabilitation counselors work with individuals who have mental, emotional, or physical handicaps, helping them to lead self-sufficient lives both at home and on the job. The counselors determine the training and support their clients need to deal with the personal, social, and vocationa…
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Varies—see profile Employment Outlook Varies—see profile Clergy serve as spiritual leaders to the millions of Americans who follow religious faiths. Their main duties are overseeing sacred activities and nurturing their congregations. They may also participate in interfaith services and work with community leaders on nonreligious matters …
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Median—$34,820 per year Employment Outlook Excellent Social workers offer guidance and counseling to people in crisis. Their clients range from the unemployed to children who need foster homes to elderly people who have no one to care for them. They help their clients obtain government funds, education, or treatment. Often they begin legal actio…
Education and Training Advanced degree Salary Median—$53,450 per year Employment Outlook Very good Urban and regional planners determine the best uses of land and resources for homes, businesses, and recreation. They devise ways to renovate slums, expand cities, modernize transportation systems, and distribute public facilities such as schools and parks. They also find ways to attract indus…
