Table 2. The 30 occupations covered in the 2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook with the largest employment growth

Table 2.  The 30 occupations covered in the 2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook with the largest
employment growth
(Numbers in thousands)

                                                   Employment change                                   
           Occupation                                   2006-16             Most significant source of
                                                                              postsecondary education
                                                    Number   Percent                 training (1)

Registered nurses ..........................          587      23.5            Associate degree

Retail salespersons ........................          557      12.4            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Customer service representatives ...........          545      24.8            Moderate-term on-the-
                                                                                job training

Combined food preparation and serving                                          Short-term on-the-job
 workers, including fast food ..............          452      18.1             training

Office clerks, general .....................          404      12.6            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Personal and home care aides ...............          389      50.6            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Home health aides ..........................          384      48.7            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Postsecondary teachers .....................          382      22.9            Doctoral degree

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and                                        Short-term on-the-job
 housekeeping cleaners .....................          345      14.5             training

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants ...          264      18.2            Postsecondary vocational
                                                                                award


Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing                                          Moderate-term on-the-
 clerks ....................................          264      12.5             job training

                                                                               Short-term on-the-job
Waiters and waitresses .....................          255      10.8             training

                                                                               Short-term on-the-job
Child care workers .........................          248      17.8             training

Executive secretaries and administrative                                       Work experience in a
 assistants ................................          239      14.8             related occupation

Computer software engineers, applications ..          226      44.6            Bachelor's degree

Accountants and auditors ...................          226      17.7            Bachelor's degree

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers .....          221      18.1            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Elementary school teachers, except special
 education..................................          209      13.6            Bachelor's degree

Receptionists and information clerks .......          202      17.2            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer ...          193      10.4            Moderate-term on-the-
                                                                                training


Maids and housekeeping cleaners ............          186      12.7            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Security guards ............................          175      16.9            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Carpenters .................................          150      10.3            Long-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

                                                                               Bachelor's or higher
Management analysts ........................          149      21.9             degree, plus work
                                                                                experience

Medical assistants .........................          148      35.4            Moderate-term on-the-
                                                                                job training

Computer systems analysts ..................          146      29.0            Bachelor's degree

Maintenance and repair workers, general ....          140      10.1            Moderate-term on-the-
                                                                                job training

Network systems and data communications
 analysts ..................................          140      53.4            Bachelor's degree

Food preparation workers ...................          138      15.3            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

Teacher assistants .........................          137      10.4            Short-term on-the-job
                                                                                training

   1 An occupation is placed into 1 of 11 categories that best describes the postsecondary education or
training needed by most workers to become fully qualified in that occupation.  For more information
about the categories, see Occupational Projections and Training Data, 2006-07 edition, Bulletin 2602
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 2006) and Occupational Projections and Training Data, 2008-09
edition, Bulletin 2702 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, forthcoming).