30 Jobs Growing Today

Like age, salaries are a just a number.

OK, salary might be a little more than just a number; in fact, income is probably the one amount that matters most to some people, especially workers. There's another figure however, that employees should be paying more attention to during their job search: employment numbers.

Employment numbers, or the quantity of jobs in a given occupation or industry, are essential to your job search for numerous reasons. Knowing this figure will help ensure you don't continuously apply to positions in an industry with no job growth. In addition, you can avoid staying in a profession that's projected to decline in the future.

To help you, we've looked at high-growth occupations as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) 2008-2009 Occupational Outlook Handbook. Total US employment is expected to increase from 150.6 million in 2006 to 166.2 million by 2016.

Here are 30 occupations, each with an expected job growth of at least 10 percent over the next 10 years, according to the BLS.

1. Registered nurses
Average annual salary: $59,730
Employment change: 587,000 new jobs; 23 percent growth

2. Retail salespeople
Average annual salary: $23,940
Employment change: 557,000 new jobs; 12 percent growth

3. Customer service representatives
Average annual salary: $30,400
Employment change: 545,000 new jobs; 25 percent growth

4. Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food
Average annual salary: $15,930
Employment change: 452,000 new jobs; 18 percent growth

5. Office clerks, general
Average annual salary: $25,200
Employment change: 404,000 new jobs; 13 percent growth

6. Personal and home care aides
Average annual salary: $18,180
Employment change: 389,000 new jobs; 51 percent growth

7. Home health aides
Average annual salary: $20,100
Employment change: 384,000 new jobs; 49 percent growth

8. Postsecondary teachers
Average annual salary: $56,120
Employment change: 382,000 new jobs; 23 percent growth

9. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
Average annual salary: $21,730
Employment change: 345,000 new jobs; 14 percent growth

10. Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants
Average annual salary: $22,960
Employment change: 264,000 new jobs; 18 percent growth

11. Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks
Average annual salary: $31,780
Employment change: 264,000 new jobs; 12 percent growth

12. Waiters and waitresses
Average annual salary: $17,190
Employment change: 255,000 new jobs; 11 percent growth

13. Childcare workers
Average annual salary: $18,820
Employment change: 248,000 new jobs; 18 percent growth

14. Executive secretaries and administrative assistants
Average annual salary: $39,160
Employment change: 239,000 new jobs; 15 percent growth

15. Computer software engineers, applications
Average annual salary: $82,000
Employment change: 226,000 new jobs; 45 percent growth

16. Accountants and auditors
Average annual salary: $60,670
Employment change: 226,000 new jobs; 18 percent growth

17. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
Average annual salary: $23,010
Employment change: 221,000 new jobs; 18 percent growth

18. Elementary school teachers, except special education
Average annual salary: $48,700
Employment change: 209,000 new jobs; 14 percent growth

19. Receptionists and information clerks
Average annual salary: $23,810
Employment change: 202,000 new jobs; 17 percent growth

20. Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer
Average annual salary: $36,320
Employment change: 193,000 new jobs; 10 percent growth

21. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
Average annual salary: $18,700
Employment change: 186,000 new jobs; 13 percent growth

22. Security guards
Average annual salary: $23,620
Employment change: 175,000 new jobs; 17 percent growth

23. Carpenters
Average annual salary: $39,930
Employment change: 150,000 new jobs; 10 percent growth

24. Management analysts
Average annual salary: $77,720
Employment change: 149,000 new jobs; 22 percent growth

25. Medical assistants
Average annual salary: $27,190
Employment change: 148,000 new jobs; 35 percent growth

26. Computer systems analysts
Average annual salary: $72,230
Employment change: 146,000 new jobs; 29 percent growth

27. Maintenance and repair workers, general
Average annual salary: $33,510
Employment change: 140,000 new jobs; 10 percent growth

28. Network systems and data communications analysts
Average annual salary: $67,460
Employment change: 140,000 new jobs; 53 percent growth

29. Food preparation worker
Average annual salary: $18,480
Employment change: 138,000 new jobs; 15 percent growth

30. Teacher assistants
Average annual salary: $21,860
Employment change: 137,000 new jobs; 10 percent growth

Salary information from the latest (May 2006) Occupational Employment Statistics, BLS