Top Trending Career Options

There are literally hundreds of emerging opportunities, as well as many traditional options available in our region. Keep reading to learn more about some of the best careers in top demand.

Food & Agriculture

How we produce and distribute food for the masses is a fascinating process and has been modernized to include technology, geographics and analytics. Do your students know about careers and employment available in our region for food and agriculture? Let them know there are ample opportunities to learn all about it right here. In northeast Indiana, 76 percent of total land area is made up of rich farmland, making it a prime location for food and agriculture companies like Miller Poultry, Red Gold and Conagra.

Click here to search food and agriculture jobs in our region.

Automotive Innovation  

Do your students know that our region has been a leader in the field of vehicle manufacturing for more than a century? Northeast Indiana is the perfect place to build a career or get an industry-recognized certification within the auto industry. Indiana produces 1.3 million trucks and cars each year, with a total manufacturing output of nearly $122 billion. Manufacturing is the largest employing industry in northeast Indiana. Jobs in various aspects of motor vehicle manufacturing in northeast Indiana are expected to rise in the next decade. Anticipated job growth in occupations common in motor vehicle manufacturing includes welders (7 percent), industrial engineers (9 percent), industrial machinery mechanics (14 percent), mechanical engineers (9 percent), and electricians (7 percent).

Click here to search automotive jobs in our region.

Distribution & E-commerce

Are some of your students natural organizers? Northeast Indiana is a known force in the distribution and e-commerce industry, which accounts for more than 27,000 jobs in the region. More than 750 transportation and logistics companies are located across our 11 counties. There has been a consistent need for freight-truck drivers regionally in the last few years, with an expected job growth rate of 4 percent in the next decade. Job growth for first-line transportation supervisors is expected to be 6 percent in the next decade.

Click here to search distribution and e-commerce jobs in our region.

Defense and Aerospace

Does your student have a passion for all things space? Northeast Indiana’s defense and aerospace industry includes some of the world’s largest contractors and accounts for more than 10,000 jobs in the region. Our area is ranked fifth in the nation for aerospace manufacturing.

Click here to search defense and aerospace jobs in our region.

Registered Nurses

Depending on the field your child may want to pursue, there are a number of options. If your child values interacting with patients and wants to become a registered nurse (RN), they will need either an associate degree in nursing, a Bachelor of Science in nursing, or another accredited diploma from a nursing program. If they are interested in becoming a practicing physician, they will need a medical degree in their chosen field on top of a four-year degree.

In northeast Indiana, job growth for RNs is expected to be 13 percent in the next decade. Many more healthcare-related jobs—some requiring certifications, not degrees—are also expected to increase in availability

Click here to search nursing jobs in our region.

Leisure & Hospitality

Employment in leisure and hospitality is projected to increase by over 350k at a rate of 2.2 percent over the 2022–32 decade. [THIS PUTS LEISURE & HOSPITALITY RANKED 8 OUT OF 19] This growth is largely driven by recovery from the pandemic, as restaurants, hotels, and establishments related to the arts, culture, and recreation see restored demand from the public resuming recreational and in-person activities.

Click here to search leisure & hospitality jobs in our region.

Healthcare and Social Assistance

Employment in healthcare and social assistance is projected to add the most jobs, nearly 2.1 million, and grow at the fastest rate, over 10 percent, of all industry sectors from 2022 to 2032. Within healthcare, employment in the individual and family services industry is projected to increase the fastest, with an annual growth rate of 2.2 percent. Factors expected to contribute to the large increase include rising demand for the care of an aging baby-boomer population, longer life expectancies, and continued growth in the number of patients with chronic conditions

Click here to search healthcare and social assistance jobs in our region.

Technology Services

Technological advancements are expected to support strong employment growth in professional, business and scientific services industries, including computer systems design and related services (1.8 percent projected annual employment growth nationally from 2022 to 2032), as well as management, scientific and technical consulting services (1.0 percent)

Click here to search technology services jobs in our region.

Data Analysts

If there’s one field that has positively exploded in the last decade, it’s the field of data analytics. Big Data is more than a buzzword—it’s a growing field with lucrative opportunities for college graduates. In fact, the projections for careers in the fields of computer and information research scientists (which also includes data analysts) are among the strongest out there.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected national growth rate for jobs in the field is 35 percent. This is more than three times the average national growth rate for jobs, which is 2.8 percent. Couple this with a 2022 median national industry pay of more than $103,000 and you’re looking at an opportunity for your child to make some serious money. Of course, it’s also recommended that they have a master’s degree in computer science or another related field if they want to break into the industry.

Overall, data science job growth is expected to be 27 percent in the next decade in northeast Indiana

Click here to search data analysts jobs in our region.

Plumbers & Electricians

Not all the best careers for the future will require a four-year undergraduate degree. There is a desperate need to fill many jobs in northeast Indiana with skilled laborers. There’s a serious demand for skilled positions like plumbers and electricians, and these are well-paying jobs with promising career prospects.

In northeast Indiana, it is anticipated that job growth in the next decade will be 1 percent for plumbers and 6 percent for electricians

Click here to search technology services jobs in our region.