See our other posts on the top jobs in various states.
In this post, we want to identify the best-performing jobs in Ohio based on labor market trends. To do this we use labor market data from Analyst (EMSI’s web-based labor market analysis tool), and filter for the highest-paying, fastest-growing, and most-concentrated jobs in the state.
Let’s start with an overview to gain some perspective. From 2007 to 2011, jobs in Ohio declined by 6.2%. The state population is 11.5 million, with nearly 5.1 million jobs and––based on current estimates––500,000 unemployed workers. Average annual earnings for the state is $42K.
HIGHEST-PAYING
Table 1 shows the highest-paying jobs in the state (2011 median hourly wage). Healthcare occupations like orthodontists ($89.85), oral and maxillofacial surgeons ($81.67), physicians ($85.85), dentists ($70.95), podiatrists ($51.51), and optometrists ($56.97) dominate the list. Of these, only physicians has added a fair number of jobs–nearly 800 since 2007. The top-paying non-healthcare jobs are CEOs ($77.45), air traffic controllers ($61.59), educational administrators ($56.54), airline pilots ($53.86), and marketing managers ($50.20).
Here are two helpful definitions if you were wondering:
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform surgery on mouth, jaws, and related head and neck structure to execute difficult and multiple extractions of teeth, to remove tumors and other abnormal growths, to correct abnormal jaw relations by mandibular or maxillary revision, to prepare mouth for insertion of dental prosthesis, or to treat fractured jaws.
- Marketing managers determine the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors and identify potential customers. Develop pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the firm’s profits or share of the market while ensuring the firm’s customers are satisfied. Oversee product development or monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services.
| SOC Code | Description | 2007 Jobs | 2011 Jobs | Change | % Change | 2011 Median Hourly Wage | 2011 Avg Hourly Wage | Education Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: EMSI Covered Employment - 2011.4 | ||||||||
| 29-1023 | Orthodontists | 214 | 215 | 1 | 0% | $89.85 | $110.06 | First professional degree |
| 29-1022 | Oral and maxillofacial surgeons | 132 | 133 | 1 | 1% | $81.67 | $101.02 | First professional degree |
| 29-1069 | Physicians and surgeons | 24,221 | 25,010 | 789 | 3% | $85.85 | $90.65 | First professional degree |
| 11-1011 | Chief executives | 9,363 | 8,478 | (885) | (9%) | $77.45 | $80.75 | Degree plus work experience |
| 29-1021 | Dentists, general | 2,965 | 2,969 | 4 | 0% | $70.95 | $77.41 | First professional degree |
| 29-1029 | Dentists, all other specialists | 193 | 207 | 14 | 7% | $66.33 | $72.97 | First professional degree |
| 29-1081 | Podiatrists | 561 | 531 | (30) | (5%) | $51.51 | $59.95 | First professional degree |
| 29-1041 | Optometrists | 855 | 931 | 76 | 9% | $56.97 | $59.17 | First professional degree |
| 53-2021 | Air traffic controllers | 983 | 1,152 | 169 | 17% | $61.59 | $57.40 | Long-term on-the-job training |
| 29-1024 | Prosthodontists | 71 | 78 | 7 | 10% | $46.53 | $57.31 | First professional degree |
| 11-9032 | Education administrators, elementary and secondary school | 7,824 | 7,584 | (240) | (3%) | $56.54 | $55.93 | Degree plus work experience |
| 53-2011 | Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers | 2,331 | 1,929 | (402) | (17%) | $53.86 | $54.45 | Bachelor's degree |
| 11-2021 | Marketing managers | 3,869 | 3,769 | (100) | (3%) | $50.20 | $54.21 | Degree plus work experience |
| 11-9121 | Natural sciences managers | 921 | 966 | 45 | 5% | $50.32 | $53.74 | Degree plus work experience |
| 11-3021 | Computer and information systems managers | 9,212 | 9,256 | 44 | 0% | $51.31 | $53.65 | Degree plus work experience |
| 11-1021 | General and operations managers | 33,082 | 29,659 | (3,423) | (10%) | $46.49 | $53.61 | Degree plus work experience |
| 11-2022 | Sales managers | 11,442 | 10,757 | (685) | (6%) | $47.37 | $53.15 | Degree plus work experience |
| 11-3031 | Financial managers | 15,095 | 14,241 | (854) | (6%) | $47.46 | $52.49 | Degree plus work experience |
| 11-9041 | Engineering managers | 6,252 | 5,675 | (577) | (9%) | $50.38 | $52.24 | Degree plus work experience |
FASTEST-GROWING
Again, the story is all about healthcare. Home health aides added 14,500 jobs, RNs added 8,400, personal and home care aides added 3,300, nursing aides added 3,300, and LPNs added 2,000. Additionally, Medical secretaries grew by 1,400 new jobs, and medical assistants added 1,100. The only two non-healthcare jobs that produced more than 1,000 new jobs since 2007 are computer software engineers, applications (1,700) and network systems and data communication analysts (1,000).
Other basic observations: some of these jobs are low-paying and low-skilled (home health aides) while others pay quite well at the Bachelor’s-degree level (computer software engineers). The highest-paying job that requires an Associate’s degree is computer specialists ($36 per hour). Of the 26 jobs that added over 300 new jobs since 2007, 18 of them are related to health care, 3 to computer technology, and 3 to education. Personal and home care aides has the highest % growth (28%). Physicians and surgeons has the highest hourly wage ($85.85). RNs has the most employees (120,000).
- Home health aides provide routine, personal healthcare, such as bathing, dressing, or grooming, to elderly, convalescent, or disabled persons in the home of patients or in a residential care facility.
- Personal and home care aides assist elderly or disabled adults with daily living activities at the person’s home or in a daytime non-residential facility. Duties performed at a place of residence may include keeping house (making beds, doing laundry, washing dishes) and preparing meals. May provide meals and supervised activities at non-residential care facilities. May advise families, the elderly, and disabled on such things as nutrition, cleanliness, and household utilities.
- Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses care for ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled persons in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.
- Medical secretaries perform secretarial duties utilizing specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.
- Computer software engineers, applications develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency. May analyze and design databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
- Network systems and data communication analysts analyze, design, test, and evaluate network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), Internet, intranet, and other data communications systems. Perform network modeling, analysis, and planning. Research and recommend network and data communications hardware and software. Includes telecommunications specialists who deal with the interfacing of computer and communications equipment. May supervise computer programmers.
| SOC Code | Description | 2007 Jobs | 2011 Jobs | Change | % Change | 2011 Median Hourly Wage | Education Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: EMSI Covered Employment - 2011.4 | |||||||
| 31-1011 | Home health aides | 52,997 | 67,458 | 14,461 | 27% | $9.50 | Short-term on-the-job training |
| 29-1111 | Registered nurses | 112,225 | 120,574 | 8,349 | 7% | $27.82 | Associate's degree |
| 39-9021 | Personal and home care aides | 12,046 | 15,372 | 3,326 | 28% | $9.59 | Short-term on-the-job training |
| 31-1012 | Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants | 71,581 | 74,830 | 3,249 | 5% | $11.26 | Postsecondary vocational award |
| 29-2061 | Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | 39,917 | 41,867 | 1,950 | 5% | $18.99 | Postsecondary vocational award |
| 15-1031 | Computer software engineers, applications | 19,944 | 21,659 | 1,715 | 9% | $38.49 | Bachelor's degree |
| 43-6013 | Medical secretaries | 34,649 | 36,054 | 1,405 | 4% | $13.43 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 31-9092 | Medical assistants | 21,438 | 22,544 | 1,106 | 5% | $12.92 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 15-1081 | Network systems and data communications analysts | 9,104 | 10,165 | 1,061 | 12% | $33.82 | Bachelor's degree |
| 25-2011 | Preschool teachers, except special education | 16,808 | 17,758 | 950 | 6% | $9.98 | Postsecondary vocational award |
| 13-1041 | Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation | 7,419 | 8,328 | 909 | 12% | $23.65 | Long-term on-the-job training |
| 29-1069 | Physicians and surgeons | 24,221 | 25,010 | 789 | 3% | $85.85 | First professional degree |
| 15-1032 | Computer software engineers, systems software | 9,174 | 9,935 | 761 | 8% | $39.30 | Bachelor's degree |
| 21-1093 | Social and human service assistants | 11,335 | 12,074 | 739 | 7% | $12.61 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 25-1099 | Postsecondary teachers | 51,316 | 51,939 | 623 | 1% | $39.26 | Doctoral degree |
| 11-9111 | Medical and health services managers | 11,055 | 11,618 | 563 | 5% | $37.18 | Degree plus work experience |
| 31-9091 | Dental assistants | 9,731 | 10,262 | 531 | 5% | $15.00 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 21-1022 | Medical and public health social workers | 6,032 | 6,522 | 490 | 8% | $21.21 | Bachelor's degree |
| 31-9099 | Healthcare support workers, all other | 8,695 | 9,147 | 452 | 5% | $13.55 | Short-term on-the-job training |
| 25-3021 | Self-enrichment education teachers | 5,573 | 6,019 | 446 | 8% | $20.06 | Work experience in a related field |
| 29-1123 | Physical therapists | 6,719 | 7,150 | 431 | 6% | $35.54 | Master's degree |
| 29-2021 | Dental hygienists | 6,840 | 7,205 | 365 | 5% | $30.33 | Associate's degree |
| 29-1126 | Respiratory therapists | 4,998 | 5,356 | 358 | 7% | $24.01 | Associate's degree |
| 15-1099 | Computer specialists, all other | 7,286 | 7,633 | 347 | 5% | $35.72 | Associate's degree |
| 29-2034 | Radiologic technologists and technicians | 9,887 | 10,225 | 338 | 3% | $23.58 | Associate's degree |
| 21-1014 | Mental health counselors | 3,737 | 4,057 | 320 | 9% | $20.35 | Master's degree |
HIGHEST CONCENTRATION
Now for some bad news. When we look at the jobs with the highest LQ (location quotient: a measure of regional concentration and, therefore, specialization), we see nothing but dramatic decline. (For more on LQ, click here.) Not surprisingly, 19 of the 20 jobs with the highest concentration are related to manufacturing, which shows us how important manufacturing is to the state and how much it still drives the economy.
For instance, the most concentrated job in the state is metal workers (5.58). This means that metal workers are more than five times as concentrated in Ohio as they are (on average) in the rest of the states. But since 2007, the occupation in Ohio has lost 1,700 jobs––18% of its total workforce.
| SOC Code | Description | 2007 Jobs | 2011 Jobs | Change | % Change | 2007 National LQ | 2011 National LQ | 2011 Median Hourly Wage | Education Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: EMSI Covered Employment - 2011.4 | |||||||||
| 51-4199 | Metal workers and plastic workers, all other | 9,199 | 7,515 | (1,684) | (18%) | 5.58 | 5.58 | $15.30 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4122 | Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders | 7,988 | 6,223 | (1,765) | (22%) | 4.03 | 3.90 | $15.37 | Postsecondary vocational award |
| 51-2031 | Engine and other machine assemblers | 6,360 | 4,913 | (1,447) | (23%) | 4.01 | 3.75 | $21.08 | Short-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4051 | Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders | 2,870 | 2,229 | (641) | (22%) | 3.58 | 3.34 | $18.33 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4071 | Foundry mold and coremakers | 2,307 | 1,711 | (596) | (26%) | 3.36 | 3.26 | $14.46 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-9051 | Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders | 2,456 | 1,943 | (513) | (21%) | 2.56 | 2.65 | $17.09 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4111 | Tool and die makers | 9,551 | 7,539 | (2,012) | (21%) | 2.69 | 2.63 | $22.08 | Long-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4191 | Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 2,483 | 2,004 | (479) | (19%) | 2.64 | 2.51 | $15.57 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4052 | Pourers and casters, metal | 1,709 | 1,275 | (434) | (25%) | 2.66 | 2.48 | $14.85 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-9197 | Tire builders | 2,251 | 1,619 | (632) | (28%) | 2.80 | 2.43 | $19.25 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4072 | Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 14,735 | 11,680 | (3,055) | (21%) | 2.48 | 2.40 | $13.19 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-9041 | Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders | 7,639 | 6,669 | (970) | (13%) | 2.42 | 2.39 | $13.97 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4011 | Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic | 13,854 | 12,004 | (1,850) | (13%) | 2.41 | 2.33 | $17.12 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 23-1023 | Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates | 2,345 | 2,181 | (164) | (7%) | 2.29 | 2.27 | $34.68 | Degree plus work experience |
| 51-2099 | Assemblers and fabricators, all other | 28,302 | 22,357 | (5,945) | (21%) | 2.15 | 2.15 | $16.46 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4031 | Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 21,916 | 16,856 | (5,060) | (23%) | 2.15 | 2.11 | $13.98 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4041 | Machinists | 35,821 | 30,003 | (5,818) | (16%) | 2.09 | 2.03 | $17.51 | Long-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4023 | Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 3,199 | 2,520 | (679) | (21%) | 2.09 | 2.02 | $16.51 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4032 | Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 2,800 | 2,089 | (711) | (25%) | 2.05 | 2.00 | $16.22 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| 51-4033 | Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 7,906 | 6,123 | (1,783) | (23%) | 2.05 | 1.98 | $15.22 | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
To get a sense of scale, here’s a quick look at Ohio’s exports for 2010. The state’s manufacturing sector exported $140 billion in 2010. The next closest industry was healthcare at $20 billion.
Concluding Observations
Definitely keep an eye on Ohio’s healthcare sector. It offers the highest wages, the best growth, and the greatest total volume of jobs, plus it also looks like it’s becoming an export industry for the state. After healthcare jobs, computer occupations seem to be the best targets.
The big story for Ohio––besides the growth in the above jobs––is the decline in manufacturing. This is the industry where the state and workforce seem to be most specialized, and it is the industry that continues to drive huge amounts of income and prosperity.
If you would like us to further explain this data, feel free to comment or send us a note. Also, this is a relatively high-level analysis, so if you’re interested in a closer look at the state’s occupational mix, please contact us. You can also follow us via Twitter @DesktopEcon.
