What professions added the most jobs in Iowa? In this article we look into this issue from two angles. First we show the top 50 jobs that added the most workers from 2010 to 2014 (Table 1). Secondly we show the top 50 jobs that had the highest growth rate from year 2010 to 2014 (Table 2). The employment and salary information in Iowa is computed from data published by BLS [1] in May 2015.
Table 1 shows the top 50 jobs that added the most workers from 2010 to 2014. We note that from 2010 to 2014, the total employment in Iowa increased from 1,438,510 to 1,512,740 with a net gain of 74,230. The profession that added the most jobs in the same period is the profession of general and operations managers with 10,710 jobs added. It is followed by the profession of personal care aides with 10,710 job added.
| Rank | Job Description | Jobs 2010 i |
Jobs 2014 i |
Change # i |
Change % i |
Salary 2014 i |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All Occupations | 1,438,510 | 1,512,740 | 74,230 | 5.16% | $30,380 |
| 2 | General and Operations Managers | 12,340 | 23,050 | 10,710 | 86.79% | $83,350 |
| 3 | Personal Care Aides | 4,070 | 13,370 | 9,300 | 228.50% | $20,370 |
| 4 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | 5,740 | 12,750 | 7,010 | 122.13% | $22,620 |
| 5 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 22,660 | 27,860 | 5,200 | 22.95% | $24,620 |
| 6 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 33,200 | 37,410 | 4,210 | 12.68% | $34,460 |
| 7 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 4,390 | 7,940 | 3,550 | 80.87% | $29,260 |
| 8 | Software Developers, Applications | 4,200 | 7,530 | 3,330 | 79.29% | $68,940 |
| 9 | Construction Laborers | 8,790 | 12,010 | 3,220 | 36.63% | $29,400 |
| 10 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 4,430 | 7,530 | 3,100 | 69.98% | $42,340 |
| 11 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 1,290 | 4,370 | 3,080 | 238.76% | $32,170 |
| 12 | Cooks, Restaurant | 10,000 | 12,950 | 2,950 | 29.50% | $18,860 |
| 13 | Business Operations Specialists, All Other* | 8,710 | 11,310 | 2,600 | 29.85% | $50,730 |
| 14 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 6,120 | 8,690 | 2,570 | 41.99% | $32,830 |
| 15 | Loan Interviewers and Clerks | 2,550 | 4,780 | 2,230 | 87.45% | $31,930 |
| 16 | Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food | 35,670 | 37,850 | 2,180 | 6.11% | $17,520 |
| 17 | Food Service Managers | 2,030 | 4,030 | 2,000 | 98.52% | $40,040 |
| 18 | Computer Systems Analysts | 3,430 | 5,410 | 1,980 | 57.73% | $69,760 |
| 19 | Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other | 3,570 | 5,360 | 1,790 | 50.14% | $27,180 |
| 20 | Financial Managers | 5,340 | 7,120 | 1,780 | 33.33% | $89,800 |
| 21 | Construction Managers | 1,900 | 3,330 | 1,430 | 75.26% | $69,970 |
| 22 | Teacher Assistants | 17,330 | 18,730 | 1,400 | 8.08% | $20,460 |
| 23 | Driver/Sales Workers | 3,000 | 4,280 | 1,280 | 42.67% | $24,630 |
| 24 | Medical and Health Services Managers | 3,870 | 5,100 | 1,230 | 31.78% | $70,670 |
| 25 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 7,170 | 8,320 | 1,150 | 16.04% | $21,880 |
| 26 | Engineers, All Other | 370 | 1,500 | 1,130 | 305.41% | $65,460 |
| 27 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 2,380 | 3,470 | 1,090 | 45.80% | $18,560 |
| 28 | Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers | 1,950 | 3,040 | 1,090 | 55.90% | $33,510 |
| 29 | Soil and Plant Scientists | 1,430 | 2,500 | 1,070 | 74.83% | $59,290 |
| 30 | Retail Salespersons | 45,810 | 46,810 | 1,000 | 2.18% | $19,870 |
| 31 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists* | 2,850 | 3,790 | 940 | 32.98% | $43,760 |
| 32 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | 2,120 | 3,040 | 920 | 43.40% | $100,630 |
| 33 | Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 13,560 | 14,460 | 900 | 6.64% | $34,050 |
| 34 | Paralegals and Legal Assistants* | 1,490 | 2,370 | 880 | 59.06% | $40,640 |
| 35 | Insurance Sales Agents | 4,920 | 5,800 | 880 | 17.89% | $38,790 |
| 36 | Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers | 390 | 1,260 | 870 | 223.08% | $34,460 |
| 37 | Industrial Production Managers | 2,160 | 3,010 | 850 | 39.35% | $78,180 |
| 38 | Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 3,220 | 4,040 | 820 | 25.47% | $23,210 |
| 39 | Sales Managers | 2,470 | 3,270 | 800 | 32.39% | $83,350 |
| 40 | Amusement and Recreation Attendants | 1,360 | 2,150 | 790 | 58.09% | $17,640 |
| 41 | Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors | 2,330 | 3,100 | 770 | 33.05% | $19,520 |
| 42 | Self-Enrichment Education Teachers | 800 | 1,550 | 750 | 93.75% | $34,160 |
| 43 | Human Resources Managers | 580 | 1,320 | 740 | 127.59% | $87,590 |
| 44 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,870 | 2,610 | 740 | 39.57% | $ |
| 45 | Logisticians | 470 | 1,200 | 730 | 155.32% | $57,750 |
| 46 | Financial Specialists, All Other | 750 | 1,480 | 730 | 97.33% | $47,460 |
| 47 | Bakers | 980 | 1,690 | 710 | 72.45% | $21,650 |
| 48 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 4,380 | 5,070 | 690 | 15.75% | $51,540 |
| 49 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,150 | 1,830 | 680 | 59.13% | $104,720 |
| 50 | Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | 10,080 | 10,760 | 680 | 6.75% | $38,170 |
Table 2 shows the top 50 jobs that had the fastest growth rate from 2010 to 2014. We note that the profession that grew the fastest is the profession of engineers, all other with a growth rate of 305.41%. It is followed by the profession of massage therapists which grew by 285.00% in the same period.