The U.S. car industry is on the rebound, showing signs of sustained growth for the first time in more than three years. Customers are returning to showrooms, seeking good deals on new cars. Some of this rebound can be attributed to pent up demand — old cars are wearing out and in need of replacing.

For college students majoring in engineering, the job prospects have brightened considerably in recent months. That’s because car manufacturers are looking for students who are well versed in all things technical, not just automotive. Indeed, if you have a computer background, you could be the ideal candidate for a job with GM, Ford, Chrysler or with a foreign manufacturer. Pay is excellent too, something engineering students will want to consider as they explore their options after college.

Average Salaries

The average salary for an automotive engineer was $78,160 in 2010 according to O*Net Online, a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website. This figure equals $37.58 per hour.

As of 2008, some 239,000 people were employed as automotive engineers. The BLS predicts slow, but sustained growth through 2018, reflecting a 3 to 6 percent increase in jobs.

Job Duties

Automotive engineers may be expected to handle a number of tasks during the course of their work day including conducting or directing system-level automotive testing. Engineers may design control systems or algorithms for purposes such as automotive energy management, emissions management, or increased operational safety or performance; analyze automotive systems; alter or modify designs; build clay models; calibrate vehicle systems; develop engineering specifications and calibration methodologies; and conduct automotive design reviews.

Education

Not many colleges and universities offer automotive bachelor degree programs in the United States. According to Indiana State University that number is currently at 16. Coursework is similar and involves automotive electronics, engine theory and service, steering and suspension systems, physics and chemistry, and transmission and drivelines among others. Even if your engineering degree is not in automotive science, don’t let that stop you from applying. Modern cars, such as the Ford Focus Electric utilize many parts that aren’t just used in cars including lithium-ion batteries, electric charging ports and voice activated navigation.

Considerations

Automotive engineering can also serve as a springboard for other job opportunities. You can use what you learn working with a car manufacturer to work for many other companies including industry suppliers. Your career route may not always seem clear-cut, but it can yield much satisfaction if you are innovative and flexible.

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Dental hygienists assist dentists, by cleaning teeth, examining the mouth, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. Hygienists may educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x-rays, or apply fluoride or sealants according to O-Net Online.

Duties

Today’s dental hygienists have expanded job responsibilities, handling tasks previously performed only by the dentist. Hygienists examine and review patient medical histories, examine gums for evidence of periodontal disease, chart conditions and treatment of disease and gum recession, prevent tooth decay through the administration of fluorides and more. Hygienists also operate dental equipment include x-ray machines, polishers and syringes. Familiarity with dental billing and medical software is usually a requirement for this position.

Education

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 300 schools offer hygiene programs that are accredited by the Commission on Dental Association. Most programs grant an associate degree or a certificate, however some programs are more advanced and offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Programs include laboratory, clinical, and classroom instruction in such subjects as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, nutrition, radiography, histology, periodontology, pathology, dental materials, clinical dental hygiene, and social and behavioral sciences. Dental hygienists must be licensed by the state where they practice; the American Dental Association’s Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations administers a written examination, one that is required for licensure.

Salaries

The mean annual salary for dental hygienists was $68,680 as of May 2010 reports the BLS. Salaries ranged from $45,000 to $93,820, with the middle 50 percent earning between $55,930 and $81,340. The median income for this profession was $68,250.

Employers

More than 95 percent of the 177,520 employed as of 2010 worked for offices of dentists, earning $300 above the national mean. A few other employers of dental hygienists included offices of physicians, outpatient care services, employment services and hospitals. Salaries for these employees ranged from $56,950 to $68,390.

Locations

Employment for dental hygienist roughly followed the population of each state with California, Texas, New York, Florida and Michigan having the most hygienists employed. In California, wages averaged $90,220 per year, behind Alaska where wages averaged $90,220. Other states reporting high wage averages included Washington at $87,810 and Nevada at $83,930. Among metropolitan areas, top pay was available in greater San Francisco, California, at $104,250 and Santa Rosa, California, at $101,510. Wages in New Haven, Connecticut averaged $98,090 followed by Oakland and Sacramento in California averaging $97,340 and $97,190, respectively.

Outlook

The bureau is projecting tremendous growth for the dental industry, with the number of dental hygienists employed expected to rise by 36 percent from 2008 to 2018. This rate is approximately triple the rate of all jobs and is attributed to older people deciding to keep their teeth and better access to dental care across society. Wages should remain high, one of the few industries where an associate degree can lead to high salaries.

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Working with the dead has its advantages. They don’t talk back, they care less how they look and you’ll never see them again once you’re done serving them. Seriously, working with the deceased isn’t for everyone. You need to have certain people skills — compassion, empathy and sympathy — that not everyone has. You’ll also need to be specially trained and equipped to work as a mortician, a professional who is also known as an undertaker or a funeral counselor.

Duties

A mortician consults with decedent’s next of kin to make funeral and burial arrangements. This professional will need to fill out legal documents, including a death certificate, and complete a burial permit. The mortician schedules, plans and coordinates the funeral, including discussing with kinfolk casket options, cremations, wake or memorial services and coordinating with the cemetery or crematorium. The mortician may offer counseling, including discussing what survivor benefits may be available and by working with other professionals including clergy as needed.

Education

On the job training is an important aspect for the mortician, but first the apprentice should have completed a two- or four-year mortuary science program. Accredited programs from the American Board of Funeral Service Education covers about 60 mortuary science programs, usually leading to two-year degrees. All states require funeral directors to be licensed and most require these professionals to take continuing education courses. While in college, students will take a variety of courses including anatomy, physiology, pathology, embalming techniques and restorative art. Also business management, accounting and computer, and client services courses are essential for this position.

Salaries

The mean annual wage for morticians, funeral counselors and undertakers was $62,490 per year as of May 2010 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With fewer than 30,000 people working as morticians, the industry is small, but fairly lucrative for experienced workers. Starting pay is low, averaging $29,930 for those in the 10th percentile and rising to $40,050 for those in the 25th percentile. Morticians in the 50th percentile earned $54,330 in 2010. Those in the 75th percentile earned $72,920 while those in the 90th percentile averaged $98,820 per year.

Employers

The death care services industry, comprised of funeral homes, crematoriums and similar planning businesses employes more than 85 percent of all morticians according to the bureau. This industry paid its workers $62,360 per year in 2010, nearly matching the national mean. The remaining workers were self-employed or employed by the federal government and employment services, averaging $71,150 and $61,080 per year, respectively.

Location

More morticians worked in Texas than in any other state, earning $51,080 per year on average, far below the national mean. New York had the second highest number of morticians, who earned well above the national mean at $81,270 reports the bureau. Morticians in Pennsylvania averaged $63,710, those in California earned $73,210, while morticians in North Carolina made $591,60 per year on average, to round out the five states with the highest employment levels.

Outlook

The job forecast for funeral service workers is expected to be good, with the bureau anticipating a 12 percent growth rate from 2008 to 2018, corresponding to the rate of growth for all jobs. The bureau notes that many opportunities for employment will come as older workers retire. Moreover, the mortuary science major who is willing to relocate may find more opportunities by casting his or her net further afield.

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A medical appliance technician is tasked with constructing, fitting, maintaining, or repairing medical supportive devices, such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances. This professional is sometimes known as a prosthetics technician, an ocularist or an orthopaedic technician.

Duties

Missing a limb, an eye or having a disability requiring the use of a medical appliance is not just for the elderly. Our war wounded need to be outfitted with devices to help them to stand, walk, pick up items and hold loved ones. Working with these people are technicians who fit such appliance onto patients and make adjustments as necessary. Some technicians are skilled at building such appliances or at least repairing and modifying them accordingly. The technician must ensure that such appliances are measured properly by taking the patient’s body or limb measurements.

Education

Most medical appliance technicians have some college, but no degree with one in nine having a bachelor’s degree notes O-Net Online. Employers typically train technicians on the job, but also prefer people who have had formal training. Students who complete a National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education approved training program are desirable candidates; just five schools in the United States offer this program as of 2011. Students complete a certificate program or an associate degree enroute to receiving NCOPE certification.

Salaries

The mean annual wage for medical appliance technicians was $38,610 as of May 2010 reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries for those in the 10th and 25th percentiles were $23,450 and $28,550, respectively. The median salary was $35,670. Those in the 75th percentile averaged $44,950 per year, while those in the 90th percentile earned $58,060 on average.

Employers

More than 60 percent of the 13,320 medical appliance technicians employed as of 2010 worked in one industry — medical equipment and supplies manufacturing. These professionals averaged just below the mean annual wage, earning $37,920 per year. Health and personal care stores paid its technicians $39,910 with equipment wholesalers offering the top annual salaries at $46,260 per year.

Location

The bureau reports that California had the largest number of medical appliance technicians, with these professionals earning $42,700 per year on average. Top pay of $50,160 per year was earned by technicians in Iowa with those in Kansas and Colorado following, earning $47,180 and $46,630, respectively. Medical appliance technicians working in Michigan averaged $46,450 per year and those in Minnesota came in at $46,270 annually. Among the lower paying states for this profession were Indiana at $28,830 and West Virginia at $30,870. The top paying metropolitan area for these professionals was the Des Moines, Iowa, region with average annual pay of $58,070. Baltimore and Los Angeles followed with wages of $51,790 and $51,510, respectively.

Outlook

The BLS has forecast that job growth for medical appliance technicians will increase by 11 percent from 2008 to 2018, matching the growth rate for all jobs. The bureau notes that few people seek these jobs, attributing that to the general lack of awareness for these kinds of positions. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease contribute to limb loss and because these diseases continue to affect an increasingly older population, the demand for medical appliance technicians should remain high.

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If you’re good with numbers, are analytical and interested in financial information such as company reports, the stock market, investments and tax liability, then a career as an accountant might be right for you. These professionals, who sometimes work as auditors, will encounter a wide variety of job duties depending on which of the four major fields of accounting and auditing selected: public accounting, management accounting, government accounting and internal auditing.

Duties

Accountants are responsible for preparing, examining and analyzing accounting records, financial statements or reports, to ensure that such data is accurate, complete and conforms to company and procedural standards. Accountants report to upper management, detailing the company’s financial position and making recommendations as warranted. These professionals develop recordkeeping and accounting systems for their firms, typically using existing computer technology to accomplish that task. Accountants liaise with private and government auditors, analyze business operations, trends and costs, and advise clients as needed.

Education

About 80 percent of accountants have a bachelor’s degree according to O-Net Online. Five percent have an associate degree and approximately 1 in 10 has a master’s degree. Most accountants majored in accounting while in college and took courses in engineering, mathematics, technology and computer science.

Salaries

More than one million people were employed as accountants and auditors as of 2010 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The mean annual wage was $68,960, with those in the 10th percentile earning $38,940 per year. For accountants in the 25th and 50th percentiles, their average annual salaries were $47,990 and $61,690, respectively. For accountants in the 75th and 90th percentiles, their average salaries were $81,290 and $106,880, respectively.

Employers

Approximately 25 percent of accountants worked for accounting firms, the largest employer of such professionals, paying $74,250 per year on average. Accountants employed by corporations and other businesses earned close to the national mean, averaging $68,760 per year. Local and state governments represented the third and fourth largest employer category, offering average pay of $59,190 and $56,460, respectively. Top annual pay of $89,310 was earned by accountants employed by the federal government followed by accountants who worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission. SEC accountants earned $83,610 per year on average.

Location

Employment levels for accountants generally follows state population sizes as accountants are needed in every state, county, city and in most companies. California, the largest state, had nearly 1 in 9 of the nation’s accountants in 2010, professionals who averaged $74,360 per year. New York followed, with much higher wages, averaging $85,230 per year. New Jersey had the second-highest average wages for accountants at $79,620 per year. The greater New York City area had the highest average wages in the nation, with accountants earning $89,220 per year. Metropolitan San Jose, California, followed at $88,750 per year. In the District of Columbia, accountants averaged $84,390 per year.

Outlook

Job growth for accountants should be twice the rate of all jobs according to the BLS. The bureau has forecast a 22 percent rise from 2008 to 2018, citing “an increase in the number of businesses, changing financial laws and corporate governance regulations, and increased accountability for protecting an organization’s stakeholders will drive job growth.” Achieving professional recognition is beneficial for the prospective accountant as can having a master’s degree in accounting or a master’s degree in business administration.

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