• Students or Displaced Workers
    Planning Careers:  Labor Market Information
     
    If you live outside Minnesota, you can find corresponding state websites that provide up-to-date labor market information. 
     
    Using the Labor Market Information for Minnesota or your state, search for IT occupations in your part of your state.  In the case of Minnesota, colleges and universities are listed that provide training or degrees that help you obtain the occupations.  This will help you select the best college for your needs.
     
    NEW!  In most states, some college programs can accept stimulus (ARRA) funds that you obtain by applying to your local Workforce Investment Board or Workforce Center.  At the MN DEED site, those programs are marked "WIA".
     
    Labor Market Information from MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED):
     
     
    DEED Regions
     
    MN Economic Development Regions
     
    Example: Results for IT occupations in Economic Development Region 4 (April 2009)
    SOC Code
    Job Title
    Current Demand Rank
    Current Demand Indicator
    25th Percentile Wage
    Median Wage
    Planning Area Growth Rate
    Planning Area Total Openings
    Education and Training Requirements
    151041
    Computer Support Specialists
    13

     
    $28,658/yr
    $33,705/yr
    Above Average
    191
    Associate degree
    151071
    Network and Computer Systems Administrators
    22

     
    $42,316/yr
    $54,812/yr
    Well Above Average
    125
    Bachelor's degree
    113021
    Computer and Information Systems Managers
    24

     
    $74,453/yr
    $87,068/yr
    Well Above Average
    55
    Work experience, plus bachelor's or higher degree
    151081
    Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
    41

     
    $40,715/yr
    $51,376/yr
    Well Above Average
    78
    Bachelor's degree
    151051
    Computer Systems Analysts
    47

     
    $56,385/yr
    $68,551/yr
    Well Above Average
    70
    Bachelor's degree
     

    Computer Support Specialists  

    Provide technical assistance to computer system users. Answer questions or resolve computer problems for clients in person, via telephone or from remote location. May provide assistance concerning the use of computer hardware and software, including printing, installation, word processing, electronic mail, and operating systems.

     

    Network and Computer Systems Administrators  

    Install, configure, and support an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and Internet system or a segment of a network system. Maintain network hardware and software. Monitor network to ensure network availability to all system users and perform necessary maintenance to support network availability. May supervise other network support and client server specialists and plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures. 

     

    Computer and Information Systems Managers  

    Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as electronic data processing, information systems, systems analysis, and computer programming.

     

    Network Systems and Data Communications 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. Include telecommunications specialists who deal with the interfacing of computer and communications equipment. May supervise computer programmers.

     

    Computer Systems Analysts  

    Analyze science, engineering, business, and all other data processing problems for application to electronic data processing systems. Analyze user requirements, procedures, and problems to automate or improve existing systems and review computer system capabilities, workflow, and scheduling limitations. May analyze or recommend commercially available software.