Hot jobs in a cool market: Tech-related professions in high demand in Indiana

Clark County

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January 24, 2009

By DANIEL SUDDEATH The News and Tribune Sat Jan 24, 2009, 08:53 PM EST

Coined computer geeks by some, masters of technology are having the last laugh when it comes to jobs in Indiana.

The most in-demand professions in the state are computer-related, according to the third installment of Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs, a report released in December by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Computer software engineers, network systems and data communications analysts and computer systems analysts were awarded the top three spots respectively on the Hot 50 list.

Software engineer Chad Hinton works for Decisive Analytics in Sellersburg. He’s heard the computer nerd jokes, but said the need for people in his profession proves impressing peers doesn’t put money in your pocket.

“Honestly, it’s always been a good profession,” said Hinton, a graduate of Indiana University Southeast. “There are tons of opportunities.”

Hinton’s love of math and science coupled with what he described as the Internet boom led him to the computer field.

“I’ve always called myself a computer nerd, too,” he said. “I’m in an easier position to have that in-demand job.”

Professions selected for the top 50 list are based on growth factors from Indiana’s occupational projections, according to a news release provided by Workforce Development.

It focuses on long-term growth from 2006 to 2016, as well as the short term from 2008 to 2010. Factors include numeric and percent growth in the fields and also the number of job openings.

Money is another key component of the report. The list is limited to jobs that have a higher wage average than the state’s median rate of $29,396, according to a 2007 occupational employment wage survey.

Bottom line: Hitting the books still matters.

“The message that can’t be emphasized enough is that education continues to pay,” said Teresa Voors, commissioner of Workforce Development.

“Most of these occupations require at the very least a two-year associate degree, with many others requiring a bachelor’s degree and/or professional degree.”

Dental hygienists, physical therapists and registered nurses accounted for the fourth, fifth and sixth slots on the list respectively. They were followed by pharmacists, postsecondary teachers, medical and health service managers and management analysts.

Vickie Sherrill is a licensed dental hygienist in Kentucky and Indiana. She’s spent the past several years working at Dr. Steven Farnsley’s Family Dentistry in New Albany.

She’s also a dental hygienist instructor at the University of Louisville and said despite the need, the profession is still quite competitive. Louisville has to turn down several applicants for dentistry and dental hygiene school, she noted.

Sherrill wasn’t surprised by the latest report proving how valuable her skills are.

“Ever since I’ve been in it, it’s been in high demand,” she said. “I’ve never seen a lull in the field of dentistry.”

But what’s hot in South Bend or Indianapolis isn’t necessarily trendy in Southern Indiana, according to Uric Dufrene, Sanders chair of the IUS Business Department.

A 2008 report from the Indiana Business Research Center ranked nursing as the hottest job in Southern Indiana, followed by elementary school teachers and truck drivers.

Floyd and Clark counties are associated more with the Louisville metro area than Indiana. The top 10 positions in the report fall under the economic sectors of information, professional and business services, health care and education.

Dufrene tracks those sectors weekly and said Louisville metro is still lacking in some areas.

“Compared to the rest of the nation, Louisville metro falls under the national average in information and professional and business services, and Floyd and Clark numbers are even lower than Louisville metro,” Dufrene said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of workers in Floyd and Clark employed in professional and technical services is small compared to the rest of the nation.

Some of the professions listed in the top 10 of the hot jobs report are found outside professional and business services and information, Dufrene said. A company such as YUM Brands could hire a systems analysts, for example.

The need for workers in health care and education should remain strong in Southern Indiana, Dufrene predicts. He seconds the idea that education is key component for getting a top job.

“We are behind the national average in bachelor degree attainment and our long-term economic development strategy should explicitly include increasing bachelor attainment, in addition to high school and associate degrees,” he said.

Enhancing opportunities with added programs at secondary education institutes is part of the equation. Pharmacists were listed at No. 7 on the hot jobs list for the state. Dufrene said the opening of a pharmacy school at Sullivan University in Louisville should increase the number of local pharmacists.

Dufrene credits public regional universities throughout the state for producing graduates that remain in their respective regions.

Hinton follows that trend. He works locally as a software engineer after graduating from IUS. The Purdue Technology Research Center in New Albany will aid in developing information- and technology-based jobs, Dufrene said. He also points to other local developments that will be beneficial.

“The River Ridge Commerce Center [in Clark County] will be a valuable asset to long-term growth,” Dufrene said.

Top 10 hot jobs

1. Computer software engineers, applications

2. Network systems and data communications analysts

3. Computer systems analysts

4. Dental hygienists

5. Physical therapists

6. Registered nurses

7. Pharmacists

8. Postsecondary teachers

9. Medical and health services managers

10. Management analysts

— Indiana Department of Workforce Development