Return to LMEA homepage High Growth and Declining Occupational Projections
Northwest Workforce Development Area


Northwest WDA includes Island, San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom counties.

Estimated Empl. Average Annual
SOC Code Occupational Title  3rd Qtr 2001  3rd Qtr 2003  Growth Rate Empl. Growth  Total   Openings
  251000   Postsecondary teachers 2,116 2,245 3.0% 64 121
  353021   Combined food preparation & serving workers, including fast food 3,215 3,337 1.9% 61 312
  353031   Waiters & waitresses 2,708 2,790 1.5% 41 207
  259041   Teacher assistants 1,237 1,310 2.9% 37 60
  412031   Retail salespersons 4,933 5,005 0.7% 36 259
  291111   Registered nurses 1,613 1,678 2.0% 33 61
  252021   Elementary school teachers, except special education 965 1,026 3.1% 30 50
  412011   Cashiers 4,663 4,707 0.5% 22 306
  252031   Secondary school teachers, except special & vocational education 665 706 3.1% 21 40
  436014   Secretaries, except legal, medical, & executive 1,605 1,647 1.3% 21 45
  372011   Janitors & cleaners, except maids & housekeeping cleaners 1,978 2,019 1.0% 20 56
  253999   All other teachers, primary, secondary, & adult 735 775 2.7% 20 26
  352014   Cooks, restaurant 1,089 1,127 1.7% 19 59
  252022   Middle school teachers, except special & vocational education 602 641 3.1% 19 31
  319091   Dental assistants 631 669 2.9% 19 29
  439061   Office clerks, general 2,595 2,632 0.7% 18 69
  150000   All Other Computer & Mathematical Occupations 369 404 4.7% 18 20
  351012   First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation & serving workers 990 1,024 1.7% 17 43
  339032   Security guards 925 958 1.8% 17 44
  436013   Medical secretaries 594 627 2.7% 16 25
  352011   Cooks, fast food 685 714 2.1% 15 40
  431011   First-line supervisors/managers of office & administrative support workers 1,382 1,411 1.0% 14 37
  290000   All Other Healthcare Practitioners & Technical Occupations 860 887 1.5% 13 29
  359011   Dining room & cafeteria attendants & bartender helpers 677 703 1.9% 13 43
  472141   Painters, construction & maintenance 962 988 1.3% 13 29
  359021   Dishwashers 755 781 1.7% 13 53
  434171   Receptionists & information clerks 1,139 1,164 1.1% 12 39
  399011   Child care workers 2,191 2,215 0.5% 12 99
  435081   Stock clerks & order fillers 1,116 1,139 1.0% 11 68
  399021   Personal & home care aides 503 525 2.2% 11 18
  433021   Billing & posting clerks & machine operators 666 689 1.7% 11 27
  131198   Business operations specialists, all other 903 925 1.2% 11 32
  353022   Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, & coffee shop 742 764 1.4% 11 106
  292061   Licensed practical & licensed vocational nurses 602 624 1.8% 11 25
  492022   Telecommunications equipment installers & repairers, except line installers 562 583 1.9% 11 20
  132011   Accountants & auditors 985 1,006 1.1% 11 24
  353011   Bartenders 632 653 1.7% 11 35
  119030   Education Administrators 398 419 2.6% 11 20
  311012   Nursing aides, orderlies, & attendants 903 924 1.1% 10 21
  513011   Bakers 252 272 3.9% 10 14
  533022   Bus drivers, school 337 357 2.9% 10 18
  537061   Cleaners of vehicles & equipment 355 354 -0.1% -1 13
  499043   Maintenance workers, machinery 104 102 -0.5% -1 2
  271021   Commercial & industrial designers 112 111 -0.5% -1 0
  519023   Mixing & blending machine setters, operators, & tenders 72 71 -0.9% -1 1
  499098   Helpers--installation, maintenance, & repair workers 314 313 -0.2% -1 16
  435011   Cargo & freight agents 104 103 -0.7% -1 1
  499042   Maintenance & repair workers, general 1,281 1,280 -0.1% -1 13
  533041   Taxi drivers & chauffeurs 108 107 -0.7% -1 0
  274021   Photographers 216 215 -0.4% -1 3
  519012   Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, & still machine setters, operators, & tenders 83 82 -1.0% -1 1
  493093   Tire repairers & changers 237 236 -0.4% -1 10
  537063   Machine feeders & offbearers 352 350 -0.3% -1 12
  131023   Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, & farm products 223 221 -0.4% -1 3
  191010   Agricultural & food scientists 135 133 -0.7% -1 3
  411012   First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers 362 360 -0.3% -1 4
  493022   Automotive glass installers & repairers 101 99 -1.1% -1 1
  131051   Cost estimators 370 368 -0.3% -1 6
  271014   Multi-media artists & animators 135 133 -0.9% -1 2
  119021   Construction managers 393 391 -0.3% -1 4
  472051   Cement masons & concrete finishers 134 132 -0.9% -1 0
  170000   All Other Architecture & Engineering Occupations 300 297 -0.4% -1 3
  113071   Transportation, storage, & distribution managers 120 118 -1.1% -1 0
  430000   All Other Office & Administrative Support Occupations 427 424 -0.3% -1 9
  435061   Production, planning, & expediting clerks 175 172 -0.8% -1 1
  514121   Welders, cutters, solderers, & brazers 425 422 -0.3% -1 10
  273020   News analysts, reporters & correspondents 125 122 -1.2% -1 2
  434151   Order clerks 275 272 -0.6% -2 4
  373012   Pesticide handlers, sprayers, & applicators, vegetation 143 140 -1.2% -2 2
  472082   Tapers 353 350 -0.5% -2 1
  536031   Service station attendants 67 63 -2.6% -2 2
  211093   Social & human service assistants 174 170 -1.0% -2 3
  472081   Drywall & ceiling tile installers 374 370 -0.5% -2 1
  514031   Cutting, punching, & press machine setters, operators, & tenders, metal & plastic 286 283 -0.7% -2 3
  515011   Bindery workers 51 47 -3.9% -2 0
  514021   Extruding & drawing machine setters, operators, & tenders, metal & plastic 95 91 -2.1% -2 0
  211014   Mental health counselors 228 224 -0.9% -2 2
  273041   Editors 96 91 -2.3% -2 1
  519061   Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, & weighers 302 297 -0.7% -2 4
  413011   Advertising sales agents 179 174 -1.4% -2 1
  113051   Industrial production managers 252 247 -1.0% -3 1
  391021   First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers 204 198 -1.3% -3 3
  490000   All Other Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations 786 780 -0.4% -3 15
  499041   Industrial machinery mechanics 174 168 -1.8% -3 1
  512041   Structural metal fabricators & fitters 244 237 -1.3% -3 0
  411011   First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers 2,084 2,077 -0.2% -3 23
  172141   Mechanical engineers 162 155 -2.1% -3 1
  474095   All other construction & related workers 284 277 -1.2% -3 1
  473012   Helpers--carpenters 223 216 -1.7% -4 7
  514041   Machinists 233 226 -1.7% -4 1
  537064   Packers & packagers, hand 901 893 -0.4% -4 19
  434081   Hotel, motel, & resort desk clerks 563 555 -0.7% -4 24
  514011   Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal & plastic 79 71 -5.4% -4 0
  119141   Property, real estate, & community association managers 164 156 -2.6% -4 0
  512092   Team assemblers 922 914 -0.5% -4 10
  519198   Helpers--production workers 365 356 -1.2% -4 5
  518093   Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, & gaugers 253 243 -1.9% -5 3
  451010   First-line supervisors/managers/contractors of farming, fishing, & forestry workers 439 429 -1.1% -5 0
  419098   All other sales & related workers 523 512 -1.0% -5 5
  131041   Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health & safety, & transportation 1,021 1,010 -0.5% -6 18
  515023   Printing machine operators 151 139 -3.9% -6 0
  513092   Food batchmakers 455 442 -1.4% -6 4
  511011   First-line supervisors/managers of production & operating workers 831 818 -0.8% -7 14
  516011   Laundry & dry-cleaning workers 350 335 -2.1% -7 2
  412021   Counter & rental clerks 853 838 -0.9% -7 40
  419021   Real estate brokers 182 167 -4.2% -7 0
  211015   Rehabilitation counselors 512 497 -1.5% -8 1
  434181   Reservation & transportation ticket agents & travel clerks 349 332 -2.4% -8 1
  533033   Truck drivers, light or delivery services 1,207 1,190 -0.7% -8 6
  537051   Industrial truck & tractor operators 699 682 -1.3% -9 0
  231011   Lawyers 657 636 -1.6% -10 0
  433031   Bookkeeping, accounting, & auditing clerks 2,946 2,924 -0.4% -11 42
  514072   Molding, coremaking, & casting machine setters, operators, & tenders, metal & plastic 316 285 -5.1% -16 0
  533032   Truck drivers, heavy & tractor-trailer 2,072 2,039 -0.8% -17 9
  452080   Farmworkers 834 800 -2.1% -17 13
  410000   All Other Sales & Related Occupations 1,087 1,052 -1.6% -18 11
  419022   Real estate sales agents 564 517 -4.2% -23 0
  395012   Hairdressers, hairstylists, & cosmetologists 767 717 -3.3% -25 0
  370000   All Other Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations 1,242 1,191 -2.1% -25 6
  459100   All other farming, fishing, & forestry workers 1,185 1,133 -2.2% -26 16
  510000   All Other Production Occupations 2,817 2,713 -1.9% -52 45
  472031   Carpenters 3,053 2,948 -1.7% -52 0
  450000   All Other Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations 5,818 5,559 -2.3% -130 61
  999999   All other occupations 5,240 4,888 -3.4% -176 115


For More Information

For specific questions concerning this survey or for other labor market information, contact the Labor Market Information Center at 1-800-215-1617 or email: lmic@esd.wa.gov

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Last Update: August 2002