Top Ten Occupations in Texas by Education Level Based on 2008 Employment
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.
Postsecondary Vocational Award/Certificate
Rank |
Occupation Description | Number of Jobs |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Real estate sales agents | 145,353 |
2 |
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants | 104,145 |
3 |
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | 73,927 |
4 |
Automotive service technicians and mechanics | 68,759 |
5 |
Preschool teachers, except special education | 42,640 |
6 |
Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists | 37,455 |
7 |
Appraisers and assessors of real estate | 32,537 |
8 |
Medical secretaries | 24,590 |
9 |
Legal secretaries | 23,931 |
10 |
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists | 22,468 |
Associate’s Degree
Rank |
Occupation Description | Number of Jobs |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Registered nurses | 173,836 |
2 |
Computer support specialists | 45,195 |
3 |
Paralegals and legal assistants | 19,042 |
4 |
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians | 17,243 |
5 |
Radiologic technologists and technicians | 14,438 |
6 |
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians | 13,901 |
7 |
Civil engineering technicians | 13,695 |
8 |
Computer specialists, all other | 11,343 |
9 |
Medical records and health information technicians | 10,673 |
10 |
Dental hygienists | 9,595 |
Bachelor’s Degree
Rank |
Occupation Description | Number of Jobs
|
|---|---|---|
1 |
Elementary school teachers, except special education | 159,463 |
2 |
Accountants and auditors | 125,977 |
3 |
Property, real estate, and community association managers | 101,565 |
4 |
Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education | 100,866 |
5 |
Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education | 81,303 |
6 |
Construction managers | 70,804 |
7 |
Personal financial advisors | 68,428 |
8 |
Business operation specialists, all other | 68,390 |
9 |
Insurance sales agents | 63,874 |
10 |
Teachers and instructors, all other | 61,974 |
Degree Plus Work Experience
Rank |
Occupation Description | Number of Jobs |
|---|---|---|
1 |
General and operations managers | 188,115 |
2 |
Chief executives | 95,624 |
3 |
Management analysts | 81,855 |
4 |
Financial managers | 48,094 |
5 |
Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers | 38,457 |
6 |
Sales managers | 26,228 |
7 |
Administrative services managers | 26,095 |
8 |
Education administrators, elementary and secondary school | 23,501 |
9 |
Medical and health services managers | 23,206 |
10 |
Computer and information systems managers | 17,951 |
Master’s Degree
Rank |
Occupation Description | Number of Jobs |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Clergy | 21,167 |
2 |
Educational, vocational, and school counselors | 20,382 |
3 |
Physical therapists | 12,365 |
4 |
Instructional coordinators | 12,312 |
5 |
Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers | 12,267 |
6 |
Librarians | 11,595 |
7 |
Speech-language pathologists | 11,416 |
8 |
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | 8,635 |
9 |
Occupational therapists | 6,911 |
10 |
Operations research analysts | 6,176 |
First Professional Degree
Rank |
Occupation Description | Number of Jobs |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Lawyers | 63,325 |
2 |
Physicians and surgeons | 57,862 |
3 |
Pharmacists | 18,419 |
4 |
Dentists, general | 5,679 |
5 |
Veterinarians | 5,539 |
6 |
Chiropractors | 3,686 |
7 |
Optometrists | 3,312 |
8 |
Podiatrists | 2,110 |
9 |
Orthodontists | 990 |
10 |
Audiologists | 969 |
Doctoral Degree
Based on Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. data, only nine occupations were listed with doctoral degree requirements.
Rank |
Occupation Description | Number of Jobs |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Postsecondary teachers | 112,605 |
2 |
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists | 9,647 |
3 |
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | 9,555 |
4 |
Computer and information scientists, research | 5,316 |
5 |
Microbiologists | 644 |
6 |
Physicists | 532 |
7 |
Biochemists and biophysicists | 454 |
8 |
Astronomers | 352 |
9 |
Mathematicians | 141 |
