Career Clusters – The Story

Career Options What do you do?Agronomist

$52K-$88K+ Study plants and soil to improve crop quality and efficiency

Biotechnologist$31K-$49K+

Turn living organisms into commercial products in food, medicine, and environmental industries

Environmental Engineer

$62K-$98K+

Solve problems related to clean drinking water, air pollution, waste disposal, and toxic substances.

Farmer $20K-$100K+

Growing anything from artichokes to wheat, or raising livestock such as emu and cattle

Petroleum Engineer$29K-$100K+

Extract oil and natural gas from the ground

Survey Technician$32K-$56K+

Create maps

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

Earning Potential

Earning Potential

Career Options What do you do?Architect

$55K-$92K+ Using artistic and math skills to design office towers, houses, and other buildings.

Civil Engineer$60K-$92K+

Ever wonder why tall office buildings don’t fall down and bridges can support millions of pounds of weight?

Crane Operator$39K-$73K+

Control the machines that lift extremely heavy or awkward objects

Electrician$53K-$81K+

Brings safe and efficient electrical power to our homes and workplaces.

Land Surveyor$42K-$75K+

Use high-tech equipment, mathematical calculation, and historical research to create accurate maps.

Pipefitter$28K-$79K+

Measure, cut, weld, and install the pipe systems that carry water, gas, air, and other materials.

Architecture & Construction

Earning Potential

Arts, A/V Technology, and Communication

Career Options What do you do?Animator

$34K-$66K+ From SpongeBob to The Simpsons—animators have brought them all to life.

Art/Music Therapist$28K-$51K+

Using the creative power of art or music to help people deal with physical, emotional, and psychological problems.

Broadcast Technician$23K-$52K+

Work behind the scenes at television or radio stations.

Communication Specialist

$55K-$100K+

Help organizations explain their actions and policies effectively to customers, clients, the public, and their own employees.

Director of Photography$37K-$92K+

Think of a television or movie screen as your canvas, and light and images as your paint.

Recording Engineer$30K-$57K+

Using studio recording equipment to capture music and other sounds.

Earning Potential

Business, Management, & Administration

Career Options What do you do?Advertising Copywriter

$38K-$77K+ Write advertisements, or "copy," for television, radio, billboards, newspapers, and magazines.

Certified Public Accountant

$49K-$81K+

Helping people and businesses figure out how much they owe in taxes and preparing their financial records.

Entrepreneur$30K-$100K+

Tired of working for someone else? Why not start up and run your own business!

Forensic Accountant$49K-$100K+

Follow the money and find out who cooked the books.

Health Care Administrator

$63K-$109K+

Work behind the scenes to ensure that hospitals, community care agencies, and other health-related organizations are well run.

Retail Buyer$37K-$69K+

Are you a smart shopper with a good eye for what sells?

Earning Potential

Education & Training

Career Options What do you do?Audiologist

$52K-$74K+ Combine science, communication, and special electronic equipment to help people with hearing impairments.

Career Counselor$38K-$81K+

Helping people make one of the most important choices of their lives.

Corporate Trainer$37K-$68K+

The workplace is changing rapidly and good trainers can do a lot to help people adapt and excel.

Early Childhood Educator

$21K-$33K+

A lot more than babysitting.

High School Teacher$47K-$85K+

Helping young people learn and develop.

Principal$75K-$125K+

Managing a school to help students get a good education.

Earning Potential

FinanceCareer Options What do you do?Actuary

$67K-$113K+ The mathematical experts who estimate risks and costs for insurance companies.

Auditor$49K-$81K+

Use your financial investigative powers to keep an eye on the books.

Bank Manager$76K-$136K+

A lot of things go on at your local bank branch, and it's the manager's job to oversee all of them.

Insurance Claims Adjuster

$42K-$73K+

An investigator who makes sure that insurance claims are valid and then determines the right amount to be paid out.

Money Manager$44K-$112K+

Climb to the top of the competitive world of high finance, directing the investment of massive sums of money as a money manager.

Trader$44K-$112K+

High stakes gambling in the competitive world of high finance.

Earning Potential

Government & Public Administration

Career Options What do you do?Building Inspector

$43K-$73K+ Most of us take the safety and stability of our houses, apartments, and other buildings for granted—that’s because building inspectors are on the job.

Economist$67K-$121K+

Study the economy and advise governments and businesses.

Federal Agent$35K-$95K+

Investigating crimes and helping to preserve national security.

Infantry (Military)$16K-$95K+

The front line of national defense. Military salaries vary according to rank.

Politician$10K-$400K+

Make a difference in your community, city, region, or country.

Statistician$66K-$97K+

Ever wonder what statistics can tell us about the world and how it works?

Earning Potential

Health Science

Career Options What do you do?Allergist

$60K-$166K+ Allergists treat people who suffer from allergic reactions like nut allergies or hay fever.

Athletic Trainer$38K-$55K+

Helping injured athletes return to the game and designing training programs to keep them there.

Biological Tech$31K-$49K+

If you like collecting samples and doing experiments in science class, you should check this career out.

Medical Examiner/Coroner

$100K-$250K+

Uncover the truth about untimely deaths as a coroner.

Dental Hygienist$46K-$74K+

Cleaning teeth and teaching patients dental health.

Occupational Therapist

$59K-$90K+

Helping people with mental or physical limitations lead independent and productive lives.

Earning Potential

Hospitality & Tourism

Career Options What do you do?Chef

$21K-$100K+ It takes more than just creativity and good taste to run a kitchen.

Curator$39K-$90K+

It takes more than just creativity and good taste to run a kitchen.

Brewmaster$25K-$70K+

Making good beer is both an art and a science.

Exhibit Designer$33K-$60K+

Do you enjoy creative challenges?

Event Planner$36K-$65K+

A lot of hard work and organization goes into well-run events.

Hotel Manager$27K-$83K+

Overseeing reservations, housekeeping, restaurants, events, and all the other things that go into running a hotel.

Earning Potential

Human ServicesCareer Options What do you do?Abuse/Crisis Counselor

$20K-$50K+ Help people in traumatic relationships to find solutions.

Adoption Counselor$36K-$67K+

Help children find a loving home.

Career Coach$38K-$81K+

Help people onto the path that leads to their dream job.

Credit Counselor$20K-$50K+

Help clients with money problems get back on their feet.

Dietitian$32K-$71K+

It's about health and nutrition, not the latest dieting fads.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

$52K-$81K+

Using psychology to increase employee satisfaction and productivity in the workplace.

Earning Potential

Information Technology

Career Options What do you do?Bioinformatics Specialist

$35K-$100K+

Use an expert knowledge of computer science, statistics, and biology to help other scientists analyze the vast amounts of information their research creates.

Computer Animator$30K-$150K+

Harnessing the power of computers to make artistic designs, special effects, and 3D models.

Database Developer$54K-$94K+

Making it easier for people to find and organize information.

Desktop Publisher$22K-$59K+

Using computer technology to design, write, edit, and lay out everything from business cards to posters and booklets.

Multimedia Developer $30K-$120K+

Help make programs like the one you are using now.

Video Game Developer

$45K-$90K+

Programmers, animators, graphic artists, writers, and testers all work together to create the video games you play.

Earning Potential

Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security Information Technology

Career Options What do you do?Bailiff

$18K-$66K+ Keeping courtrooms safe and secure.

Coast Guard$32K-$100K+

Does the adventure and challenge of working at sea appeal to you?

Correctional Officer$25K-$65K+

Maintaining order and security at prisons and helping inmates choose a better life.

Crime Scene Investigator$60K-$93K+

Help solve crimes by documenting and collecting evidence at crime scenes.

Fire Fighter$27K-$73K+

You spend a lot of time training and practicing, and when the bell rings you have to be ready for anything.

Police Officer$52K-$81K+

Discouraging crime and upholding the law.

Earning Potential

Manufacturing

Career Options What do you do?Clothing Manufacturer

$35K-$80K+ The business of making dresses, pants, shirts, and other garments.

Environmental Engineer

$62K-$98K+

Use your math and science skills to help solve problems related to clean drinking water, air pollution, waste disposal, and toxic substances.

Industrial Designer$31K-$63K+

Designing products that work well and look good.

Logistics Specialist$49K-$86K+

Help businesses figure out the most efficient ways to do things.

Quality Controller$40K-$100K+

”The buck stops here!” Making sure products are made properly and safely.

Stationary Engineer$56K-$77K+

Run and monitor the machines that provide power, heat, and refrigeration for buildings and manufacturing facilities.

Earning Potential

Marketing, Sales, & Services

Career Options What do you do?Advertising Copywriter

$35K-$77K+ Write advertisements, or "copy," for television, radio, billboards, newspapers, and magazines.

Fashion Retailer$15K-$60K+

You get to buy and sell thousands of dollars of clothes and accessories!

Fundraiser$30K-$120K+

Raising money for charities, hospitals, and other worthy causes is an important business.

Market Research Analyst$30K-$77K+

Study (and try to predict) social, political, and economic trends—like divorce rates, voting patterns, and automobile sales.

Media Buyer$43K-$74K+

Buying print and online advertising space, and “spots” on radio and television, so that ads reach the right audience.

Sales Representative$25K-$200K+

It’s one of the most people-oriented careers in the business world.

Earning Potential

Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math

Career Options What do you do?Biomedical Engineer

$60K-$100K+ Use high tech engineering to develop medical equipment like CAT scanners, pacemakers, and artificial joints and organs.

Food Scientist$41K-$67K+

Take one part chemistry, one part biology, then mix with a passion for food.

GIS Specialist$33K-$68K+

A combination of geography and computers.

Meteorologist$59K-$101K+

Use satellites, radar, and sophisticated computers to study and predict the weather.

Solar Energy Tech$36K-$66K+

Help people reduce their energy bills and protect the environment by using sunshine to power their homes and businesses.

Toxicologist$25K-$100K+

Help protect people, animals, and the environment from the harmful effects of toxic substances.

Earning Potential

Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics

Career Options What do you do?Air Traffic Controller

$47K-$145K+ Tens of thousands of flights are made every day, and air traffic controllers help make sure they arrive safely.

Automotive Service Technician

$26K-$50K+

Do you love cars and enjoy figuring out how they work?

Avionics Tech$34K-$65K+

Testing, maintaining, and repairing the electronic equipment that modern aircraft rely upon.

Diesel Technician$25K-$57K+

Maintain and repair trucks, buses, bulldozers, generators, and many other kinds of diesel-powered equipment.

Operations Research Analyst

$55K-$91K+

Using math and computers to help businesses and other organizations work more efficiently.

Transportation Inspector$33K-$85K+

Help keep our transportation systems safe by inspecting trucks, trains, planes, and boats.