The state of California has the largest economy in the United States and is one of the largest sub-nations in the world. If it were a sovereign nation, it would rank fifth in the world. In 2021, the state’s Gross State Product (GSP) was estimated at $3.4 trillion. Currently, over 19.3 million people are employed in California, and the unemployment rate is 3.9%, 0.4% higher than the national average.
California is home to a variety of industries. The state is most famously known for being the home to Silicon Valley, which is home to some of the largest technology companies in the country and the world. Companies like Facebook, Tesla, and Google call the state home and are significant contributors to California’s tech industry. The state is also home to a large tourism and hospitality industry, with the majority of the film industry located within the state. Agriculture remains king in California, though, as the state has a rich market for vegetables and fruit and is one of the country’s top producers of wine and milk. The healthcare industry is also becoming one of the fastest-growing industries in the state. Residents in California are getting older, and the need for qualified nurses, doctors, and other health professionals is becoming increasingly important.
According to the U.S. Census, the median salary in California is $78,672, which is higher than the national average by over $13,000. While California’s median income is much higher than the national average, the income taxes and other state taxes take a larger chunk of an individual’s income. The income has shown growth, growing over 4.5% year over year. The San Francisco area has the highest median income of any region in the state at just over $110,000. This article provides information on finding employment in California and other resources available in the state to assist with employment issues.
Career Opportunities in California
In this section, you’ll find information about some of the top careers and best opportunities in the state of California. These jobs are some of the most in-demand roles in the state, and in this section, you’ll find information about job outlook, median salary, and why it is one of the fastest-growing jobs.
Solar Photovoltaic Installers
A solar photovoltaic installer is arguably the fastest growing and most in-demand job opportunity in the state of California. This job requires the installation of solar panels and energy systems for homes and organizations. They must be able to install these panels correctly and up to code. This job is becoming more in demand due to the state’s commitment to using more renewable and affordable energy sources. This career does not require a four-year degree but does require a course from a technical career center or community college. The average salary of this career is $49,960 as of 2020, but it will undoubtedly see an increase as the demand keeps going up. The job growth from 2018 to 2028 is expected to be over 65%, the highest of any job in the state.
Occupational Therapy Assistants
The health sector in California will see a consistent rise in job opportunities, and occupational therapy assistant is at the top of the list. An occupational therapy assistant helps patients with therapeutic activities like physical exercise, helping with assistive technologies, and creating programs for children with developmental delays. An occupational therapy assistant can help with mental health patients or physical therapy patients, providing notes and support to healthcare professionals. The rise of aging residents in California is boosting demand for this career, as most will need more assistance soon. This career has an average salary of $73,930 and a job outlook of 42.3% through 2028.
Statisticians
In California, statisticians and mathematicians are highly sought after by the government, most businesses, and organizations. Their job duties include:
- Analyzing data.
- Using models and programs for analysis.
- Breaking down difficult-to-understand information to put it into accessible formats.
Additionally, statisticians seek to solve complex problems, provide forecasts, and look for errors in data. Industries are doing more data collection than ever before, and statisticians are becoming more in demand due to their data analytics skills. The job outlook for statisticians through 2028 is 40.7%, and the median salary for a statistician is just over $112,000.
Information Security Analysts
Information security analysts are another data analysis job opportunity that is one of the fastest-growing careers in the state of California. An information security analyst’s job is to secure the data, information systems, and important information for a company or an organization. They are experts in testing the security and vulnerability of a system while investigating potential threats and ensuring their organization is using up-to-date security systems along with strong security measures. As cyber-attacks are becoming more common, this job has seen a steep rise in demand in California, where many large tech companies are located. The median salary for this role is about $126,000, and the position is expected to grow at a rate of almost 33%.
Physician Assistants
The role of a physician’s assistant is another high-demand health role in the state of California. Their job duties include examining, diagnosing, and treating physicians’ patients. Generally speaking, a physician assistant will work as a part of a medical team, can prescribe medications, and offer support and assistance to family members of patients. They can also consult with other healthcare workers and provide outreach in times of need. As the population in California continues to age, the demand for qualified physician assistants in the health industry is growing rapidly. The role will see continuous growth with a job outlook growth rate of 34.2% through 2028. The median salary for this job opportunity is over $135,000.
Nurse Anesthetists
Continuing with careers in the health sector, nurse anesthetists are another high-demand career in California. The primary responsibility of a nurse anesthetist is to administer anesthesia during medical procedures. They help the doctor by providing notes before procedures and ensuring that the procedure can be done safely and without issue. They also monitor the patient to make sure that they are safe before, during, and after the procedure is completed. While the increasing age of California residents is the main reason for the increase in demand for this position, anesthetists are a crucial part of the health sector and provide key services to doctors during surgery. The average salary for this career is over $205,000, and the job outlook through 2028 is 30.8%.
Personal Care Aides
The role of a personal care aid will be in high demand in California as the age of Californians continues to rise. A personal care aid is someone who works with people who have illnesses or disabilities. They provide basic care for their patients and help them complete everyday tasks, especially if the patient is immobile or bedridden. They are required to keep records, track progress, and create reports to note any improvement. A college degree is not necessary for this career path, but some courses may be recommended. The job outlook growth rate is just over 32%. However, the average salary of this career is well below the state average, at just over $32,000.
California Employment and Job Seeking Resources
If you’re a job seeker in California, you’ll find information in this section about finding employment, and informational job-seeking resources. Links to job boards and other resources will be included in this section to assist job seekers in finding a new career or employment in California. We have provided information about Indeed, CalJOBS, My Next Move, the Los Angeles Public Library, and America’s Job Center of California.
Indeed
Indeed is one of the largest job boards available on the internet and is extremely helpful for job seekers who live in California or are looking to move to the state for a new career. Along with job postings, Indeed also offers career growth services, resume-building services, and advice from professionals. You can find informational articles, videos, and other resources to help you find a new career in California. The website features an easy job application system and new jobs that get added to the site every day. Indeed has been one of the best resources for job seekers for quite some time and offers a wide variety of jobs in California.
CalJOBS
The California State Government provides CalJOBS as a resource for job seekers. Several resources can be found on this website, including job postings, workshops, education services, resume-building services, and more. Additionally, it provides information for employers, such as finding qualified candidates, finding job fairs, and more. As a government-provided system, this is an excellent resource for job seekers in California. It can provide education to further an individual’s career or help them find a career in an industry that suits them properly. You can find more information about CalJOBS on their website, located here.
Los Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library has an excellent way to access career resources for job seekers in California and specifically in the Los Angeles metro area. Their website, located here, offers a comprehensive job guide and an online career center. The job guide features over 200 resources for first-time job seekers, unemployed workers, or those looking to make a career change. The library also offers financial support resources, as well as other career educational opportunities like tutoring and a job board for the library. Utilizing these free resources from the library can help you advance your career or find a job in a field that you are interested in.
America's Job Center of California
America’s Job Center of California offers a wide variety of services to help match qualified job seekers with employers in California who are looking to fill their open jobs. This career center provides services to job seekers like skill assessment, career planning, and developing plans to find employment. AJCC also offers informational job workshops, resume and cover letter writing assistance, mock interviews, and assistance with finding and applying for jobs in California. With several locations, the AJCC is one of California’s best resources for job seekers. You can find their website here.
My Next Move
My Next Move is an interactive tool provided by the Department of Labor that helps job seekers, students, and unemployed workers learn more about their career options by offering education on skills, tasks, and salary guides. Job seekers can search over 900 different careers to see what skills are required and get a personalized assessment to find what career will best suit their interests, skills, and work experience, if applicable. The site will give users an updated job outlook on the career path they wish to choose, allowing them an opportunity to look into the future of their desired career. You can find their website here.
California Resume Writing Resources
In this section, you will find information and links to helpful resume writing resources located throughout the state of California. These resources will help you as a job seeker create a resume to help you stand out to potential employers and give tips on writing an impressive cover letter.
CalHR
CalHR offers a helpful and informational resume writing resource page on its website. The page provides tips on writing resumes in different formats, such as the chronological or functional resume format. The resume writing resource page also has a helpful list of dos and don’ts for when you are writing or updating your resume for your next job application. Additionally, the site offers career and employment services, and a jobs center with job postings from employers all over the state of California. You can find the resume writing resource page here on the CalHR website.
University of California Berkeley
The University of California Berkeley has a resume writing resource page on its website that provides helpful tips for students, recent graduates, job seekers, or recently unemployed individuals. The page has helpful videos to pair along with the information given on their site. The university also offers cover letter writing tips, as well as information on how to add references to your resume. If you are a student, you can get your resume peer reviewed and get live feedback from teachers and other students. You may also be able to visit their career center to get help with writing your resume. You can find the resume writing resource page here.
Cal Career Center
The Cal Career Center is a resource centered around students and job seekers that gives helpful tips and information for finding careers with for-profit and nonprofit organizations in California. They offer a resume writing resource page on their website that has helpful tips to help you create a solid resume and write a cover letter that can make an impact when applying for your next job. The page offers a resume builder tool to help you craft an impressive resume. Cal Career Center was created as an educational resource site to help educate students and job seekers. Their resume writing resource page can be found here.
Los Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library offers resume writing tips and cover letter writing resources for job seekers in California, and specifically, the Los Angeles metro area. The resource page for resume and cover letter writing, located here, also offers a comprehensive job guide and online career center for job seekers. The library also provides financial support resources, as well as links to other job boards for finding national jobs or jobs that are located in California. The Los Angeles Public Library offers a wide variety of links and resources for active job seekers in California.
University of California Riverside
The University of California Riverside offers a comprehensive and interactive career center on its website that features a resume-building page that aligns with their job search strategies web page. The college website offers resume resources, writing assistance, resume examples for a wide variety of industries, resume samples for undergrad and graduate students, cover letter writing resources, and tips on how to add your references to your resume. Building a strong resume is a crucial part of the job search process and can help you land an interview with a company you genuinely want to work for. UC Riverside’s resume writing resource page can be found here.
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