Where the jobs are: The top mid-skill occupations in North Texas, and what they pay

Health care and computers.

Those are the top two categories for jobs in North Texas, with 67 percent of all openings falling into one of those two areas, according to an analysis by Dallas County Promise, an initiative that seeks to align workers’ skills with employers’ demand for those skills.

The first step in making the alignment is to analyze the job market, said Eric Ban, managing director of Dallas County Promise. To do so, the group looked at job postings in North Texas and found the top 20 jobs that earn a living wage that require an associate degree or less.

Dallas County Promise released findings of its latest report Tuesday. I looked through the results, and here were my takeaways:

Dallas County Promise looked at job postings for the 20 most recruited DFW middle skill occupations in 2017. Topping the list, by far, were registered nurses, with 36,321 job listings at a median wage of $71,800. Computer systems analysts were the second-most recruited, with 5,878 postings at a median wage of $89,200. Computer user support specialists came in third, with 5,624 job postings at a median wage of $51,600.

The supply of talent with the necessary credentials does not match the demand of employers in Dallas County. For example, 37 percent of Dallas County adults possess a post-secondary credential, while 65 percent of jobs require a post-secondary credential. And 67 percent of job openings are in health care or computers/math while only 25 percent of post-secondary credentials are in those areas.

Median wages for top DFW middle-skill jobs far exceed household incomes across most areas in Dallas Independent School District. Middle-skill jobs are defined as those that pay a living wage and require an associate degree or less. That means Dallas ISD graduates who go on to achieve a two-year degree and get a job such as computer system analyst, registered nurse, medical sonographer, construction supervisor or electrician will typically earn more than their parents immediately upon employment.

The credentials of students who complete Dallas County Community College District programs are sharply mismatched when lined up against the top 20 mid-skill job demands across DFW. For instance, 20 percent of DCCCD Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 program completions were in the health professions, and 80 percent of North Texas’ mid-skill job postings were for health care positions. Another example: 35 percent of DCCCD completions were in the mechanic and repair category, while 2 percent of DFW job postings were for those skills.

Continuing education past high school is a proven way to reduce the inequity and poverty that have plagued Dallas. Dallas ranks third in childhood poverty, and 75 percent of students in Dallas County are economically disadvantaged. Dallas’ median income has decreased 15 percent since 2000. And Hispanic and African American students complete college at less than half the rate of white students.

Addressing educational attainment is a strategy to bridge the divide between the haves and have-nots, said Eric Ban, managing director of Dallas County Promise.

“As far as what the future looks like, we want to be much more intentional about equity and workforce alignment,” Ban said.

This is an original article by Bill Hethcock Staff Writer, Dallas Business Journal. A copy of the original article can be found here.

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