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laws require that under a medical policy which offers mental health aspects, an insurer must provide
the same amount of visits to a Mental Health Counselor as they provide for medical visits according to
the Affordable Care Act. The criminal justice system is increasingly offering treatment programs as an
alternative to incarceration, fueling the demand for qualified counselors.
7. Financial Analyst
Average Salary: $66,000
Predicted Growth 2008-2018: 20 percent
Minimum Requirements:
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in finance, business, accounting, statistics, or
economics. Analysts provide advice on how to best grow a company’s or individual’s worth. Getting
a job in this field is heavily dependent on contacts. Growing your network through internships and
university activities would be vital for success in this career field.
8. Network Systems Administrator
Average Salary: $77,910
Predicted Growth 2008-2018: 28 percent
Minimum Requirement:
Most employers require a bachelor’s degree in computer science and
related work experience. However, an associate’s degree combined with work experience may also
be acceptable for some employers. Professional certifications, such as those offered by Microsoft and
Cisco, may be required for employment or career advancement. Certain employers may also require
security clearances from the Department of Defense depending upon the level or nature of the job
function. In general, Network Systems Administrators ensure network availability to all users of a
local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN). Demand is expected to increase as companies
continue to invest in mobile networks, and create new and faster technologies.
9. Engineer
Average Salary: $75,780
Predicted Growth 2008-2018: 11 percent
Minimum Requirement:
Bachelor of Science in engineering as well as passing state licensure exams.
Employment for engineers will continue to grow as governments and industries work to meet the
challenges of a growing population. The engineering field is very diverse and the average income for
engineers will vary by specialty, qualifications, experience, and location. However, much of employment
growth has evolved around research and development, biomed and civil engineering.