Top 10 In Demand Occupations
As the level of competition for highly skilled workers heats up, the importance of clearly identifying workforce needs is greater than ever. Our region’s ability to aggressively advocate for fully aligned education and training systems will be foundational to our economic development success. With these goals in mind, the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA), Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce (LVMCC), and Workforce Connections have teamed up to unite the business community around a new, comprehensive workforce strategy, known as Workforce Blueprint 2.0.
Workforce Blueprint 2.0 is designed to be an innovative, data-driven approach to solving regional workforce issues. The Blueprint approach is designed to accomplish the following goals:
- Identify Southern Nevada’s current and future workforce needs
- Identify education and training capacity to meet workforce needs along with corresponding gaps and/or surpluses
- Publish a Top 100 list of in-demand occupations
- Identify how regional education and training capacity has changed since the original Blueprint was published
- Create a Workforce Report Card with annual workforce performance indicators to monitor progress
- Advocate for fully aligned education and training systems
By leveraging the unique strengths of each organization, LVGEA, LVMCC, and Workforce Connections have the opportunity to significantly improve the alignment of regional education and training providers.
In Demand Occupations: Demand vs. Supply
The final step in determining how existing public higher education programs correlate to forecasted demand involved allocating 2017 graduates, by degree program, across each occupation to determine an annual “workforce pipeline,” thereby illustrating where gaps—large and small—may exist relative to ongoing employment needs to satisfy forecast and growth targets.
| Ranking | High Demand Occupation | Up/Down from 2017 | Annual Openings w/ Forecasted Demand | Annual Pipeline | Forecasted Workforce Gap/Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Software Developers, Applications | Up | 233 | 31 | -202 |
| 2 | General + Operations Managers | Equal | 1,476 | 327 | -1149 |
| 3 | Managers, All Other | Down | 752 | ||
| 4 | RNs (Registered Nurses) | Up | 1,363 | 629 | -734 |
| 5 | Business Operations Specialists, All Other | Down | 841 | ||
| 6 | Civil Engineers | N/A | 122 | 26 | -96 |
| 7 | Financial Managers | Up | 504 | 106 | -398 |
| 8 | Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | Up | 166 | 9 | -157 |
| 9 | Respiratory Therapists | Up | 80 | 48 | -32 |
| 10 | Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians | N/A | 157 | 14 | -143 |
| 11 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | Up | 323 | 95 | -228 |
| 12 | Computer User Support Specialists | Up | 233 | 96 | -137 |
| 13 | Management Analysts | Equal | 287 | 20 | -267 |
| 14 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | Down | 68 | 77 | 9 |
| 15 | Maintenance and Repair Worker, General | Up | 1,244 | N/A | |
| 16 | Electronics Engineer, Except Computer | Up | 70 | 11 | -59 |
| 17 | Electrical Engineers | Up | 50 | 8 | -42 |
| 18 | Construction Managers | Down | 398 | 33 | -365 |
| 19 | Computer Systems Analysts | Down | 141 | 32 | -109 |
| 20 | Accountants and Auditors | Down | 762 | 332 | -430 |
| 21 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | Up | 3,287 | N/A | |
| 22 | Sales Managers | Up | 312 | 169 | -143 |
| 23 | Pharmacists | Down | 131 | 80 | -51 |
| 24 | Compliance Officers | Up | 164 | N/A | |
| 25 | Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | N/A | 784 | 117 | -667 |
| 26 | Engineers, All Other | N/A | 44 | 37 | -7 |
| 27 | Combine Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food | Up | 6,289 | ||
| 28 | Nurse Practitioners | N/A | 40 | 16 | -24 |
| 29 | Computer Occupations, All Other | Down | 175 | 96 | -79 |
| 30 | Information Security Analysts | Up | 44 | 16 | -28 |
| 31 | First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | Up | 201 | 27 | -174 |
| 32 | Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | N/A | 444 | 657 | 213 |
| 33 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | NA | 475 | ||
| 34 | Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | Up | 134 | 112 | -22 |
| 35 | Medical and Health Services Managers | Up | 155 | 102 | -53 |
| 36 | Cost Estimators | Down | 182 | 48 | -134 |
| 37 | Electricians | Up | 792 | ||
| 38 | Physical Therapists | Down | 97 | 60 | -37 |
| 39 | Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | N/A | 458 | 24 | -434 |
| 40 | Middle School Teachers, Except special and Career/Technical Education | N/A | 348 | 52 | -296 |
| 41 | Web Developers | Up | 68 | 29 | -39 |
| 42 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | N/A | 48 | 20 | -28 |
| 43 | First Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | Down | 247 | 53 | -194 |
| 44 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | Up | 1,345 | 11 | -1334 |
| 45 | Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | Up | 109 | ||
| 46 | Aerospace Engineers | N/A | 41 | 17 | -24 |
| 47 | Industry Machinery Mechanics | Up | 68 | ||
| 48 | Training and Development Specialists | N/A | 245 | 12 | -233 |
| 49 | Mechanical Engineers | Up | 30 | 8 | -22 |
| 50 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | Down | 853 | 2 | -851 |
Job Growth Targets for 2026 by Target Industry
The final consideration in determining how current higher education programs correlate to forecast demand involves the number of graduates produced in 2016 data by these regional programs and allocating those graduates across each occupation to determine an annual “workforce pipeline,” thereby illustrating where gaps – large and small – may exist relative to ongoing employment needs to satisfy forecast and growth targets.
Each aspirational growth factor used in determining these growth projections was selected based on known growth data and economic trends. These factors represent the extent to which occupational demand is expected to exceed that of the benchmark forecast that is more conservative in nature. These results are presented in the form of both a 10-year aspirational growth rate (based on 2016 actual employment) and new jobs that would be created by 2026 if this aspirational growth factor is fully realized.
| Ranking | High Demand Occupation | Base 2016 Employment | 2018 Employment | 10-Year Projected Growth Rate | New Jobs Created w/ Forecasted Growth | 2026 Forecasted Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business Headquarters + Services | 130,985 | 143,590 | 36% | 47,336 | 178,321 |
| 2 | Emerging Technology | 7,042 | 8,171 | 29.3% | 2,681 | 9,723 |
| 3 | Logistics, Mfg + Supply Chain Mgmt | 45,132 | 54,821 | 33% | 2,681 | 9,723 |
| 4 | Autonomous Systems | 5,217 | 5,891 | 36% | 1,854 | 7,071 |
| 5 | Finance, Banking + Insurance | 25,589 | 27,490 | 17% | 4,432 | 30,021 |
| 6 | Health Care Services + Medical Edu | 73,446 | 81,394 | 27% | 19,561 | 93,007 |
| 7 | Gaming, Tourism + Conventions | 285,165 | 291,669 | 18% | 50,878 | 336,043 |
In Demand Occupations: By Target Industry
Business HQ + Services
| High Demand Occupation | Secondary Target Idustry Alignment | Annual Openings w/ Forecasted Demand | Annual Pipeline | Forecasted Regional Workforce Gap/Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Operations Specialists | Logistics, MFG + Supply Chain | 495 | N/A | -510 |
| Market Research Analysts + Marketing Specialists | Logistics, MFG + Supply Chain | 310 | 95 | -228 |
| Financial Managers | Logistics, MFG + Supply Chain | 223 | 96 | -137 |
| Management Analysts | Logistics, MFG + Supply Chain | 287 | 20 | -267 |
| Computer User Support Specialist | Emerging Technology | 141 | N/A | -141 |
Emerging Technology
| High Demand Occupation | Secondary Target Idustry Alignment | Annual Openings w/ Forecasted Demand | Annual Pipeline | Forecasted Regional Workforce Gap/Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Specialists for Apps | Autonomous Systems | 211 | 31 | -202 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | Business HQ + Services | 133 | N/A | -141 |
| Information Security Analysts | Business HQ + Services | 41 | -25 | -28 |
| Web Developers | Business HQ + Services | 65 | -36 | -39 |
| Environmental Scientists + Specialists | Logistics, MFG, Supply Chain | 45 | -25 | -28 |
Logistics, MFG + Supply Chain
| High Demand Occupation | Secondary Target Idustry Alignment | Annual Openings w/ Forecasted Demand | Annual Pipeline | Forecasted Regional Workforce Gap/Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | Business HQ + Services | 117 | -91 | -96 |
| Aircraft Mechanics + Service Techs | N/A | 149 | -140 | -157 |
| Electrical Engineering Techs | Autonomous Systems | 148 | -134 | -143 |
| Architectural + Engineering Managers | Autonomous Systems | 64 | 13 | 9 |
| Electronics Engineers | Autonomous Systems | 65 | -54 | -59 |
Autonomous Systems
| High Demand Occupation | Secondary Target Idustry Alignment | Annual Openings w/ Forecasted Demand | Annual Pipeline | Forecasted Regional Workforce Gap/Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers for Apps | Emerging Technology | 211 | -180 | -202 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | Business HQ + Services | 133 | -133 | -141 |
| Information Security Analysts | Logistics, MFG + Supply Chain | 37 | -20 | -24 |
| Aerospace Engineers | Logistics, MFG + Supply Chain | 37 | -88 | -92 |
| Network + Computer Systems Admin | Business HQ + Services | 90 | -88 | -92 |
Finance, Banking + Insurance
| High Demand Occupation | Secondary Target Idustry Alignment | Annual Openings w/ Forecasted Demand | Annual Pipeline | Forecasted Regional Workforce Gap/Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Managers | Business HQ + Services | 482 | -376 | -398 |
| Management Analysts | Business HQ + Services | 277 | -257 | -267 |
| Accountants + Auditors | Gaming, Tourism + Conventions | 732 | -400 | -430 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office + Admin | Health Care Services + Med Edu | 1061 | -873 | -883 |
| Loan Officers | N/A | 214 | -205 | -210 |
Health Care Services + Medical Education
| High Demand Occupation | Secondary Target Idustry Alignment | Annual Openings w/ Forecasted Demand | Annual Pipeline | Forecasted Regional Workforce Gap/Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | N/A | 1324 | -695 | -734 |
| Respiratory Therapists | N/A | 77 | -29 | -32 |
| Pharmacists | N/A | 127 | -47 | -51 |
| Nurse Practitioners | N/A | 38 | -22 | -24 |
| Health Technologists + Techs | 130 | 130 | -18 | -22 |
Gaming, Tourism + Conventions
| High Demand Occupation | Secondary Target Idustry Alignment | Annual Openings w/ Forecasted Demand | Annual Pipeline | Forecasted Regional Workforce Gap/Surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants + Auditors | Finance, Banking + Insurance | 732 | -400 | -430 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office + Admin | N/A | 1328 | -1317 | -1334 |
| Chefs + Head Cooks | N/A | 460 | -456 | -462 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping + Janitorial | N/A | 492 | -492 | -498 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | N/A | 2987 | -2962 | -3002 |
Workforce Report Card
As Southern Nevada’s economy continues to grow, it will be imperative to continually re-assess progress toward addressing known workforce demand gaps or challenges. In response, LVGEA—in tandem with Workforce Connections and the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce—assembled stakeholders and partners in economic and workforce development to provide input into the creation of the region’s first Workforce Report Card.
This report card contains performance indicators across three distinct categories with clear connectivity to workforce development: K-12 education, postsecondary education, and talent and training. Initial data points for each indicator provide a clear foundation upon which the community can track and measure performance toward workforce development goals, both in quantity and quality.
The report card will be updated annually, with progress and movement across indicators used as a basis for implementing or funding new programs, adjusting curricula, or other actions that help ensure a high-quality workforce that meets the continued and growing needs of the regional economy.
K-12
AP Test Passage: 51.3% Southern Nevada | 59% National
ACT Scores: 17.45 Southern Nevada | 20.8 National
Talent and Training
Average Wages (Associate Degree or Less) $23.82 Southern Nevada |
Net Migration: +50,695 Nevada | +19,193 National
Postsecondary Education
Associate Degree-Holding Population: 7.7% Southern Nevada |
Bachelor's+ Degree-Holding Population: 24.4% Southern Nevada |
Methodology
The methodology used to guide this analysis was structured to mirror the initial Workforce Blueprint analysis, allowing for direct correlations and comparisons of key data variables. It also includes slight modifications based on available data, such as inclusion of wage data in the high-demand occupations ranking criteria, helping to reinforce the context and confidence of any associated demand or supply projections and resulting decisions.
In addition to the data inputs used to build this analysis, significant qualitative input from Southern Nevada stakeholders helped to guide the observations and findings contained within this report. Source data from stakeholders, while not publicly available, provided yet another valuable input to this analysis.
Questions?
Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance
- 702-791-0000
- 6720 Via Austi Parkway
Suite #330
Las Vegas, NV 89119 - For media or press inquiries, please email Danielle Smith or call 702-791-0000.