15 of the Fastest Growing Occupations In West Central Missouri

If you're a resident of West Central Missouri and you're looking for a new job, or you want to look for a better job, the West Central Economic and Workforce Report from the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development can help.

Sounds dry, right? A little bit. But the report can give you an idea of what jobs are available for your education level. And give you an idea of what kind of training you'll need to get if you're looking to do something else.

West Central Missouri has more than 100,000 employees making up 4% of Missouri's employment. Additionally, the report shows that the major industries in West Central Missouri include gas stations, national security and international affairs, support activities for agriculture and forestry, animal production, and food manufacturing.

One of the other pieces of data in the report predicts the labor demand for occupations over the next ten years. The report then breaks down the occupations into jobs that require no more than a high school diploma and some on-the-job training called Now Jobs. Jobs that require some specialized training, an apprenticeship, or longer-term training called Next Jobs.  And jobs that require at minimum a college education called Later Jobs.

Here are the fastest-growing occupations in West Central Missouri.