Climb out of your career rut with a ‘Five-Star Job’ – Outlook plentiful: Utah Workforce Services’ site sorts occupations by how much education they require and lists their estimated pay

The Utah Department of Workforce Services wants to show you the money.

For the first time, the agency has released a list of "Five-Star Jobs" that are not only plentiful in the state, but pay well.

By Lesley Mitchell
The Salt Lake Tribune

Forget clerk, cook or call center operator. Utah’s five-star jobs include positions such as software engineers, pharmacists, nurses, paralegals, respiratory therapists and electricians. Jobs, sorted by their education and training requirements, are listed at http://jobs.utah.gov/wi/pubs/Outlooks/State/. Click on "Utah Job Trends Publication."

**************

For Senior Executive and Technical positions in Montana: http://www.montana-jobs.net

**************

"We really wanted to do something different this year with our job outlook, something that would help people find really good jobs and careers with a future," said Lecia Langston, state economist.

Salt Lake City corporate and securities paralegal Tally Burke was not surprised to see her occupation listed as a "five-star job." Burke, who has been a paralegal since 1996, said opportunities in her occupation are plentiful.

"You can find these jobs at law firms, courts, corporations, state agencies, insurance companies, title companies and other organizations," she said.

Burke added the state’s estimate of pay – $13.50 for entry-level jobs to an average hourly wage of $18 – is right on the money.

Paralegals perform a variety of legal tasks under the supervision of attorneys such as drafting and filing court documents.

Burke said most employers require paralegals to have associate degrees, which in Utah can be earned at Salt Lake Community College and some technical schools. She said some employers, however, require a bachelor’s degree or the completion of a certification test required by a national organization.

Another five-star job is respiratory therapist, one of a number of lucrative health care occupations for which there is plenty of opportunity.

"Everybody is looking for respiratory therapists," said Mich Oki, chairman of Weber State University’s respiratory therapy department and a practicing respiratory therapist. "That demand is expected to continue on for years."

Respiratory therapists, who according to the state earn entry-level wages of $16.70 per hour and average nearly $20 per hour, work in hospitals, clinics and in homes.

Respiratory therapist Gordon Lassen of Orem, who has worked in the industry more than three decades, said he enjoys the diverse nature of his job.

"We help everyone from a premature baby to a geriatric patient and everyone in between," he said. "And you’re always moving around in the hospital."

State economist Langston said the job projections are designed in part to help colleges and schools expand or add programs that will help alleviate shortages.

Ultimately, however, she hopes the list will help anyone planning a career avoid the frustration of investing in education and training only to learn they will have a difficult time finding employment.

"Occupational projections can be such a great career planning tool," she said. "Who wants to spend years in school only to discover they can’t find a job?"