Like many other areas of the country, Michigan is a state which is constantly changing in response to the times.
Jobs that were popular several decades ago may not even be in use today, and some of the jobs now popular probably won’t be around 50 years from now.
However, it is certainly possible to evaluate what are the most popular skilled jobs in Detroit today, even if those same jobs will disappear in the coming decades.
Below is a rundown of some of the most prevalent skilled jobs in Detroit – whether or not they’re still popular a decade from now will largely depend on how much the times change between now and then.
Physical Therapy Assistant
This professional is responsible for facilitating the work of a physical therapist, and this happens by offering assistance with administrative tasks and operational tasks. The demand for professionals in this career line has grown tremendously in recent years because so many people have suffered injuries, disabilities, or health conditions that require physical therapy for recovery.
Some of the specific duties carried out by physical therapists include massaging muscle groups, providing guidance for exercise programs, setting up equipment, lifting patients, and briefing patients after physical therapy.
In most cases, physical therapy assistants will also help to organize appointment schedules and manage phone calls coming into the office. In order to embark on a career as a physical therapy assistant, you will probably need to have a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, and you need a Michigan license so that you can legally perform all tasks in Detroit. The average compensation for a physical therapy assistant is $26 per hour.
Operations Analyst
These professionals assist an organization with the resolution of a number of issues by securing a great deal of data and analyzing it. After analyzing this data, the operations analyst will help to develop solutions for specific problems and will advise managers on what those problem resolutions are. It is generally necessary to use computer applications and methodologies in order to come up with such solutions.
Some of the typical areas an operations analyst evaluates would be productivity, company efficiency, departmental performance, problem areas within the company, and collecting of various business data.
In most cases, a bachelor’s degree will be sufficient to qualify you for a career as an operations analyst, although some employers do require a Master’s degree. Other candidates deemed acceptable might be those with a background in physics, engineering, or computer science. The average annual salary for an operations analyst is in the neighborhood of $89,000, although that will depend on your level of experience and your academic background.
Home Health Aide
Professionals in this area are in great demand these days, primarily because the population in Detroit and around the country is aging, and a number of seniors require home care. Many of these individuals have disabilities, cognitive impairments, or chronic illnesses which require external care they cannot supply themselves. While some home health aides do actually work in the patient’s dwellings, others also work in group homes or in day service programs.
It’s only necessary to have a high school diploma to qualify for a career as a home health aide, although a good working knowledge of illnesses and injuries would be very helpful. The responsibilities of a home health aide can vary greatly, depending on the needs of a given patient, and you might find yourself working with any number of patients over a given period. The pay scale for a home health aide varies widely, depending on your geographic area.
Dental Laboratory Technician
There are quite a few technical skills necessary in order for you to become a dental laboratory technician. At any time, these skilled jobs in Detroit may require you to construct, fit, or make adjustments to various oral devices such as dentures, bridges, crowns, and in some cases even cosmetic oral devices.
In most cases, the duties and responsibilities that a dental laboratory technician must be able to handle include a number of tasks related to fulfilling the dental needs of patients.
You might have to follow detailed prescriptions or work orders, identify the particular tools and devices needed for a procedure, shape various fabrics and materials used in dental care, manage the hand tools and power tools associated with dental work, and repair any of those devices when necessary. Also, you need to make modifications to dental appliances to achieve a more natural look for a patient, or so they can become more functional.
You might have to inspect a final dental product for its accuracy and quality. In some dental clinic settings, you might be responsible for every phase of production, whereas, in a larger operation, your tasks might only be on a single phase of production.
Industrial Mechanic
Industrial mechanics calibrate and test various types of machinery so they can be sure that it delivers optimal performance. You would normally be responsible for troubleshooting, repairing, and sometimes even moving heavy pieces of equipment. You might have to inspect, maintain, or carry out repairs on the same equipment, in order to ensure that it’s always ready for use. As an industrial mechanic, you can expect to get at least $21 per hour, or up to $50,000 annually.
In most work settings, you would work with a team of technicians and mechanics to make sure that all maintenance and repair activities have been handled and completed. Sometimes you would also be called upon to make emergency repairs so you can prevent damage to machinery and personnel injuries. It will be necessary to have a high school diploma in order to secure a job as an industrial mechanic, and it will generally be very useful to have some background in the field before you apply.
Many employers prefer candidates with good communication skills, and who are also physically capable of lifting heavy objects.