When older people think back on how they chose their professions, it's likely many were inspired by someone or something early in their lives. But for younger people, career paths are often the result of how they're depicted in a movie or a TV show.
Related: Why millennials aren't happy at work
That's according to CareerBuilder research, which finds that close to 1 out of every 4 high school students choose their careers based on what they've seen on TV or in the movies. But the flip side of that is that 33 percent of full-time workers regret the college major they chose.
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There's a lot of pressure to choose the right career path after school; after all, not only are there all those college loans to pay off, but there's the little matter of making a living — and of preparing for the seemingly oh-so-distant day of retirement.
But younger workers aren't doing all that well at any of those, hemmed in by lower-paying jobs — when they can get them; high housing costs that often keep them at home with mom and dad, or seeking out throngs of roommates to make the rent; and, of course, the struggle to keep up with other bills and expenses. On top of all that, to be stuck in a job, and a career path, that turns out to be a turnoff is not the way people should have to spend their lives.
To that end, students need to thoroughly explore their options before they're locked in to a business sector and a job that neither rewards nor challenges their skills.
One way they can do that is to check out available career paths and educational offerings that actually get them excited about the future — and to do so somewhere other than in the movies, lest they regret their choices for years to come.
To improve their odds of selecting a viable career path, students also need to check out such data as job growth projections, salary ranges, companies hiring, educational programs and other information. A series of studies on labor market and hiring trends from CareerBuilder does just that; the studies are based on data from Emsi, CareerBuilder's labor market analysis arm, which has pulled information from nearly 100 national, state and local employment resources.
From these data, CareerBuilder has identified a list of 15 jobs for younger workers that are growing quickly, offer a good wage and have a solid concentration of workers aged 19–24.
15. Web developer
Number of 2017 jobs: 142,682
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 19 percent
Average hourly earnings: $34.09
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 8 percent
14. Public relations specialist
Number of 2017 jobs: 240,660
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 7 percent
Average hourly earnings: $31.66
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 9 percent
13. Sound engineering technician
Number of 2017 jobs: 15,755
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 8 percent
Average hourly earnings: $29.87
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 11 percent
12. Surgical technologist
Number of 2017 jobs: 106,195
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 7 percent
Average hourly earnings: $22.17
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 11 percent
11. Automotive service technician and mechanic
Number of 2017 jobs: 656,896
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 7 percent
Average hourly earnings: $19.65
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 12 percent
10. Electronic home entertainment equipment installer and repairer
Number of 2017 jobs: 27,818
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 7 percent
Average hourly earnings: $19.12
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 13 percent
9. Film and video editor
Number of 2017 jobs: 30,073
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 18 percent
Average hourly earnings: $38.89
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 13 percent
8. Biological technician
Number of 2017 jobs: 76,615
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 5 percent
Average hourly earnings: $21.77
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 14 percent
7. Physical therapist assistant
Number of 2017 jobs: 87,426
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 13 percent
Average hourly earnings: $26.59
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 15 percent
6. Camera operator, TV, video and motion picture
Number of 2017 jobs: 20,616
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 7 percent
Average hourly earnings: $27.85
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 15 percent
5. Forensic science technician
Number of 2017 jobs: 15,033
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 12 percent
Average hourly earnings: $29.04
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 18 percent
4. Environmental science and protection technician, including health
Number of 2017 jobs: 35,352
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 7 percent
Average hourly earnings: $22.28
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 20 percent
3. Adult basic and secondary education and literacy teacher and instructor
Number of 2017 jobs: 68,590
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 5 percent
Average hourly earnings: $25.90
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 22 percent
2. Coach and scout
Number of 2017 jobs: 233,107
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 7 percent
Average hourly earnings: $19.50
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 22 percent
1. Social science research assistant
Number of 2017 jobs: 29,494
Growth in jobs from 2013 to 2017: 5 percent
Average hourly earnings: $21.96
Percentage of workers employed who are aged 19–24: 28 percent
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