Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Alaska employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $10.34 in Alaska. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.
Potential Career Advancement
1.) Waiter & Waitress to Certified Food Manager
Waiters & Waitresses Job Description:
- Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in a restaurant
Entry Level Requirements:
- Food Handler Card must be obtained within 30 days of employment & is valid for 3 years
- Obtain Food Handler online here ($7, 2 hours); click here to take exam in Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian
- Municipality of Anchorage requires a separate food worker test ($10), which is available in Spanish, Korean & Chinese
- If serving alcohol, must obtain Training for Alcohol Professionals (TAP) Certification ($55)
Certified Food Manager Job Description:
- Responsible for food safety to protect the public from illness as required by state regulations
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Pass the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification exam ($55, 1.5 hours)
- Online training courses are not required, but provide knowledge to prepare for the exam
2) Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerks to Accountant & Auditor
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerk Job Description:
- Compute, classify and record numerical data to keep financial records accurate and complete
Entry Level Requirements:
- Certification is not required by Alaska state law, but an associate’s degree is generally required
- Accounting training programs in Alaska are listed here
- There is no residency, citizenship or social security number requirement
Accountant & Auditor Job Description:
- Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization
Career Advancement Requirements:
- A Bachelor’s degree with Accounting concentration
- At least 2 years of accounting experience
- Pass the CPA exam (Approx. $900 with $185 application fee)
Pass the AICPA ethics exam with minimum score of 90
3) Registered Nurse to Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse Job Description:
- Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and administer nursing care
Entry Level Requirements:
- Complete a state-approved nursing program in Alaska
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam ($200)
Nurse Practitioner Job Description:
- Diagnose and treat patients independently or as part of a healthcare team
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Earn a graduate degree in a chosen nursing specialization
- Apply for license
Immigration in Alaska
The following are facts about the immigrant community in Alaska:
- Immigrants comprise 8% of the state population and 11 % of the Alaska labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment in Alaska:
- Manufacturing, 8,973
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 6,475
- Accommodation and Food Services, 5,736
- Retail Trade, 4,972
- Educational Services, 4,65
- 2,552 immigrant business owners account for 6% of all self-employed Alaska resident
- 60% of immigrants in Alaska are naturalized and another 13% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- Philippines, 32%
- Mexico, 10%
- Canada, 7%
- Thailand, 7%
- Korea, 5%
- 7% of native-born Alaskans are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Alaska:
- High School diploma or less – 48%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 18%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 34%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 35%
* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs
Sources
Jobs
Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”; http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm
Potential Career Advancement
National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx
Immigration
American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state