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Iowa

Job Shortages

The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Iowa employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $7.25 in Iowa. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.

 

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Potential Career Advancement

1) Food Preparation Worker to Certified Food Manager

Food Preparation Worker Job Description: 

  • Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking 

Entry Level Requirements:  

  • Food Handler Certification – not required by Iowa state law, but employers may prefer it 
  • Obtain Food Handler Certification online here ($7, 2 hours); click here to take exam in Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian

Certified Food Manager Job Description: 

  • Responsible for food safety to protect the public from foodborne illness 

Career Advancement Requirements:  

  • Pass the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification exam ($55)
  • Online courses are not required, but provide knowledge for the ANSI exam

2) Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerks to Accountant & Auditor

Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerk Job Description: 

Entry Level Requirements:  

  • Certification is not required by Iowa law, but an Associate’s degree is generally preferred 
  • Accounting training programs in Iowa are listed here 

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 1 year of accounting experience 
  • Pass the CPA exam (Approx. $900 with $170 application fee)
  • Pass the AICPA Ethics exam with minimum score of 90
  • Social security number is required, but there is no citizenship or residency requirement

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  
  • 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 
  • Become nationally certified by an accredited agency & apply to be registered in Iowa

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Immigration in Iowa

The following are facts about the immigrant community in Iowa: 

  • Immigrants comprise 6% of the state population and 7% of the Iowa labor force
  • Top industries of immigrant employment in Iowa:
    • Manufacturing, 33,963 
    • Health Care and Social Assistance, 17,239 
    • Accommodation and Food Services, 14,651 
    • Educational Services, 14,176 
    • Retail Trade, 9,537 
  • 10,918 immigrant business owners account for 6% of all self-employed Iowa residents
  • 39% of immigrants in Iowa are naturalized and another 31% are undocumented
  • Top foreign-born countries of origin:
    • Mexico, 26%%  
    • India, 6% 
    • Vietnam, 5% 
    • China, 4% 
    • Thailand, 4% 
  • 5% of native-born Iowans are children of an immigrant
  • Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Iowa:
    • High School diploma or less – 53
    • More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 19
    • Bachelor’s degree or higher28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* 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

 

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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

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