Maryland

Job Shortages

The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Maryland employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $11.75 in Maryland. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.

Back to Top

Back to the Map

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 Maryland 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) Teacher Assistant to Elementary School Teacher

Teacher Assistant Job Description: 

• Assist in the teaching of academic and social skills to students at any and all school levels 

Entry Level Requirements:  

• Obtain an Associate’s degree or higher OR a high school diploma/GED with 48 credit hours completed at university 
• Must pass the Parapro Assessment which is a general aptitude test (score 455+) 

Elementary School Teacher Job Description: 

• Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level 

Career Advancement Requirements:  

• Obtain Bachelor’s degree
• Complete state-approved teacher preparation programs at an accredited college or university
• Pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators exam along with a reading assessment, pedagogy assessment and subject area tests based on desired school teaching level

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 for Nurse Practitioner Certificate 
• Maryland-approved nurse practitioner programs are found here 
• Apply for license

Back to Top

Back to the Map

Immigration in Maryland

The following are facts about the immigrant community in Maryland: 

• Immigrants comprise 15% of the state population and 20% of the Maryland labor force 
• Top industries of immigrant employment: 
  • Health Care and Social Assistance, 119,261 workers 
  • Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, 75,786 workers 
  • Construction, 75,266 workers 
  • Accommodation and Food Services, 69,572 workers 
  • Retail Trade, 60,993 workers 

• 66,350 immigrant business owners account for 23% of all self-employed Maryland residents
• 54% of immigrants in Maryland are naturalized and another 29% are undocumented
• Top foreign-born countries of origin:
  • El Salvador, 11% 
  • India, 6% 
  • China, 5% 
  • Nigeria, 5% 
  • Philippines, 4% 

• 13% of native-born Marylanders are children of an immigrant
• Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Maryland:
  • High School diploma or less – 38% 
  • More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 20% 
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher – 42% 
    • Share of Brain Waste* – 22% 

* 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

Back to Top

Back to the Map

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