North Carolina

Job Shortages

The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of North Carolina employers based on the level of education they require.  There is a state minimum wage of $7.25 in North Carolina. 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 North Carolina State law, but recommended 
• Food Handler Certification offered online ($10, 30 min, available languages: English, Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian)

Certified Food Manager 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 Accountants & Auditors

Bookkeeping, Account & Audit Clerks Job Description: 

• Compute, classify and record numerical data to keep financial records accurate and complete 

Entry Level Requirements:  

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

Accountants & Auditors Job Description: 

•  Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization

Career Advancement Requirements:  

• A Bachelor’s degree with Accounting concentration
• 1 year of experience in accounting OR 4 years in academia, a self-employed setting or in the general field of accounting 
• Pass the CPA exam (Approx. $900 with $230 application fee)
• Pass an Ethics course within 1 year of applying for CPA license ($245-$295, 8 hours)
• Social security number, residency and citizenship are required

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 an accredited nursing program in North Carolina
• 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 nursing speciality 
• Become nationally certified by an accredited agency 
• Apply for license

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Immigration in North Carolina

The following are facts about the immigrant community in North Carolina:

• Immigrants comprise 8% of the state population and 11% of the North Carolina labor force 
• Top industries of immigrant employment: 
  • Manufacturing, 87,871 workers 
  • Construction, 80,211 workers 
  • Accommodation and Food Services, 62,978 workers 
  • Health Care and Social Assistance, 54,703 workers 
  • Retail Trade, 49,968 workers 

• 61,838 immigrant business owners account for 12% of all self-employed North Carolina residents
• 39% of immigrants in North Carolina are naturalized and another 39% are undocumented
• Top foreign-born countries of origin:
  • Mexico, 28% 
  • India, 9% 
  • Honduras, 4% 
  • China, 3% 
  • El Salvador, 3% 

• 7% of native-born North Carolinians are children of an immigrant 
• Educational attainment of foreign born adults in North Carolina: 
  • High School diploma or less – 50% 
  • More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 17% 
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher – 34% 
    • Share of Brain Waste* – 20% 

* 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