North Dakota

Job Shortages

The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of North Dakota employers based on the level of education they require.  There is a state minimum wage of $7.25 in North Dakota. 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) Retail Salesperson to Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers

Retail Salesperson Job Description: 

• Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers

Entry Level Requirements:  

• Short-term on-the-job training
• English language proficiency

Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers Job Description: 

• Supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in a department 

Career Advancement Requirements:  

• High School diploma or GED typically required

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:  

• Complete 2 years of higher education OR obtain an Associate’s degree or higher OR pass the North Dakota approved assessment, more information found here

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 a state-approved teacher training program 
• Pass a series of Praxis exams
• Apply for license ($105, renewal every 2 years)

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 Dakota
• 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 graduate degree in nursing speciality 
• Become nationally certified, here is a list of Advanced Practice Certification examinations recognized by the North Dakota Board of Nursing
• Complete the Initial Advanced Practice License with or without Prescriptive Authority application ($125)

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Immigration in North Dakota 

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

• Immigrants comprise 4% of the state population and 6 % of the North Dakota labor force 
• Top industries of immigrant employment in North Dakota:
  • Health Care and Social Assistance,  6,245 
  • Educational Services, 4,690 
  • Manufacturing, 3,501 
  • Retail Trade, 2,156 
  • Wholesale Trade, 2,036
    

• 1,056 immigrant business owners account for 3% of all self-employed North Dakota residents
  
• 45% of immigrants in North Dakota are naturalized and another 23% are undocumented
• Top foreign-born countries of origin:
  • Philippines, 8% 
  • Bhutan, 8% 
  • Nepal, 8% 
  • Canada, 6% 
  • Liberia, 6% 

• 5% of native-born North Dakotans are children of an immigrant 
• Educational attainment of foreign born adults in North Dakota:
  • High School diploma or less – 41% 
  • More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 24% 
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher – 35% 
    • Share of Brain Waste* – 24% 

* 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