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Career and Job Search Guide
  

Top 150 Recession-Proof Jobs

One thing many students, potential job seekers and professional don't consider when searching for a new job or considering a career change is how recession-proof their new career choice may be. In fact, many people don't realize that their job may not be recession proof until they find themselves holding a pink slip. The best recession-proof jobs and careers are those that are not as sensitive to economic downturns as other jobs. These jobs also have the highest combined scores for projected workforce growth, pay and number of new job openings during a recession. The following are the top 150 recession-proof jobs and careers.

     
Job Category
Earnings
Growth
Openings

1
Computer Systems Analysts
$69,760
29.00%
63,166

2
Network Systems
$64,600
53.40%
35,086

         and Data Communications Analysts
     
        
        

3
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
$62,130
27.00%
37,010

4
Registered Nurses
$57,280
23.50%
233,499

5
Teachers, Postsecondary
$57,770
22.90%
237,478

6
Physical Therapists
$66,200
27.10%
12,072

7
Physicians and Surgeons
> $145,600
14.20%
38,027

8
Dental Hygienists
$62,800
30.10%
10,433

9
Pharmacists
$94,520
21.70%
16,358

10
Medical and Health Services Managers
$73,340
16.40%
31,877

11
Physician Assistants
$74,980
27.00%
7,147

12
Veterinarians
$71,990
35.00%
5,301

13
Database Administrators
$64,670
28.60%
8,258

14
Social and Community Service Managers
$52,070
24.70%
23,788

15
Instructional Coordinators
$52,790
22.50%
21,294

16
Environmental Engineers
$69,940
25.40%
5,003

17
Education Administrators, Postsecondary
$73,990
14.20%
17,121

18
Occupational Therapists
$60,470
23.10%
8,338

19
Public Relations Specialists
$47,350
17.60%
51,216

20
Environmental Scientists
$56,100
25.10%
6,961

        and Specialists, Including Health
     
        
        

21
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
$58,260
17.30%
14,746

22
Actuaries
$82,800
23.70%
3,245

23
Medical Assistants
$26,290
35.40%
92,977

24
Mental Health Counselors
$34,380
30.00%
24,103

25
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
$34,040
34.30%
20,821

26
Social and Human Service Assistants
$25,580
33.60%
80,142

27
Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors
$47,530
12.60%
54,025

28
Health Educators
$41,330
26.20%
13,707

29
Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists
$59,440
15.80%
8,309

30
Medical and Public Health Social Workers
$43,040
24.20%
16,429

31
Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School
$77,740
7.60%
27,143

32
Mental Health
$35,410
29.90%
17,289

        and Substance Abuse Social Workers
     
        
        

33
Self-Enrichment Education Teachers
$33,440
23.10%
64,449

34
Pharmacy Technicians
$25,630
32.00%
54,453

35
Clergy
$39,680
18.90%
35,092

36
Dental Assistants
$30,220
29.20%
29,482

37
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
$72,660
21.90%
2,471

38
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
$37,480
19.10%
35,402

39
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Ed.
$43,580
16.30%
27,603

40
Middle School Teachers,
$46,300
11.20%
75,270

        Except Special and Vocational Education
     
        
        

41
Correctional Officers and Jailers
$35,760
16.90%
56,579

42
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
$48,170
15.10%
12,836

43
Marriage and Family Therapists
$43,210
29.80%
5,953

44
Physical Therapist Assistants
$41,360
32.40%
5,957

45
Radiation Therapists
$66,170
24.80%
1,461

46
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Ed.
$22,680
26.30%
78,172

47
Surgical Technologists
$36,080
24.50%
15,365

48
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
$47,460
10.80%
37,842

49
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
$36,550
14.00%
70,610

50
Special Education Teachers, Middle School
$47,650
15.80%
8,846

51
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
$33,780
14.30%
97,350

52
Respiratory Therapists
$47,420
22.60%
5,563

53
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education
$47,740
5.60%
93,166

54
Speech-Language Pathologists
$57,710
10.60%
11,160

55
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
$57,160
19.10%
3,211

56
First-Line Supervisors/Managers
$69,310
9.20%
9,373

        of Police and Detectives
     
        
        

57
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists
$49,700
12.40%
11,457

58
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
$26,780
41.00%
14,674

59
Hydrologists
$66,260
24.30%
687

60
Adult Literacy, Remedial Education,
$43,910
14.20%
17,340

        and GED Teachers and Instructors
     
        
        

61
Rehabilitation Counselors
$29,200
23.00%
32,081

62
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators
$50,660
8.90%
22,024

63
Education Administrators, Preschool and Child Care Center/Program
$37,740
23.50%
8,113

64
Chiropractors
$65,220
14.40%
3,179

65
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
$42,300
25.50%
3,550

66
Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants
$22,180
18.20%
321,036

67
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
$28,030
17.80%
39,048

68
Court Reporters
$45,610
24.50%
2,620

69
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
$86,420
21.30%
118

70
Interpreters and Translators
$35,560
23.60%
6,630

71
First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers
$62,900
11.50%
3,771

72
Occupational Therapist Assistants
$42,060
25.40%
2,634

73
Automotive Body and Related Repairers
$35,180
11.60%
37,469

74
Optometrists
$91,040
11.30%
1,789

75
Fire Fighters
$41,190
12.10%
18,887

76
First-Line Supervisors/Managers
$52,580
12.50%
4,180

        of Correctional Officers
     
        
        

77
Coaches and Scouts
$26,950
14.60%
51,100

78
Probation Officers
$42,500
10.90%
18,335

        and Correctional Treatment Specialists
     
        
        

79
Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics
$27,070
19.20%
19,513

80
Massage Therapists
$33,400
20.30%
9,193

81
Athletes and Sports Competitors
$41,060
19.20%
4,293

82
Audio and Video Equipment Technicians
$34,840
24.20%
4,681

83
Environmental Engineering Technicians
$40,560
24.80%
2,162

84
Funeral Directors
$49,620
12.50%
3,939

85
Librarians
$49,060
3.60%
18,945

86
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
$31,910
10.10%
165,502

87
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
$62,300
14.80%
1,290

88
Budget Analysts
$61,430
7.10%
6,423

89
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
$48,330
8.50%
10,601

90
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
$32,090
12.50%
27,100

91
Curators
$46,300
23.30%
1,416

92
Private Detectives and Investigators
$33,750
18.20%
7,329

93
Air Traffic Controllers
$117,240
10.20%
1,213

94
Statisticians
$65,720
8.50%
3,433

95
Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators
$36,070
13.80%
9,575

96
Editors
$46,990
2.30%
20,193

97
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians
$32,840
15.00%
10,866

98
Insurance Underwriters
$52,350
6.30%
6,880

99
Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers
$31,470
13.60%
17,628

100
Athletic Trainers
$36,560
24.30%
1,669

101
Film and Video Editors
$46,670
12.70%
2,707

102
Gaming Surveillance Officers
$27,130
33.60%
2,124

        and Gaming Investigators
     
        
        

103
Podiatrists
$108,220
9.50%
648

104
Teacher Assistants
$20,740
10.40%
193,986

105
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
$101,690
5.10%
1,567

106
Mathematicians
$86,930
10.20%
473

107
Economists
$77,010
7.50%
1,555

108
Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs
$20,350
13.00%
35,954

109
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan
$26,290
9.50%
54,060

110
Postal Service Mail Carriers
$44,350
1.00%
16,710

111
Anthropologists and Archeologists
$49,930
15.00%
446

112
Dietitians and Nutritionists
$46,980
8.60%
4,996

113
Bus Drivers, School
$24,820
9.30%
59,809

114
Computer, Automated Teller,
$36,480
3.00%
22,330

        and Office Machine Repairers
     
        
        

115
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
$45,180
6.80%
6,607

116
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
$49,180
12.50%
1,030

117
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
$69,370
10.60%
233

118
Vocational Education Teachers,
$48,690
[nd]4.6%
7,639

        Secondary School
     
        
        

119
Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers
$30,720
18.70%
3,457

120
Physical Therapist Aides
$22,060
24.40%
4,092

121
Pest Control Workers
$27,880
15.50%
6,006

122
Medical Equipment Preparers
$25,950
14.20%
8,363

123
Library Technicians
$26,560
8.50%
29,075

124
Audiologists
$57,120
9.80%
980

125
Political Scientists
$90,140
5.30%
318

126
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters,
$29,420
[nd]7.0%
75,361

        Samplers, and Weighers
     
        
        

127
Embalmers
$37,840
14.30%
1,660

128
Sociologists
$60,290
10.00%
403

129
Food Scientists and Technologists
$53,810
10.30%
663

130
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants,
$20,370
21.70%
3,703

        Except Emergency Medical Technicians
     
        
        

131
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
$49,490
10.60%
546

132
Power Plant Operators
$55,000
2.70%
1,796

133
Tax Examiners, Collectors, and Revenue Agents
$45,620
2.10%
4,465

134
Soil and Plant Scientists
$56,080
8.40%
850

135
Fire Inspectors and Investigators
$48,050
11.00%
644

136
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators,
$72,600
0.10%
794

        and Hearing Officers
     
        
        

137
Archivists
$40,730
14.40%
795

138
Museum Technicians and Conservators
$34,340
15.90%
1,341

139
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
$43,900
[nd]8.4%
6,855

140
Dietetic Technicians
$24,040
14.80%
4,062

141
Funeral Attendants
$20,350
14.30%
6,034

142
Postal Service Clerks
$44,800
1.20%
3,703

143
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
$57,400
[nd]4.7%
1,591

144
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
$35,450
11.20%
1,933

145
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
$55,790
[nd]0.8%
1,627

146
Bailiffs
$34,210
11.20%
2,223

147
Library Assistants, Clerical
$21,640
7.90%
18,961

148
Animal Control Workers
$27,910
12.50%
3,377

149
Broadcast Technicians
$30,690
12.10%
2,955

150
Animal Scientists
$47,800
9.80%
299

* Earnings and Openings Annually
* Projected cumulative growth in job openings, 2006-2016
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