Transportation and Agriculture

• Truck drivers and driver/sales workers comprise one of the largest occupations, holding 3.2 million jobs.
• Overall job opportunities should be favorable, especially for long-haul drivers.
• A commercial driver's license is the most important qualification for most jobs.

• Taxi drivers and chauffeurs may work any schedule, including full time, part time, night, evening, weekend, and on a seasonal basis.
• Very few drivers are paid an hourly wage; most rent their vehicles from a cab fleet, although many own their vehicles.
• Local taxi commissions set licensing standards for driving experience and training.
• Job opportunities should be plentiful.

• Workers spend all their time outdoors, sometimes in poor weather and often in isolated areas.
• Most jobs are physically demanding and can be hazardous.
• Employment is projected to grow 6 percent, which is slower than the average.
• Despite slower than average employment growth, job opportunities should be good because of the need to replace workers who leave the occupation for other jobs that are less physically demanding, dangerous, and prone to layoffs.

Key Points

• Most forest and conservation workers develop skills through on-the-job training.
• Seasonal demand for forest and conservation workers can vary by region and time of year.
• The best employment opportunities should continue to be in Maine, the Southeast, and the Pacific Northwest.

• This occupation is characterized by strenuous work, long hours, seasonal employment, and some of the most hazardous conditions in the workforce.
• About 56 percent of all workers are self-employed, among the highest proportions in the workforce.
• Fishers usually begin as deckhands and acquire their occupational skills on the job.
• Employment is projected to decline moderately.

• A high school diploma is sufficient for most positions; those operating a vehicle require a valid State driver’s license.
• Little or no change in employment is expected over the 2008-2018 period.

• Most grounds maintenance workers need no formal education and are trained on the job; however, some workers may require formal education.
• Occupational characteristics include full-time and part-time jobs, seasonal jobs, physically demanding work, and low earnings.
• Job opportunities are expected to be good.

• Modern farming requires knowledge of new developments in agriculture, often gained through growing up on a farm or through postsecondary education.
• Overall employment is projected to decline because of increasing productivity and consolidation of farms.
• Small-scale, local farming, particularly horticulture and organic farming, offer the best opportunities for entering the occupation.

• The vast majority of air traffic controllers are employed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an agency of the Federal Government.
• Applicants without prior air traffic control experience must be 30 years of age or younger.
• Replacement needs will continue to account for most job openings, reflecting the large number of air traffic controllers who will be eligible to retire over the next decade.
• Competition for jobs will remain keen.

• Regional and low-cost airlines offer the best opportunities; pilots face strong competition for jobs at the major airlines, which offer better pay and benefits.
• Many pilots have learned to fly in the military, but growing numbers have college degrees with flight training from civilian flying schools that are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
• Newly hired pilots at major airlines typically have about 4,000 hours of flight experience.