Career Tree | NC Careers.org

Career Plan Builder Landing Image NCcareers.org now offers you a personal career GPS! Map your path to success with our Career Plan Builder. This personalized platform assesses your unique skills and aspirations, providing a step-by-step roadmap to your dream career. Update your goals, track your progress, and access targeted resources - all in one place.

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Is it too early to think about careers?

Middle and High School is the perfect time to start thinking about careers. Learn about the advantages of thinking about careers at a young age.

Why should I see my Career Development Coordinator (CDC)?

Career development and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses help you plan and gain skills for success in your future career. Learn about CTE, Internships, and more from your CDC.

Why should I see my school counselor?

Learn about the services and assistance your school counselor provides and how they can help you with your career planning.

What is Career and Technical Education (CTE)?

Gain skills and career experience through CTE. Learn about courses, clusters, work-based learning, student organizations (CTSOs), NTHS, industry credentials, free college courses and more.

Why should I see my NC Career Coach?

Learn about how these NC Community College staff members can help.

Can I talk to a career counselor if I’m not in school?

NCWorks has programs that can help with career planning and more…

Next Step

Start building your future career today.

By Education

Use your education as a starting point in your journey. Choose a type of education and search for a program to see which occupations best match your education. Click the add education button if you want to include additional education types.

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By Current Occupation

Use your current job or any occupation you desire as the starting point in your career journey. Type in an occupation name to learn what is next in line on your career journey.

By Goal Career

This tool can help you understand a potential pathway to a goal career. First start with your goal career. Next, add a starting education or occupation. Now start building. You'll then be presented below with jobs that have similar job skills or job duties to your dream job but typically pay less.

First Step

Your Journey Overview
Compare Occupations

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Earth Drillers

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Earth Drillers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$46,820

($22.51/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Very Strong Growth

1.5%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Choose your next step from the list below.

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Star
Rating

Education
Requirement

Median
Annual Wage

Annual
Growth Rate

Avg. Annual
Openings

Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$37,940

($18.24/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Very Strong Growth

1.9%

Avg. Annual Openings

Very Strong Opportunity

4,152

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$37,420

($17.99/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Very Strong Growth

1.8%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

131

Pile Driver Operators

Star Rating:

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$38,340

($18.44/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Very Strong Growth

1.5%

Avg. Annual Openings

Rare Opportunity

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$39,310

($18.90/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.2%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

139

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$41,550

($19.98/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.2%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

194

Construction Laborers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$36,310

($17.46/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.0%

Avg. Annual Openings

Very Strong Opportunity

5,058

Metal and Plastic Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$39,990

($19.23/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.0%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

494

Highway Maintenance Workers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$39,210

($18.85/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.0%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

442

All Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers

Star Rating:

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$42,020

($20.20/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.0%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

591

Agricultural Equipment Operators

Star Rating:

Education: No formal educational credential

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$37,840

($18.19/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Average Growth

0.9%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

430

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$41,700

($20.05/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Average Growth

0.9%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

255

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$38,000

($18.27/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Average Growth

0.8%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

166

Logging Equipment Operators

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$40,510

($19.48/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.6%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

430

Pipelayers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$39,350

($18.92/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.6%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

370

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$38,070

($18.30/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.5%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Sailors and Marine Oilers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$39,210

($18.85/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.1%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$40,050

($19.26/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

0.0%

Avg. Annual Openings

Rare Opportunity

Metal and Plastic Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$40,110

($19.29/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-0.3%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

281

Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$41,470

($19.94/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-0.3%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

Metal and Plastic Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$41,130

($19.77/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-0.6%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Metal and Plastic Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$31,490

($15.14/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-1.7%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Median Annual Wage
Education
Experience Needed
Description

Earth Drillers

$46,820($22.51/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Earth Drillers operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction.

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

$37,940 ($18.24/hr)

No formal educational credential

Less than 5 years

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

$37,420 ($17.99/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners cleanse and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or drains. They can also patch walls and partitions of tank, replace damaged drain tile, or repair breaks in underground piping.

Pile Driver Operators

$38,340 ($18.44/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Pile-driver Operators use large machines mounted on skids, barges, or cranes to hammer long, heavy beams of concrete, wood, or steel into the ground to support retaining walls, bridges, piers, or building foundations.

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

$39,310 ($18.90/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators use equipment to apply concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways. They may also use equipment for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials.

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

$41,550 ($19.98/hr)

No formal educational credential

Less than 5 years

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers hang wallboard and install ceiling tile inside buildings. Many also install and tape wallboard.

Construction Laborers

$36,310 ($17.46/hr)

No formal educational credential

Less than 5 years

Construction Laborers perform many tasks that require physical labor on construction sites.

Metal and Plastic Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$39,990 ($19.23/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Metal and Plastic Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.

Highway Maintenance Workers

$39,210 ($18.85/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Highway Maintenance Workers maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Their duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. They may also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.

All Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers

$42,020 ($20.20/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers install, fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. This category includes all installation, maintenance, and repair workers not contained somewhere else.

Agricultural Equipment Operators

$37,840 ($18.19/hr)

No formal educational credential

Less than 5 years

Agricultural Equipment Operators drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops.

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$41,700 ($20.05/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, and tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment, filter presses, shaker screens, centrifuges, condenser tubes, precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks, scrubbing towers, or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. This category includes dairy processing equipment operators.

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

$38,000 ($18.27/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Hazardous Materials (hazmat) Removal Workers identify and dispose of harmful substances, such as asbestos, lead, mold, and radioactive waste. They also neutralize and clean up materials that are flammable, corrosive, or toxic.

Logging Equipment Operators

$40,510 ($19.48/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Logging Equipment Operators drive logging tractors or wheeled vehicles equipped with one or more accessories such as a bulldozer blade, frontal shear, grapple, logging arch, cable winches, hoisting rack, or crane boom to carry out logging operations.

Pipelayers

$39,350 ($18.92/hr)

No formal educational credential

Less than 5 years

Pipelayers lay pipe for storm or sanitation sewers, drains, and water mains. They may be asked to perform tasks such as grading trenches or culverts, positioning pipes, or sealing joints.

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$38,070 ($18.30/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.

Sailors and Marine Oilers

$39,210 ($18.85/hr)

No formal educational credential

Less than 5 years

Sailors and Marine Oilers are important parts of a ship's crew. Sailors operate and maintain the vessel and deck equipment. They keep all parts of a ship except engine and motor areas in good working order. Marine Oilers work in the engine room and help engineers maintain the propulsion system.

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

$40,050 ($19.26/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.

Metal and Plastic Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$40,110 ($19.29/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Metal and Plastic Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.

Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$41,470 ($19.94/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.

Metal and Plastic Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$41,130 ($19.77/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Metal and Plastic Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic. This process forms bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate or flattens, tempers, or reduces gauge of material.

Metal and Plastic Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$31,490 ($15.14/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Less than 5 years

Metal and Plastic Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend drilling machines to drill, bore, ream, mill, or countersink metal or plastic work pieces.

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