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…

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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
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Etchers and Engravers

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Etchers and Engravers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$47,860

($23.01/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.1%

Avg. Annual Openings

Rare Opportunity

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

Hand Sewers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$31,270

($15.04/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Very Strong Growth

2.0%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Floor Layers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$43,460

($20.90/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Very Strong Growth

1.7%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Molders, Shapers, and Casters

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$39,540

($19.01/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Very Strong Growth

1.5%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

255

Glaziers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$40,010

($19.24/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.2%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

147

Furniture Finishers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$35,120

($16.89/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.1%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

184

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$37,420

($17.99/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.1%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$41,150

($19.79/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Strong Growth

1.0%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

687

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

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$29,380

($14.13/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Average Growth

0.9%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

141

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$33,810

($16.25/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Average Growth

0.9%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Construction and Maintenance Painters

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$36,850

($17.71/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Average Growth

0.7%

Avg. Annual Openings

Very Strong Opportunity

795

Paper Goods 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

Slow Growth

0.4%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

678

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$38,440

($18.48/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.4%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

562

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$32,900

($15.82/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.3%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$35,190

($16.92/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.3%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$41,710

($20.05/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.3%

Avg. Annual Openings

Few Opportunities

Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$43,180

($20.76/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

Slow Growth

0.1%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

260

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

Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$35,360

($17.00/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-0.1%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

181

Metal and Plastic Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$37,160

($17.87/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-0.2%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

396

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

Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications

Printing Press Operators

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$38,100

($18.32/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-0.5%

Avg. Annual Openings

Strong Opportunity

579

Metal and Plastic Patternmakers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$34,330

($16.50/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-0.7%

Avg. Annual Openings

Rare Opportunity

Print Binding and Finishing Workers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

☆☆☆☆☆

High school diploma or equivalent

Median Annual Wage

$37,510

($18.03/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-1.5%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

Hand Cutters and Trimmers

Star Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆

Education: No formal educational credential

☆☆☆☆☆

No formal educational credential

Median Annual Wage

$39,850

($19.16/hr)

Annual Growth Rate

None or Negative Growth

-2.0%

Avg. Annual Openings

Average Opportunity

128

Median Annual Wage
Education
Experience Needed
Description

Etchers and Engravers

$47,860($23.01/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

Etchers and Engravers etch or engrave metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. This category includes workers such as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.

Hand Sewers

$31,270 ($15.04/hr)

No formal educational credential

None

Hand Sewers join, reinforce, or finish- usually with needle and thread - a variety of manufactured items.

Floor Layers

$43,460 ($20.90/hr)

No formal educational credential

None

Floor Layers apply blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors.

Molders, Shapers, and Casters

$39,540 ($19.01/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Molders, Shapers, and Casters mold, shape, form, cast, or carve products such as food products, figurines, tile, pipes, and candles consisting of clay, glass, plaster, concrete, stone, or combinations of materials.

Glaziers

$40,010 ($19.24/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Glaziers install glass in windows, skylights, and other fixtures in buildings.

Furniture Finishers

$35,120 ($16.89/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Furniture finishers shape, finish, and refinish damaged, worn, or used furniture or new high-grade furniture to specified color or finish.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

$37,420 ($17.99/hr)

No formal educational credential

None

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers apply finishes, often using machines, to products such as cars, jewelry, and ceramics.

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$41,150 ($19.79/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to coat or paint products like glassware, cloth, ceramics, metal, plastic, paper, or wood with lacquer, silver, copper, rubber, varnish, glaze, enamel, oil, or rust-proofing materials.

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

$39,990 ($19.23/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

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.

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

$29,380 ($14.13/hr)

No formal educational credential

None

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers design, make, alter, repair, or fit garments.

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

$33,810 ($16.25/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians cut, grind, and polish eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other precision optical elements. They assemble and mount lenses into frames or process other optical elements.

Construction and Maintenance Painters

$36,850 ($17.71/hr)

No formal educational credential

None

Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, and bridges and other structures.

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$41,700 ($20.05/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$38,440 ($18.48/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Set Up, Operate, or Tend Machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

$32,900 ($15.82/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators perform work involved in developing and processing photographic images from film or digital media. They may perform precision tasks such as editing photographic negatives and prints.

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

$35,190 ($16.92/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

$41,710 ($20.05/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Musical instrument repairers and tuners repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. They may specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.

Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$43,180 ($20.76/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

$40,050 ($19.26/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

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

Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$35,360 ($17.00/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines that cut textiles.

Metal and Plastic Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$37,160 ($17.87/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Metal and Plastic Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

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

$40,110 ($19.29/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

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

None

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.

Printing Press Operators

$38,100 ($18.32/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Printing Press Operators set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. This category includes short-run offset printing presses.

Metal and Plastic Patternmakers

$34,330 ($16.50/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Metal and Plastic Patternmakers are metal and plastic machine workers who lay out, machine, fit, and assemble castings and parts to metal or plastic foundry patterns and core molds.

Print Binding and Finishing Workers

$37,510 ($18.03/hr)

High school diploma or equivalent

None

Print Binding and Finishing Workers bind books and other publications or finish printed products by hand or machine. They can also set up binding and finishing machines.

Hand Cutters and Trimmers

$39,850 ($19.16/hr)

No formal educational credential

None

Hand Cutters and Trimmers use hand tools or hand-held power tools to cut and trim a variety of manufactured items, such as carpet, fabric, stone, glass, or rubber.

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