Southern Border Region

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The Southern Border region is comprised of Imperial and San Diego counties.

Top Job Openings 2020-2030

High-Skill Occupations

  • Project Management Specialists and Business Operations Specialists, All Other:
    • 29,830 projected job openings, $109,643 median annual wage, 466 job ads.
  • General and Operations Managers:
    • 29,370 projected job openings, $125,104 median annual wage, 647 job ads.
  • Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
    • 27,200 projected job openings, $157,121 median annual wage, 858 job ads.
  • Registered Nurses:
    • 19,240 projected job openings, $136,678 median annual wage, 1,645 job ads.
  • Accountants and Auditors:
    • 13,380 projected job openings, $90,835 median annual wage, 295 job ads.
 

Middle-Skill Occupations

  • Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:
    • 19,640 projected job openings, $52,664 median annual wage, 242 job ads.
  • Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
    • 14,380 projected job openings, $57,750 median annual wage, 497 job ads.
  • Medical Assistants:
    • 13,440 projected job openings, $48,268 median annual wage, 453 job ads.
  • Nursing Assistants:
    • 13,150 projected job openings, $45,635 median annual wage, 253 job ads.
  • Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary:
    • 10,170 projected job openings, $44,604 median annual wage, 113 job ads.
 

Entry-Level Occupations

  • Fast Food and Counter Workers:
    • 82,510 projected job openings, $35,863 median annual wage, 360 job ads.
  • Home Health and Personal Care Aides:
    • 80,100 projected job openings, $35,166 median annual wage, 768 job ads.
  • Cashiers:
    • 75,490 projected job openings, $36,009 median annual wage, 428 job ads.
  • Retail Salespersons:
    • 52,720 projected job openings, $36,567 median annual wage, 1,798 job ads.
  • Waiters and Waitresses:
    • 49,540 projected job openings, $35,012 median annual wage, 479 job ads.

An image of the California Southern Border region on a map of California

 

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program has combined some detailed job categories from 2018 into broader categories or special groupings to improve data quality.

The total number of expected job openings from 2020 to 2030 includes workers leaving their jobs, people changing jobs, and new jobs being created. The top 10 jobs were chosen based on these total job openings.

Median wages are the middle point of what workers earn in the first quarter of 2024. Half of the workers earn less than the median wage, and half earn more. These wages do not include self-employed people or unpaid family workers. The median yearly wage has been rounded up to $33,280 to match state minimum wage laws as of January 1, 2024.

Information about online job ads comes from the Lightcast data series, which collects, studies, and organizes ads from many online job boards.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has split some job categories into separate groups. Here are a few examples:

  • The median wage for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (15-1256) is based only on Software Developers (15-1252). Job ad numbers (from June 5 to August 3, 2024) include ads for both Software Developers (15-1252) and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (15-1253).
  • The median wage for Project Management Specialists and Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1198) is based only on Project Management Specialists (13-1082). Job ad numbers (from June 5 to August 3, 2024) are for Project Management Specialists (13-1082).
  • The median wage for Teachers and Instructors, All Other, Except Substitute Teachers (25-3097) is based on Teaching and Instructors, All Other (25-3099). Job ad numbers (from June 5 to August 3, 2024) include ads for Tutors (25-3041) and Teaching and Instructors, All Other (25-3099).

For Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (25-2021), the median wage in the North Coast Regional Planning Unit reflects wages in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino counties.

The job ad numbers for Home Health and Personal Care Aides (31-1120) include ads for both Home Health Aides (31-1121) and Personal Care Aides (31-1122).

The job ad numbers for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary (25-9045) include ads for Teaching Assistants in Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and High Schools (25-9042), Special Education Teaching Assistants (25-9043), and Teaching Assistants, All Other (25-9049).