As we’ve reported many times, tech and IT jobs are booming, and it’s not just in Silicon Valley. There’s a real need for more workers who have engineering, math and science degrees, and that’s driving our immigration debate as well.

Here’s an article about booming “Big Data” jobs in Cleveland.

With innovative hospitals and strong universities, Cleveland had been seen as a likely player in the quest to make sense of the sea of data, much of it health care-related, generated by digital technology. But local entrepreneurs from different industries are showcasing the potential sooner than expected.

Spun out of the Cleveland Clinic three years ago, Explorys already employs 85 people searching and organizing health care data and the prospects are as bright as its hip new offices in University Circle. Suddenly, economic development specialists are eyeing Big Data, and its potential for Cleveland, with new intensity.

The articles gives plenty of details on this trend and how the new health care policy to push to digitize health records will drive this trend even more. Think about how this will affect how doctors might diagnose and treat diseases as we learn more through data mining. This could also be a great career for doctors and nurses who love analyzing data and statistics.

In our series highlighted news jobs in the new economy, we found an interesting article about new opportunities for people to become an Electronic Medical Records Professional.

Just two years ago, about one in five hospitals used electronic health records (EHR). Thanks to an incentive program from the government, the number is growing fast: More than 3,600 hospitals (about 72%) received payments to transition to EHR as of the end of July. Much of the work remains, and the health care sector is scrambling for technicians and consultants to aid the switch.

Workers can start at $50,000 to $60,000 per year. With the explosion of electronic records for health care, and now with the new health care law that will bring millions more people into the system, there should be no surprise that this would be a growing field.

People from all educational backgrounds and varying skill sets might discover that what they’re good at (or could be good at) is probably one of the fastest growing careers for the 2008-2018 projections decade. Published by the U.S. Department of Labor, the top thirty careers for 2008-2018 list includes jobs that require as little as short-term on-the-job training to as much as a doctoral degree. So, if you are a recent (or not-so-recent) graduate looking for a job, and your preferred career field is slow-growing, you might want to consider a sure thing while you wait for your first choice to bounce back.

The thirty occupations with the largest employment growth for 2008-18, (In Thousands)

1. Occupation: Network systems and data communications analysts
Employment 2008: 292
Employment 2018: 448
Change: 53.4%
Source of Education: Bachelor’s degree

2. Occupation: Home health aides
Employment 2008: 922
Employment 2018: 1,383
Change: 50%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job

3. Occupation: Personal and home care aides
Employment 2008: 817
Employment 2018: 1,193
Change: 46%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job

4. Occupation: Computer software engineers
Employment 2008: 515
Employment 2018: 690
Change: 34%
Source of Education: Bachelor’s degree

5. Occupation: Medical assistants
Employment 2008: 484
Employment 2018: 648
Change: 33.9%
Source of Education: Moderate-term on-the-job training

6. Occupation: Management analysts
Employment 2008: 747
Employment 2018: 925
Change: 23.9%
Source of Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher

7. Occupation: Registered nurses
Employment 2008: 2,619
Employment 2018: 3,200 
Change: 22 %
Source of Education: Associate degree

8. Occupation: Physicians and surgeons
Employment 2008: 661
Employment 2018: 806
Change: 21.8%
Source of Education: First professional degree

9. Occupation: Accountants and auditors
Employment 2008: 1,291
Employment 2018: 1,570
Change: 21.7%
Source of Education: Bachelor’s degree

10. Occupation: Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
Employment 2008: 754
Employment 2018: 909
Change: 20.7%
Source of Education: Postsecondary vocational

11. Occupation: Construction laborers
Employment 2008: 1,249
Employment 2018: 1,505
Change: 20.5%
Source of Education: Moderate-term on-the-job training

12. Occupation: Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
Employment 2008: 1,470
Employment 2018: 1,746
Change: 18.8%
Source of Education: Postsecondary vocational

13. Occupation: Landscaping and grounds-keeping workers
Employment 2008: 1,206
Employment 2018: 1,423
Change: 18%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job training
14. Occupation: Customer service representatives
Employment 2008: 2,252
Employment 2018: 2,652
Change: 17.7%
Source of Education: Moderate-term on-the-job training

15. Occupation: Elementary school teachers, except special education.
Employment 2008: 1,550
Employment 2018: 1,794
Change: 15.8%
Source of Education: Bachelor’s degree

16. Occupation: Receptionists and information clerks
Employment 2008: 1,139
Employment 2018: 1,312
Change: 15.2%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job training

17. Occupation: Postsecondary teachers
Employment 2008: 1,699
Employment 2018: 1,956
Change: 15.1%
Source of Education: Doctoral degree

18. Occupation: Food preparation and servers
Employment 2008: 2,702
Employment 2018: 3,096
Change: 14.6%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job

19. Occupation: Security guards
Employment 2008: 1,077
Employment 2018: 1,229
Change: 14.2%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job training

20. Occupation: Truck drivers
Employment 2008: 1,798
Employment 2018: 2,031
Change: 13%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job training

21. Occupation: Carpenters
Employment 2008: 1,285
Employment 2018: 1,450
Change: 12.9%
Source of Education: Long-term on-the-job

22. Occupation: Executive secretaries and administrative assistants
Employment 2008: 1,594
Employment 2018: 1,799
Change: 12.8%
Source of Education: work experience n a related occupation

23. Occupation: General office clerks
Employment 2008: 3,024
Employment 2018: 3,383
Change: 11.9%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job

24. Occupation: First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support
Employment 2008: 1,457
Employment 2018: 1,618
Change: 11%
Source of Education: Work experience in a related occupation

25. Occupation: General maintenance and repair workers
Employment 2008: 1,361
Employment 2018: 1,509
Change: 10.9%
Source of Education: Moderate-term on-the-job training

26. Occupation: Child care workers
Employment 2008: 1,302
Employment 2018: 1,444
Change: 10.9%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job training

27. Occupation: Teacher assistants
Employment 2008: 1,313
Employment 2018: 1,448
Change: 10.3%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job training

28. Occupation: Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing
Employment 2008: 2,064
Employment 2018: 2,276
Change: 10.3%
Source of Education: Moderate-term on-the-job training

29. Occupation: Retail salespersons
Employment 2008: 4,489
Employment 2018: 4,864
Change: 8.4%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job

30. Occupation: Waiters and waitresses
Employment 2008: 2,382
Employment 2018: 2,533
Change: 6.4%
Source of Education: Short-term on-the-job training