Southwest Region
About the Region
The Southwest Region is comprised of 7 counties, with Joplin being the region’s largest city. Manufacturing, which accounts for 20% of the region’s total employment, is the region’s largest industry. Some of the largest private employers are Freeman Health System, Walmart, and Tyson. The average annual wage for all industries in the Southwest Region is $39,592.
Regional Reports
2018-2028 Occupation Projections
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| SOC Code | SOC Title | Grade | Annual Openings | Avg. Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35-3021 | Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food | B | 634 | $19,216 |
| 41-2031 | Retail Salespersons | B | 575 | $26,528 |
| 53-7062 | Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | B+ | 436 | $27,091 |
| 39-9021 | Personal care aides | A | 320 | $19,699 |
| 37-2011 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | B+ | 264 | $24,728 |
| 43-4051 | Customer service representatives | B+ | 247 | $29,934 |
| 43-5081 | Stock clerks and order fillers | B | 192 | $25,247 |
| 43-9061 | Office clerks, general | B | 161 | $28,659 |
| 51-3022 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | B+ | 157 | $27,969 |
| 39-9011 | Childcare Workers | B | 154 | $21,751 |
| 47-2061 | Construction laborers | B+ | 139 | $38,235 |
| 37-2012 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | B | 131 | $21,479 |
| 31-1011 | Home Health Aides | A | 115 | $21,843 |
| 53-7051 | Industrial truck and tractor operators | B+ | 111 | $31,745 |
| 35-2012 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | B | 109 | $20,719 |
| 53-7064 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | B+ | 102 | $26,331 |
| 51-9198 | Helpers--production workers | B | 92 | $26,201 |
| 43-4171 | Receptionists and information clerks | B | 85 | $25,251 |
| 53-3033 | Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers | B | 78 | $29,213 |
| 53-3022 | Bus drivers, school or special client | B | 74 | $27,954 |
| 53-7061 | Cleaners of vehicles and equipment | B | 74 | $22,324 |
| 37-3011 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | B | 64 | $22,579 |
| 33-9032 | Security Guards | B | 55 | $26,450 |
| 53-7081 | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | B | 19 | $29,299 |
| 53-6031 | Automotive and watercraft service attendants | B | 11 | $25,764 |
| 41-9099 | Sales and related workers, all other | B | 10 | $28,354 |
| SOC Code | SOC Title | Grade | Annual Openings | Avg. Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53-3032 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | B | 539 | $39,694 |
| 41-1011 | First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | B | 187 | $39,074 |
| 49-9071 | Maintenance and repair workers, general | B+ | 172 | $35,452 |
| 51-3092 | Food Batchmakers | B+ | 153 | $33,301 |
| 43-3031 | Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | B | 142 | $31,949 |
| 35-1012 | First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers | B | 129 | $30,197 |
| 25-9041 | Teacher Assistants | B | 120 | $21,382 |
| 51-9111 | Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders | B+ | 101 | $29,592 |
| 43-1011 | First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers | B+ | 100 | $47,082 |
| 41-4012 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | B | 99 | $45,711 |
| 51-4011 | Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic | B+ | 99 | $27,147 |
| 51-1011 | First-line supervisors of production and operating workers | B+ | 96 | $53,176 |
| 41-3099 | Sales Representatives, Services, All Other | B | 78 | $49,132 |
| 51-4121 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | B | 78 | $33,747 |
| 47-2073 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | A | 76 | $45,702 |
| 43-6013 | Medical Secretaries | B | 73 | $29,901 |
| 49-3023 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics | B | 70 | $35,111 |
| 39-5012 | Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists | B | 60 | $26,180 |
| 47-2111 | Electricians | A | 58 | $50,349 |
| 49-9021 | Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | A | 56 | $40,361 |
| 41-2022 | Parts Salespersons | B | 54 | $28,076 |
| 15-1151 | Computer User Support Specialists | B+ | 53 | $38,723 |
| 21-1093 | Social and human service assistants | B | 46 | $28,534 |
| 33-3051 | Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | B | 39 | $37,537 |
| 43-3021 | Billing and Posting Clerks | B | 39 | $30,915 |
| 51-4041 | Machinists | B | 39 | $37,080 |
| 31-9092 | Medical assistants | B | 37 | $26,523 |
| 47-1011 | First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers | B+ | 37 | $64,159 |
| 51-3093 | Food cooking machine operators and tenders | B | 37 | $30,301 |
| 49-1011 | First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | B | 33 | $62,056 |
| 43-4131 | Loan interviewers and clerks | B | 28 | $33,143 |
| 47-2152 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | A | 28 | $59,567 |
| 31-9096 | Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers | B | 24 | $23,620 |
| 11-9141 | Property, real estate, and community association managers | B | 15 | $29,120 |
| 49-3041 | Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | B | 14 | $34,043 |
| 15-1152 | Computer Network Support Specialists | B+ | 13 | $58,087 |
| 17-3011 | Architectural and Civil Drafters | B | 11 | $47,307 |
| 47-2051 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | B | 11 | $44,383 |
| 29-1126 | Respiratory Therapists | B | 10 | $51,341 |
| 29-2021 | Dental Hygienists | B | 10 | $66,681 |
| 19-4011 | Agricultural and Food Science Technicians | B | 8 | $33,691 |
| 31-2021 | Physical therapist assistants | B | 7 | $55,118 |
| 33-1099 | First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | B | 6 | $51,886 |
| 15-1134 | Web developers | B+ | 4 | $58,706 |
| SOC Code | SOC Title | Grade | Annual Openings | Avg. Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29-1141 | Registered nurses | B+ | 156 | $56,275 |
| 11-1021 | General and operations managers | A+ | 133 | $83,665 |
| 25-2021 | Elementary school teachers, except special education | A | 113 | $49,320 |
| 25-2031 | Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | A | 103 | $45,290 |
| 25-2022 | Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | B+ | 73 | $44,729 |
| 25-3098 | Substitute Teachers | B | 71 | $22,219 |
| 13-2011 | Accountants and auditors | A | 59 | $61,403 |
| 15-1132 | Software developers, applications | A+ | 41 | $91,810 |
| 21-1012 | Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors | B | 32 | $45,725 |
| 13-1199 | Business operations specialists, all other | B | 29 | $56,373 |
| 11-9199 | Managers, All Other | B+ | 26 | $84,202 |
| 13-1071 | Human Resources Specialists | B | 25 | $51,039 |
| 11-9032 | Education administrators, elementary and secondary school | A | 24 | $83,322 |
| 21-1022 | Healthcare social workers | B | 24 | $48,820 |
| 13-2072 | Loan Officers | A | 22 | $73,736 |
| 11-3031 | Financial Managers | A | 21 | $100,822 |
| 13-1051 | Cost Estimators | B | 21 | $56,858 |
| 29-1171 | Nurse practitioners | A | 21 | $91,224 |
| 11-1011 | Chief executives | B | 19 | $145,010 |
| 11-2022 | Sales managers | A | 18 | $108,652 |
| 13-1161 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | B+ | 18 | $51,380 |
| 17-2112 | Industrial Engineers | B+ | 18 | $69,648 |
| 11-3051 | Industrial Production Managers | B+ | 17 | $95,259 |
| 15-1131 | Computer programmers | B+ | 17 | $74,326 |
| 11-9111 | Medical and health services managers | B | 16 | $83,128 |
| 15-1142 | Network and computer systems administrators | B+ | 16 | $67,260 |
| 25-2012 | Kindergarten teachers, except special education | B | 16 | $46,815 |
| 27-3031 | Public relations specialists | B | 16 | $50,078 |
| 13-1151 | Training and development specialists | B | 15 | $49,300 |
| 11-3011 | Administrative Services Managers | A | 13 | $81,629 |
| 11-9021 | Construction Managers | A | 11 | $120,635 |
| 15-1121 | Computer Systems Analysts | A | 11 | $76,562 |
| 25-4021 | Librarians | B | 11 | $49,534 |
| 15-1199 | Computer Occupations, All Other | A | 10 | $73,778 |
| 29-1051 | Pharmacists | B+ | 10 | $131,557 |
| 11-9033 | Education administrators, postsecondary | B+ | 9 | $75,157 |
| 13-1111 | Management Analysts | A | 9 | $65,846 |
| 17-2051 | Civil Engineers | A | 9 | $77,258 |
| 29-1122 | Occupational therapists | B | 9 | $53,927 |
| 41-4011 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | B+ | 9 | $84,983 |
| 17-2141 | Mechanical Engineers | B+ | 8 | $69,031 |
| 23-1011 | Lawyers | A | 8 | $103,283 |
| 27-2022 | Coaches and scouts | B | 8 | $41,321 |
| 27-3042 | Technical writers | B+ | 8 | $51,595 |
| 29-1123 | Physical therapists | B+ | 8 | $86,432 |
| 25-2052 | Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | B | 7 | $63,216 |
| 29-1131 | Veterinarians | A+ | 7 | $88,252 |
| 11-3021 | Computer and information systems managers | B+ | 6 | $109,292 |
| 15-1133 | Software Developers, Systems Software | B | 6 | $71,540 |
| 17-2071 | Electrical Engineers | A | 6 | $74,316 |
| 29-1127 | Speech-language pathologists | B | 6 | $53,922 |
| 13-2041 | Credit analysts | B | 5 | $61,253 |
| 13-2051 | Financial analysts | B+ | 5 | $85,542 |
| 15-1122 | Information security analysts | A | 5 | $72,197 |
| 25-2053 | Special education teachers, middle school | B | 5 | $57,678 |
| 11-2021 | Marketing Managers | B+ | 4 | $129,432 |
| 11-9041 | Architectural and engineering managers | B+ | 4 | $111,132 |
| 17-1022 | Surveyors | B+ | 4 | $62,817 |
| 29-9011 | Occupational health and safety specialists | B | 4 | $59,012 |
| 11-3061 | Purchasing managers | B+ | 3 | $115,549 |
| 11-3121 | Human Resources Managers | B | 3 | $109,859 |
| 25-9031 | Instructional Coordinators | B | 3 | $53,544 |
| 29-1021 | Dentists, general | B+ | 2 | $145,497 |
| 29-1069 | Physicians and surgeons, all other | B | 2 | $151,133 |
| 29-1041 | Optometrists | B+ | 1 | $90,565 |