While most job openings in the Sacramento area are for entry-level clerk, cashier and food service positions, the fastest growing sectors require a college degree, according to projections by the state Employment Development Department.

There are more than 15,000 retail salesperson jobs in the Sacramento area, according to the department’s data. There are 13,000-plus cashier positions, and almost 10,000 openings for waiters and waitresses.

But those positions will not necessarily be sought after five or 10 years from now. The projections show that network systems analysts, computer software engineers, teachers and personal home care aides will instead be in demand.

“About two-thirds of the 50 fast-growing occupations in the Sacramento region require a bachelor’s degree or higher,” said Alexander Alvarado, a Sacramento labor market analyst for the Employment Development Department.

In 2006, there were about 1,700 network systems analyst positions in the Sacramento area. But by 2016 that number will rise to 2,700 positions &- meaning 52 percent more local jobs in the field, according to the data.

About a dozen teaching positions made the top 50 list of fastest growing occupations, including graduate teaching assistants, agricultural sciences teachers, business teachers and elementary school teachers.

The demand for registered nurses will rise from about 13,000 positions in 2006 to about 17,500 positions in 2016 &- an increase of 34 percent, according to the data.

About 200 more education administrator jobs will be available by 2016, an increase of almost 33 percent. Veterinarians, pharmacists, industrial engineers, database administrators and surgical technologists will also see 30 percent-plus rises in demand, the data states.

But students should not be overly optimistic about the fastest growing jobs, Alvarado said.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean there are a lot of those jobs, it just means there’s a big jump in the jobs percentage-wise,” Alvarado said.

Plus, total employment statewide is expected to rise just 1 percent over the next two years, Alvarado said.

“In this recession it’s definitely a less encouraging picture,” he said.

At Sacramento State, students can go to the Career Center to prepare themselves for success in today’s tough market. The center offers help with resume development, career counseling and can help connect students with employers.

Career Center Recruitment Manager Eva Gabbe said despite the poor economy, there are jobs out there for the well-prepared graduate.

Jobs in sales, marketing, accounting and insurance are now in demand, Gabbe said.

“Sales is the bread and butter of any company, so those jobs are always going to be around. It could be in wholesale, distribution, pharmaceutical or really any product,” Gabbe said. “Across the board, sales jobs are very strong.”

Kohl’s recently announced a nationwide plan to hire additional sales staff for the holiday season, which is surprising given the cuts often reported in the media, Gabbe said.

Students with any major can get a sales job, she said.

“It’s all about attitude and personality,” Gabbes said.

She said the sales component of marketing is an especially promising field right now.

Accountants are typically in demand “because of government regulations,” Gabbe said.

Opportunities in the insurance field, including claims, underwriting, bond representation and sales are also growing, Gabbe said.

Green technology is another growing labor market.

“Green jobs are really in their infancy right now, but Sacramento is at the heart of it. We’re helping students get connected to clean technology jobs,” Gabbe said.

While the Employment Development Department does not directly track jobs that are declining in popularity, Gabbe said jobs tied to construction and building are now less in demand.

“The recession has affected the real estate and housing job market. That’s understandable,” Gabbe said.

Many engineering jobs, especially those tied to building, have been affected by the slow market, said Career Center Director Beth Merritt Miller.

“Engineering was high in 2006 and 2007, but it’s been lower in the past couple years. Engineering graduates are not getting multiple job offers anymore,” Miller said.

Gabbe encouraged students to visit the Career Center sooner rather than later. Those who find internships during their freshman and sophomore years are far more likely to find a professional job upon graduation, she said.

“We can’t say enough about internships. It’s a starting point for all students, and it takes less time for a company to train interns once they’re hired,” Gabbe said.

Students at Sac State are often attractive employees because many are already balancing a job with school, Miller said.

“Our students have more work experience than at some of the other universities in the area, like UC Davis. Students here present themselves very well,” Miller said.

Miller added that students should not be discouraged, or change plans, if their chosen field is not on the list of growing job markets.

“If students have something they really want to do, they will find a job. There are still jobs for them, they just aren’t falling in your lap anymore,” Miller said.

The Career Center is located in Lassen Hall, Room 1013, and online at www.csus.edu/careercenter/.

Ken Paglia can be reached at [email protected].