YOUTH PROGRAMS

Other Recommended Education: Business, accounting, finance and economics.

Training Options: Bachelor's degree or graduate school. Most states require Certified Public Accountant (CPA) students to complete at least 150 undergraduate hours before becoming eligible for the CPA exam.

Average Starting Hourly Pay: $19.06
Average Starting Salary: $39,640

Median Salary Range: $48,920 - $83,210

Paid Benefits: Can include retirement, health and life insurance, paid vacation and sick time, cellular phone and corporate memberships.

Promotion Potential: Beginning accountants can advance to top jobs such as chief financial officer, treasurer and controller. They could also become a chief executive officer or corporation president.

Tasks & Functions of the Job: Accountants prepare, analyze and verify financial reports and taxes, and monitor systems that furnish this information to managers of business organizations.

Central Ohio Career Outlook: Although graduates from accounting programs and business schools will be many, the demand for those with accounting skills will remain steady.

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Other Recommended Education: Communication, business, liberal arts, building design, computer courses architectural history and drafting.

Training Options: Professional degree. A three-year internship is required before architects can take a nine-division, computerized exam to become registered with the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Average Starting Hourly Pay: $21.17
Average Starting Salary: $44,030

Median Salary Range: $56,180 - $93,350

Paid Benefits: Can include retirement, health and life insurance, paid vacation and sick time, cellular phone, travel expenses and corporate memberships.

Promotion Potential: The entry-level architectural position is a draftsman, and promotions could lead to a principal designer position. This involves more responsibility and greater complexity of architectural designs.

Tasks & Functions of the Job: Architects design physical solutions for building needs or problems. They work with construction documents and specifications, create building models and furniture and equipment designs. 

Central Ohio Career Outlook: Prospective architects may face competition, especially if the number of architecture degrees awarded remains high. 

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Banker

Suggested High School Courses: Reading, math, statistics, writing, communication and computer courses.

Other Recommended Education: Business, accounting, finance and economics.

Training Options: Two or four-year degree in finance, accounting, economics or business and on-the-job training.

Average Starting Hourly Pay: $15.44
Average Starting Salary: $32,110

Median Salary Range: $41,890 - $81,850

Paid Benefits: Can include retirement, health and life insurance, paid vacation, sick time, cellular phone and corporate memberships.

Promotion Potential: Beginning bankers can advance with experience to top jobs such as financial officer, treasurer and controller. They could also become a bank president or executive officer.

Tasks & Functions of the Job: Bankers prepare, analyze and verify financial requests for construction companies, and monitor monetary systems.

Central Ohio Career Outlook: Many banking needs are now performed through computer technology, which enhances productivity and accuracy, so the demand for bankers will remain average.

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Other Recommended Education: Thermodynamics, heat transfer, electrical circuits, blueprint reading, control systems, surveying, geology and structural systems.

Training Options: Bachelor's degree in engineering, possibly graduate school. A professional engineer's (P.E.) license is required.

Average Starting Hourly Pay: $24.22
Average Starting Salary: $50,370

Median Salary Range: $61,910 - $107,890 *Salary varies by engineering specialty.*

Paid Benefits: Can include retirement, health and life insurance, paid vacation and sick time, cellular phone and corporate memberships.

Promotion Potential: With a graduate degree in engineering, engineers can advance into management positions or focus on a specialized portion of the industry, such as mechanical, civil or electrical engineering.

Tasks & Functions of the Job: Engineers design machinery, products, systems and processes for the construction of buildings and highways. They also test products and determine how to fix structural problems.

Central Ohio Career Outlook: Prospective engineers may face competition, especially if the number of engineering degrees awarded remains high.

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Other Recommended Education: Logistics, history, philosophy and a general knowledge of a variety of subjects.

Training Options: A four-year bachelor's and a three-year law degree, plus passage of the state bar exam.

Average Starting Hourly Pay: $32.93
Average Starting Salary: $68,500

Median Salary Range: $75,370 - $166,810

Paid Benefits: Can include retirement, health and life insurance, paid vacation and sick time, cellular phone and corporate memberships.

Promotion Potential: Lawyers begin as a research assistant and can become a partner of the firm, or begin a law practice of their own. Specialty areas of practice, such as construction law, is a growing field.

Tasks & Functions of the Job: Lawyers act as advocates and advisors. They represent one of the opposing parties in a trial, presenting evidence supporting the client. They also counsel clients about their legal rights.

Central Ohio Career Outlook: Expect a large amount of competition for lawyers since the number of law graduates currently exceeds the demand for legal action.

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Other Recommended Education: Journalism, media training, sociology, political science, public relations, philosophy and economics.

Training Options: Bachelor's or master's degree in business administration, marketing, advertising, journalism, public relations or liberal arts.

Average Starting Hourly Pay: $28.96
Average Starting Salary: $60,230

Median Salary Range: $83,290 - $155,050

Paid Benefits: Can include retirement, health and life insurance, paid vacation and sick time, cellular phone and corporate memberships.

Promotion Potential: Along with more responsibilities, marketing directors are prime candidates for advancement because of their job importance and high visibility within companies.

Tasks & Functions of the Job: Marketing directors bring information to public attention. They are strong communicators, deal with phone inquiries, maintain contact with the press, and interact with the public in a way that is courteous, creative and informative.

Central Ohio Career Outlook: The need will grow about as fast as average due to increased competition in products and services offered to consumers -- requiring greater marketing and promotions. Job competition will be strong.

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