A recent report by Forbes found some interesting trends in the hourly job market. While some hourly jobs can end up paying quite well, there are some hourly jobs that aren’t so hot at the moment.

According to the report, the highest paying hourly job is a sales representative. Sales reps make about $28 per hour. Though the pay is good, a lot of sales rep say that the stress level is high, which results in a lot of turnover in this industry.

Other hourly jobs that pay well are administrative assistants, auto technicians and customer service representatives.

Those three professions average anywhere from $15 to $20. Many variables go into exactly how much someone should expect to earn in these lines of work, including experience and the state the job is in.

The most sought after hourly jobs are restaurant jobs. Being a waiter is a job that many people look into, however this line of work is famous for having an extremely high turnover rate.

What are the worst hourly jobs at the moment? With the down turn in the economy, construction workers and retail workers are losing jobs left and right. Since less and less people have disposable income, people aren’t building as much as they used to and they also aren’t shopping as much. Now isn’t the time to look for jobs in the construction field or the retail field.

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According to an economist, the service industry and the technology industry are the two most likely job sectors to flourish in the future. The economist, Richard Berg, warned that the financial sector could face problems in the future. Berg is the CEO of the Performance Trust Company.

While a lot of the service industry is low paying jobs, that’s not always the case. You can find good paying jobs in the service industry, especially if you have the needed educational requirements and the work experience.

The technology industry requires even more extensive education. Working with computers and the internet is the wave of the future. As more and more companies move online, the demand for workers in this area will continue to grow.

Do you love sports? Do you live, breath and eat sports? If so, you may consider getting a job in the sports field. Sports, while it may look like fun and games, is a multi-billion dollar industry that is hiring new people everyday.

If you aren’t fast enough, can’t jump high enough and don’t the have hand-eye coordination to be an athlete, there are other ways to enter the sporting world. The only bad part is that due to high competition for sports related jobs, you will likely have to start at the bottom and work your way up. What are some entry level jobs in the sports world to try to get?

Ticket Sales
Almost every sport in existence relies on selling tickets to their events. And while selling tickets isn’t a glamorous job, it’s a way to get your foot in the door. Once you are inside, you can work your way up to positions such as promotions manager, fan relation manager or even entering the business side as a financial manager.

Scouting
The best scouts in the sporting industry make millions of dollars a year. However, a lot of scouts have had to start off working for little or no pay. When you begin scouting, all it takes is one good find and then your job prospects for the future will get a lot better. Have a good eye for talent? Consider getting into scouting.

Athlete Assistants
Athletes typically have a very busy life. Sure, they may make a lot of money, but it’s hard for a lot of athletes to handle everything that needs to be handled. That’s where assistants come in. If you want to become an athlete assistant, unless you know someone, you are going to have to prove your worth. To do so, you’ll likely have to work for free for a period that last anywhere from a month to a year. However, if the athlete comes to depend on you, the amount of money you can make in this line of work is impressive.

Sports Agents
Another job to consider is becoming an agent. The first thing you should do is get your law degree. While in law school, get a lower level job (perhaps even clerical in nature) at a sports agency. Then after you have passed the bar, it will be easier for you to get into an established agency or start up your own practice.

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Do you want to work for the Feds? I’m not talking about being an informant, becoming an FBI agent or joining the secret service (well, not necessarily.) But the federal government offers an array of interesting jobs.

If you are in the market for a new job and you want job security as well as good compensation, consider applying for federal jobs. You can find an updated list of federal jobs at USAJobs.gov and instructions on how to apply for the jobs.

Even though they have nearly three million employees, the federal government is always posting new jobs. And with the average compensation from a federal job being more than $100,000 per year according to a recent report in The Everett Daily Herald, it’s no wonder why a lot of people aim to get a job on the federal level.

However, you should be aware of the strict hiring procedures of the federal government. The application process is typically much more complex when applying for federal jobs than in the private sector. Expect to give detailed personal information, including your work history and your education history.

Additionally, be patient when applying for a federal job. These jobs get filled at a notoriously slow rate. While you wait, consider taking on a side job since it can take a few months to hear back. Even when you do hear back, expect to have to complete an extensive interview process.

The good news is that once you get a federal job, you should be set for life. With great compensation and terrific job security, they’ll likely be no reason for you to leave!

For years, people have been flocking out of the automobile industry. Whether forced out as part of cutbacks or leaving for a more stable job, automobile industry workers having looking for alternatives in recent years.

However, that trend may start to change. In fact, the auto industry is expected to have quite a few jobs available over the next decade. With the baby boomer generation headed toward retirement, that will leave a lot of auto industry jobs open for the taking.

Additional good news is the auto industry will likely start paying more money to their workers. With auto assembly plants becoming more high-tech, the companies in this field will need to attract workers with specialized talents. For example, future auto workers will likely need a college degree to get a job, where as modern day auto workers usually only require a high school diploma.

“Our concern is rapidly shifting from where are we going to find jobs to where are we going to find people with the skill to do those jobs?” David Cole told WJRT-TV, who is with the Center for Automotive Research.

If you like cars and you are good with technology, consider a career path that will lead you into the auto industry as an assembly plant worker. While these jobs have been frowned upon in the past, the future is bright in this field.

Many of the fastest growing occupations in the United States are in health related fields. However, you don’t need to be a full-fledged doctor to get in on the action. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some other top jobs in health services include home health aides, medical assistants, physical therapists and physician assistants.

With these jobs, you don’t need to get your doctorate degree, but you do need training and coursework. A physician assistant is a position that is both lucrative and financially rewarding. According to Salary.com, the average annual income for a physician is nearly $80K. That’s not bad.

Physician assistants can be employed in hospitals, clinics or doctors offices. They treat patients who don’t necessarily need the expertise of an actual physician.

To become a physician assistant you need to take accredited coursework (which usually takes about 2 years) and then pass an examination to become licensed.

If you think you want to get into the health care field but don’t want to spend so many years in school becoming a full physician, becoming a physician assistant is a good way to go.

With everyone “going green” these days, a hot sector of the job market includes any jobs related to the environment or alternative sources of energy, such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat.

Look for jobs in businesses related to renewable energy, green building and sustainable issues. You can also find tremendous employment growth in environmentally conscious employers dealing with organic food, organic fashion and other organics.

If you have your degree in environmental science or global economics, your services should be in great demand right now.

Jobs such as environmental educators, managers, scientists, engineers and technicians in the areas of energy, geoscience, earth science, environmental science, environmental engineering, forestry, ecology, atmospheric science, oceanography, marine science, renewable energy, carbon management, waste management and other eco topics are readily available.

All jobs aren’t science related however, you can also find more creative jobs in the areas of ecotourism, ecofashions and ecoarchitecture. If you are looking to green jobs, you have a vast array of options.

If you have decided to change careers, you need to make sure you have the skills and know-how to be successful. You may need to get some experience or courses in your new field before actually making the change. Before leaving your current job, make sure you are completely ready. Here are some brief tips to help you get on your way.

Take a Computer Course
Get up-to-date on the latest computer applications you might need in your new career field. You can find plenty of affordable courses online or at your local community college.

Consider an Advanced Degree
If being successful in your new career field will be easier with a graduate degree, consider going back to school. Many colleges offer Master’s Degree programs that can be done online, at night or on weekends.

Find a Mentor
Look through online networking sites like Linkedin, or trade organizations to find a mentor or career coach. Talking to someone who is already working in your chosen field will help you become more prepared for the challenges you might face.

Volunteer or Freelance
If possible, do some volunteer or freelance work in your area of interest before quitting your current job. This is a terrific way to help you understand more about the field. Don’t get in the rut of volunteering forever. Once you are sure about making the switch, start applying for paying positions.

A career change is obviously very exciting. By boosting your worth to potential employers through skills training, coursework and these other methods, you will soon be on your way to fabulous new career.

Over the last few years, the need for accounting professionals has grown due to government regulations on businesses and how they must maintain their financial records. Job candidates with a degree or experience in finance or accounting are in great demand.

Though the finance field is growing as a whole, some jobs are in dire need of qualified applicants. In addition to personal financial advisors, accountants are needed in four major areas.

Government accountants - Perform audits and monitor financial records for government agencies.

Internal auditors - Perform verification of their company’s internal records, looking for fraud, mismanagement and waste.

Management accountants - Perform accounting and analysis of financial records for a specific company. Also referred to as corporate, cost or private accountants.

Public accountants - Perform accounting, auditing and other financial consulting service for clients. These accountants work for a public accounting firm or have their own business.

To start on a career path in accounting or finance, begin by getting your bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, certifications, graduate degrees, and experience work with computerized accounting software will open up more job opportunities. If you plan on becoming a CPA, you will also need to pass an exam and be awarded certification.

Though finance might seem boring at first, it’s a field with tremendous growth opportunities and the future looks bright for years to come.

If you are looking for an interesting, challenging career, you should consider getting your degree in criminal justice. With a criminal justice degree, you don’t necessary have to go on to become a police officer, paralegal or attorney. In fact, several jobs in the field of forensics which require a criminal justice degree are both lucrative and stimulating.

Crime Scene Investigator - With a degree in criminal justice or criminology, you can become a crime scene investigator. The main responsibilities of this job include the collecting and packaging of evidence from crime scenes. Evidence can be anything from blood and fingerprints to firearms and skeletal remains. With the popularity of the CSI television series, more and more people are becoming interested in this field.

Forensic Scientist - Once a crime scene investigator has gathered and logged the evidence, it’s the job of the forensic scientist to analyze the evidence to help solve the crime. Though many forensic scientists have a degree in criminal justice, they also must take a lot of courses in the sciences, such as biology, chemistry, genetics or microbiology. A forensic scientist may play a key role in proving the innocence or guilt of the accused. Most forensic scientists work for government crime labs at the local, state or federal level. They are often called open to testify in court about their findings and conclusions.