Note: Information about these careers is based on national statistics, so salaries and opportunities may be different in your town.

Hotel managers are responsible for the efficient and profitable operation of their establishments. In small motels, inns and hotels with a limited staff, one manager may direct all operations; however, in a large hotel that employs hundreds of people, a general manager may have a number of assistant managers to direct departments responsible for specific aspects of the operations, such as housekeeping, front office, food and beverages, convention services, security, accounting and office administration.

Education: An associate's degree in hotel or restaurant management or a bachelor's degree in hotel or restaurant administration is preferred for most managerial positions.

Salary: Average is $59,000

Outlook: Good

Health services managers include both generalist-administrators, who manage or help manage an entire facility, and health specialist-managers in charge of specific clinical departments or services found only in the health industry. The top administrator, or chief executive officer (CEO) and assistant managers
without specific titles are health care generalists who set the overall direction of the organization. Clinical managers have more narrowly defined responsibilities than generalists and have training in a specific clinical area (i.e., physical therapists, medical records administration).

Education: Most CEO positions require a graduate degree in health services administration, nursing administration or business administration. For some generalist positions, employers seek applicants with clinical experience (nurses and therapists, for example) as well as academic preparation in business or health services administration. Nursing service administrators usually possess administrative abilities and a graduate degree in nursing administration.

Salary: Earnings vary by size and type of facilities, as well as by level of responsibility. National salary averages for department heads: home health $55,000; radiology (X-ray) and physical therapy $58,000; ambulatory/outpatient services $62,400; rehabilitation services $66,700; and nursing services
$88,000. Top CEO salaries average $165,000.

Travel agents spend most of their time behind a desk trying to make the best travel arrangements for their clients. They do so by staying abreast of constantly changing fares and schedules, a proliferation of vacation packages and business/pleasure combinations. Many agents travel to resorts, cities and other haunts to get firsthand knowledge of these places in order to better counsel clients about the accommodations in terms of comfort, cleanliness, food quality and customer services, as well as recommending secret hideaways and unusual sightseeing trips.

Education: Community colleges offer training in travel and tourism.

Salary: $12,000-$14,000 for starters

Outlook: Good

Financial managers have job titles like treasurer, controller, consumer credit manager, cash manager, bank branch manager or credit union manager. They handle the financial management functions of an organization, such as overseeing the flow of cash and financial instruments, monitoring the extension
of credit, assessing the risk of transactions, raising capital, analyzing investments, or developing and implementing formulas for financial forecasting.

Education: A bachelor's degree in accounting or finance, or in business administration with an emphasis on accounting for finance is the minimum academic preparation; however, a master of business administration (MBA) degree is valued increasingly by employers. Other management-track positions are filled with experienced, technically skilled professional personnel, often people who have earned an associate's degree from a community college and are working while furthering their education.

Salary: Median annual salary is $40,000, and depends on the manager's experience and the size and location of the organization. Salaries for chief financial officers/treasurers range from $60-000-$295,000.

Outlook: Excellent

Records clerks and technicians perform a wide variety of record keeping duties, ranging from payroll to information on the shipment of goods to bank statements.

Education: High school diploma is minimum; some college preferred. Community colleges teach office skills and specialized order clerk/technician positions.

Salary: Varies, but median salaries for full-time clerks are: personnel clerks, $25,000; order clerks, $24,000; payroll clerks $21,000; bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks $19,500; file clerks $16,000.

Outlook: Great for full-time, part-time and seasonal employment.

Urban/regional planners devise plans for the best use of a community's land and resources for residential, commercial and recreational projects while helping local officials make sound decisions about social, economic and environmental problems associated with such plans.

Education: A bachelor's degree from an accredited planning program is the minimum. A bachelor's degree coupled with a master's degree in architecture, landscape architecture or civil engineering is good preparation for entry-level planning jobs in such areas as urban design, traffic or the environment.

Salary: Varies greatly according to education, type of employer, size of the community, etc. Entry-level jobs with the federal government average $28,300; planners with less than five years of experience earn around $33,000; planners with 5-10 years of experience made median salaries of $52,000-$63,000.

Outlook: Excellent

Other jobs for organizers: City/county manager, file clerk, school administrator, shipping agent, air traffic controller, purchasing agent, museum technician, stock clerk, mail carrier, nursing administrator, archivist, farm manager, mapping scientist, buyer, personnel manager, fast food manager,
social director, reservations clerk, hostess, librarian.

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