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Job outlook for support specialists in the United States
Support specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected support specialist job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 83,100 new jobs for support specialists are projected over the next decade.
Support specialist salaries have increased 9% for support specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 346,729 support specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 125,740 active support specialist job openings in the US.
The average support specialist salary is $40,782.
Are support specialist jobs in demand?
Support specialist job and salary trends over time
Support specialist jobs over time
Support specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 346,729 | 0.10% |
| 2020 | 308,024 | 0.09% |
| 2019 | 360,527 | 0.11% |
| 2018 | 127,370 | 0.04% |
| 2017 | 123,968 | 0.04% |
Average support specialist salary over time
Support specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $40,782 | $19.61 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $39,439 | $18.96 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $38,546 | $18.53 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $37,964 | $18.25 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $37,344 | $17.95 | +1.6% |
Support specialist jobs by state
Most common states for support specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 429 | 62% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 227 | 26% |
| 3 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 613 | 21% |
| 4 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 154 | 20% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,574 | 19% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,438 | 19% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,287 | 19% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 197 | 19% |
| 9 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,128 | 18% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 562 | 18% |
| 11 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 380 | 18% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 348 | 18% |
| 13 | Alaska | 739,795 | 135 | 18% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 113 | 18% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,053 | 17% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 534 | 17% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 229 | 17% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 164 | 17% |
| 19 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 98 | 17% |
| 20 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,574 | 16% |
Most common cities for support specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis | 12 | 30% | $49,442 |
| 2 | Little Rock | 12 | 6% | $34,806 |
| 3 | Cambridge | 7 | 6% | $44,604 |
| 4 | Des Moines | 10 | 5% | $35,073 |
| 5 | Orlando | 12 | 4% | $41,259 |
| 6 | Tallahassee | 7 | 4% | $41,128 |
| 7 | Washington | 16 | 2% | $51,740 |
| 8 | Boston | 12 | 2% | $44,722 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 10 | 2% | $44,509 |
| 10 | Tampa | 8 | 2% | $41,578 |
| 11 | Anchorage | 7 | 2% | $32,863 |
| 12 | Miami | 7 | 2% | $41,504 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 11 | 1% | $37,358 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 11 | 1% | $41,704 |
| 15 | Denver | 8 | 1% | $38,651 |
| 16 | San Diego | 8 | 1% | $50,843 |
| 17 | Detroit | 7 | 1% | $39,152 |
| 18 | Chicago | 7 | 0% | $45,671 |
Support Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of support specialist experts
Western Illinois University
Texas A&M University San Antonio
SUNY Oswego
Lawrence Technological University
Carolina University
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Grand Valley State University
Tiffin University
California State University - Long Beach
Purdue University
Utah Valley University
Dominican University
University of Kansas
Indiana University Southeast
Rowan University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Binghamton University, SUNY
The Ohio State University at Lima
Bowling Green State University
Hoyet Hemphill Ph.D.
IDT Program Coordinator and Graduate Advisor, Instructional Design and TechnologyWestern Illinois University
School of Engineering and Technology
What skills stand out on Support Specialist resumes?
Hoyet Hemphill Ph.D.: The next K12 job mostly advertised is Technology specialist, and the majority of the skills include knowledge of data visualization tools like google data studio, strong spreadsheet skills. (Google Sheets is preferred.), ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy, excellent communication and analytical skills, knowledge of data analytics, ability to troubleshoot data questions, excellent organizational skills including attention to detail and multi-tasking skills, excellent client-facing and internal communication skills. Duties most seen include interpreting, summarizing, and communicating data analyses to clients, ability to create forms and strategies to help schools efficiently and effectively collect data, download, review, and interpret school-related data from assessment providers, school spreadsheets, and other systems.
The skills required majorly for the curriculum designer position include understanding by design principles for curriculum design, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, excellent writing skills, ability to create effective and fair assessment methods. The duties include collaborating effectively and extensively with internal and external partners, including content and specialty teams to ensure the curriculum is developed in accordance with all articulated quality standards, overseeing the review/feedback process for all subject curriculum, including coordination of teacher review teams, consensus building, conflict resolution, planning, and decision-making, etc.
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Computer Information SystemsTexas A&M University San Antonio
Computer Information Systems Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Support Specialists?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: -Programming.
-Understand algorithms and data structures.
What type of skills will young Support Specialists need?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: In addition to their academic skills, young graduates should be able to effectively communicate across multiple platforms and be able to adapt to changing work environments. Given the various means of communications and collaborations that are available nowadays, young graduates should be able to clearly express their ideas either in a video conference or through the traditional email communications. Effective communication will be essential to succeed as a member of any engineering team.
How do you envision technology impacting Support Specialists in the next 5 years?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: There has been recently a great focus on certain engineering technologies that enable smart systems with fast communications abilities. This has led to a revolution in several technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, wireless communications and cloud computing. Innovation in these fields will be essential in the upcoming years in order to keep up with the social and economic needs of modern life. The benefits of these innovations will have a long-lasting effect on our society.
What general advice would you give to a Support Specialist?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: Young graduates should continuously seek every learning opportunity to enhance their professional skills. With the fast growth of engineering technology, it is important for engineers to remain up to date with the most recent innovations in their fields. The learning process does not stop at graduation, but instead, it extends beyond college to the workplace where engineers can gain expert knowledge in their fields.
What's a day at work look like for a Support Specialist?
Oriehi Destiny Anyaiwe: What's a day at work going to look like for a recent graduate?
This pandemic has highly promoted keeping to one's space. A typical day at work be it work-from-home (online), traditional in-person or hybrid will naturally divide the work force into two groups; employees who perform best as lone players vs the socialists/collaborationist. Today, most companies keep as many employees as they can online. Workers are beginning to reorganize their lives around this type of schedule, and they are growing their comfort with this new norm. I think that there are sundry reasons why expectations from employers and employees will have to be adjusted in this regard post pandemic era.
What technical skills for a Support Specialist stand out to employers?
Oriehi Destiny Anyaiwe: Attitude. Anyone can memorize a programming language and have a perfect syntax, but if you cannot find your way out of a paper bag you do the company no good. In today's marketplace, problems/business are tackled with a collaborative view. Employers will like to hire employees that have the skill set and potential to explain problems/solutions to non experts as well as working amicably with them.
Thomas Jones
Distinguished Professor of BusinessCarolina University
Patterson School of Business
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Support Specialists?
Thomas Jones: The enduring impact for employment opportunities created by the COVID crisis may be felt across many academic disciplines, particularly at the undergraduate level. Students with undergraduate and graduate STEM degrees will not face challenges, it appears. In fact, there seems to be increasing demand across the board for STEM graduates at starting salaries similar to recent past years. The demand for business, business related economics, computer technology and information systems, and accounting graduates at both the graduate and undergraduate levels remains strong, particularly at the graduate level. Liberal arts, education, health and exercise science, and religion graduates (to identify a few) at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are facing a completely different reality, it appears. Because of declining job demand for these graduates, many will find job placement difficult and, in many cases will need to seek temporary employment in jobs not requiring college educations.
No one really knows what the long-term impact of working from home will be. And the timing for large numbers of students returning to large classrooms is also an unknown. Both of these events may have significant ramifications. For instance, if large numbers of employees do not return to the downtown office, the economic impact could be massive. Commercial real estate, transportation related industries, restaurants, office equipment manufacturing and sales, city tax bases, and a host of other issues will come into play. We are already seeing cities such as New York attempting to tax the earnings of employees at home in other states. If learning online becomes the norm for some portion of the K-12 experience or in higher education, there will be similar upheavals that will be devastating for some players in the academic world. How this plays out across time is anyone's guess. But for the current graduate without a STEM, computer, or business related degree, the market may remain tight for some time to come. Another, rarely addressed issue, is learning to communicate with other age groups. Coming from liberal arts and non-professional education is creating, for many, a significant inability to effectively communicate with other age groups. This has been a topic addressed by top executives and major consulting firms for several years. This is a factor, not related to COVID, that lessens job opportunities for many current college graduates.
This also points out the critical importance of mastering computer technology for all graduates. Working from home carries with it an implicit ability with computer technology. An understanding of windows, Power Pont, some kind of spread-sheet ability, and an understanding of Zoom or similar technologies (along with key-board skills right now), is the base requirement to work from home. Technology is moving in the direction of language translation so key-board skills may become a thing of the past but not for today's graduate. Lower skill level jobs are rarely doable from home and this creates another set of issues, not related to the challenges being faced by graduates from today's institutions of higher education.
Deepak Khazanchi Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Community Engagement & Internationalization Officer, Professor of Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis, Director, Executive Master’s of Science in Information Technology (EMIT) Program, Executive Director, Center for Management of IT (CMIT), Fulbright Grantee (Specialist 2014; Core 2020-21)University of Nebraska at Omaha
College of Information Science & Technology
What's a good job out of college for Support Specialists?
Deepak Khazanchi Ph.D.: I think the "best" and "interesting" jobs in my view will be those that leverage emerging technical skills such as AI/ML, data analytics, cybersecurity and medical informatics, with the nontechnical capabilities mentioned above.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Support Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Chirag Parikh Ph.D.: The biggest trend according to me right now would be digital transformation of workplace. Workplace activities that were happening in-person has now become virtual and technology literacy is going to play a vital role. Cross disciplinary expertise is also going to be very crucial.
Biggest trends in job market according to me would be in the area of robotics, automation, AI, software development, cyber-security and healthcare for sure. This pandemic has created a sense of health awareness among people and we are seeing lot of students opting for healthcare programs (undergraduate and graduate).
What technical skills for a Support Specialist stand out to employers?
Chirag Parikh Ph.D.: If you ask me, I consider valuable experience over good paycheck. Once you have gained that experience the paycheck will follow. As soon as you are out of college, the knowledge gained is very fresh and raring to go. If put into the right place can enhance your technical skills and you can do wonders.
As a Computer Engineering professor, I would say the job opportunities are tremendous for students out of college as they can venture into hardware field (technical support, hardware engineer, test engineer and much more) as well as software field (software engineer, software developer, software tester and much more). The possibilities are endless.
With COVID and employees working remotely there is still ample opportunity to enhance your technical and interpersonal skills as I believe remote working might stay for a while till things get back to normal.
What type of skills will young Support Specialists need?
George Miller: Many organizations realize graduates cannot learn everything in college about their major but want the graduate to have a solid foundation on their field of study. The organization wants to mold the graduate to their company environment with how they do things related to the field of study. Most companies want college graduates to have good communication skills (both oral and written), critical thinking skills and be able to work well in teams. These skills have been a staple for graduates since I can remember. This is why a college graduate takes many general education courses related to these skills and many of their major courses emphasize these skills.
Going back to the previous answer I believe graduates in all fields of study will need a better knowledge of technology and easier adaptability to changing technology. Again, an IS degree is already preparing students for this.
What general advice would you give to a Support Specialist?
Dr. Lesley Farmer: Get to know the site before interviewing, and remember that even interviews are an opportunity to practice communication skills-and to see if there's a good match between you and the site. Once hired, learn about the organizational culture and develop trustful relationships. Make one memorable contribution the first month, but focus on becoming an expert before changing others. In addition, join a local and national professional association to keep current and network.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Support Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Lesley Farmer: Many employees have trouble pivoting to online work so in the short term, tech support and instructional design jobs are in high demand. Data privacy and security are also hot topics and need ed tech expertise. Tech maintenance, including cloud services and networks, continue to be needed, rather like car maintenance. Thinking forward, software development is another area of need, particularly with more online-based education. If grads have data analytics expertise, they can find jobs on data management and learning analytics.
Disabilities continue to be an issue, particularly in terms of equity, so jobs dealing with assistive technology and other ed tech supports are possible. Finally, grads should broaden their concept of educational settings; informal education is more important than ever: in business/HR, libraries and museums, recreational and youth-serving clubs, mass media, government and non-profit agencies. All of these entities are involved in training, outreach, PR, and public awareness/education. Be creative and persistent.
What Support Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Lesley Farmer: Internships are probably the best option, even if unpaid. Some institutions provide career placement services, and grads could contact their instructors about possible options. Companies, professional associations, and non-profits also advertise internships.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Support Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Jennifer Richardson Ph.D.: The need for problem-solving abilities and adeptness at technology use for communication and training opportunities. If we've learned anything from 2020 it is that we need to be able to pivot at a moment's notice.
What skills stand out on Support Specialist resumes?
Jennifer Richardson Ph.D.: Always the soft skills - they stand out I think first and foremost regardless of where you are coming from and where you are going to. Without the ability to communicate, collaborate, facilitate, and problem-solve it is tough to succeed in today's environment. Experience is also key no matter the position; without prior experience to demonstrate the skills you are indicating you have trained for it is hard for those doing the hiring to know if you have learned the skills or if you have learned and experienced (or applied) those skills. Students should seek out opportunities to apply their skills while still working through their program. I believe going forward with K-12 educators we will see that those that have training or professional development with teaching at a distance will go a long way. Before COVID-19 hit we were already planning a new offering for virtual instruction licensure, it is now garnering a lot of attention.
Curtis Welborn
ProfessorUtah Valley University
Computer Science Department
What experience really stands out on Support Specialist resumes?
Curtis Welborn: That can really depend upon the company. Some companies want people with a strong background in machine learning right now. But I've met people who shy away from hiring people with too much machine learning on their resume even when the company wants someone to do machine learning because too many of these people only want to, or only can, do machine learning. They don't have a strong fundamental understanding of Computer Science (see No. 2). Our students who complete the Compiler course get jobs, not because companies are building a compiler but because companies know that someone who can build a compiler can most likely do anything they would want done. So people should not focus on finding that thing that makes their resume look good today. Just be great at everything you do. Take hard classes, and excel at them. Learn EVERYTHING you can, and companies will want you.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Support Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Kate Marek Ph.D.: Probably an acceleration of existing trends - remote working, skill-set based job openings (rather than degree-specific), along with an ongoing need for necessary skills such as writing, problem-solving, collaboration, and project management.
What Support Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kate Marek Ph.D.: If possible, find a paid internship in your area of interest, which will help expand your professional network and build your skillset. Use this time to keep scanning job ads to identify skill sets in demand; look for online mini-courses to make those skill sets.
What general advice would you give to a Support Specialist?
Kate Marek Ph.D.: Choose an organization in tune with one's values. Look for a job in growth areas, such as data asset management, data analysis, etc.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Support Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Cari Ann Kreienhop: I posed this question to our alumni in the field and received the response that GIS (ESRI) and Smart City technologies like Advanced Meter Reading (Xylem/Sensus is a big brand name in the water sector, for example) are the most likely evolving platforms and uses they will encounter. Additionally, it's essential to keep abreast of thematic trends related to technology: an awareness of cybersecurity threats, best practices, and defensive tactics. Understanding the language, concepts, and strategies to manage better, and support IT, and protect the organization is critical.
Beyond specific technology, leaning into logical analysis and data-gathering skills are critical to bringing a well-rounded perspective into an organization. Mastering Excel and R are great for hitting the ground running in an organization, but being versatile and savvy with data analytics will be an asset to any organization.
What experience really stands out on Support Specialist resumes?
Cari Ann Kreienhop: This is a tricky question because organizations can be focused on very different things in a given hiring search. I think what should be important to applicants in crafting their application materials is that they highlight their experience and achievements and highlight these attributes within the context of the organization's mission and strategic plan. The resume is the blueprint of how an applicant can fit into and contribute to an organization's growth; if the applicant doesn't take the time to match their resume experience to the job posting, hiring managers aren't going to take the extra time to read between the lines.
What Support Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Cari Ann Kreienhop: Direct experience in public service entities is excellent and isn't impossible to access. Many public sector organizations offer internship opportunities or have spots open for students and recent graduates to serve on community commissions or steering committees. This kind of experience is just as valuable for the job-seeker to clarify what professional path best suits their values as it is for the organization they are serving.
From a credential standpoint, seeking procurement training, data analytics (more on this below), project management, and graphic design will build skills that can either be an unconventional route into a public entity (mainly thinking of procurement and graphic design) or skills that allow for accelerated advancement (again, procurement, project management, and data analytics).
What general advice would you give to a Support Specialist?
Dr. Mindy Badía Ph.D.: The three P's: be patient, be persistent, and be prepared.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Support Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Mindy Badía Ph.D.: I would say information/communication technologies.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Support Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Mindy Badía Ph.D.: Starting salaries of International Studies graduates tend to be on par with, or higher than, graduates in similar fields in the Social Sciences or the Humanities. Proficiency in a second language increases employability and salary prospects for most graduates, and this is especially true for candidates with a degree in International Studies. Most careers in International Studies have many opportunities for advancement, and graduates can expect to see their salaries increase as they gain experience.
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorRowan University
Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural education
What general advice would you give to a Support Specialist?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.: Overall, my advice to a graduate starting their career in education would be to reflect deeply on their stance - their core beliefs and philosophy about teaching more generally. Educational policies change all the time, what we call "best practices" change. But developing a strong stance, rooted in care and regard for students, their families, and the community, will help graduates navigate these changes while staying true to what matters.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Support Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.: I think the pandemic we live through will fundamentally change how schools manage to learn in the next 3-5 years. More platforms are available, more "tools" and "strategies" for virtual learning, and more emphasis on the benefits of hybrid instruction. I think, to go back to my answer to the first question, if graduates can focus on building relationships with their students, developing a strong foundation in their content area, and finding teaching approaches - both virtual and more traditional - that engage and respond to students' lives and interests, they can learn any new technologies.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Support Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.: Educators are not paid nearly enough. However, working in a state with strong teachers' unions helps to ensure a starting salary that recent graduates can live off of and growth opportunities, albeit modest, over their careers.
What type of skills will young Support Specialists need?
Margery Amdur: Students need to be far more self-sufficient, curious, and persistent. They need to surround themselves with others who are driven. They also need to be grateful if they get a job offer. It will put them on a path. "On a path" is better than not being on a track.
Resilience and the willingness to be vulnerable continue to be critical mantras!
I know this doesn't have anything to do with technology, but attaining skills that reside outside of the academy will serve all of us!
What general advice would you give to a Support Specialist?
Ng'ang'a Muchiri: That storytelling and the power of persuasion are so incredibly vital today. Just think of Netflix, Instagram, advertising, political rhetoric, and the behavioral changes encouraged in public health announcements.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Support Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Ng'ang'a Muchiri: I think the synergy between AI, machine learning, and the humanities, in general, will be exciting. There are whole product lines and industries currently just beyond our reach.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Support Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Ng'ang'a Muchiri: Initial salary prospects in the Humanities, in general, and English, in particular, trail those in finance, law, medicine, STEM. But I also think the massive paradigm shifts that emerge from creativity within the Humanities CAN rake in a substantial payday. For instance, Shonda Rhimes signing a 9-figure contract with Netflix. Of course, such windfalls are few and far between.
Matthew McConn
Associate Professor of English Education, Department ChairBinghamton University, SUNY
Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership
What general advice would you give to a Support Specialist?
Matthew McConn: It's best to be fully certified before you sit for an interview. That means completing the EdTPA and all certification exams. Students tend to put off the EdTPA portfolio, and it hurts their chances when interviewed, since administrators would have to risk the applicant not passing their exam. However, during the pandemic, there have been some alternative options for candidates, so I would strongly recommend they familiarize themselves with those alternatives.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Support Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Matthew McConn: If this pandemic has shown us anything, it's that in-person teaching is an integral part of learning and our community.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Support Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Matthew McConn: Here, in the state of New York, I think the salaries are competitive, depending on where you live.
What type of skills will young Support Specialists need?
Leah Herner-Patnode: Graduates in the field of education need to understand platforms such as Google Classroom. Even when things get better with Covid, many schools will still use this as a supplement. They also have to be aware of how to find appropriate sources. The days of just accepting the history textbooks are gone. Using primary sources is very important, and a skill teachers need to teach to students.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Support Specialists to find work opportunities?
Leah Herner-Patnode: Usually, urban areas of bigger cities and southern states, such as North Carolina, have many openings. Maine, Florida, California, Hawaii, Washington, and Texas are the most open positions.
How do you envision technology impacting Support Specialists in the next 5 years?
Leah Herner-Patnode: Technology and how to use it in a classroom is essential. How to find reputable sources is necessary. How to use Schoology and Google Classroom are tools that will help any educator succeed. Teaching children to code is also an important skill to cultivate.
What are the best companies to work for a Support Specialist?
Jennifer Wagner: In my opinion, we have a strong alumni base in the following companies: Brookdale Assisted Living, Promedica/Heartland (in the Toledo area, most of the Heartland Nursing Homes were bought by Promedica), Sprenger Health Care, Otterbein Senior Life, which just merged with Sunset Communities (Toledo and Sylvania, OH (both companies have a strong alumni base)), HCF Management, CHI Living Communities, and Ohio Living. These companies have a strong commitment to educating the next generation of administrators and other health care managers. These companies recognize talent and develop that talent; most of these companies hire our students after completing their internship after the significant investment they made in our students.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Support Specialists in the next 5 years?
Jennifer Wagner: I have been on several webinars with NAB, McKnights, and ACHCA since the pandemic began. I am also on several social media sites for administrators and assisted living administrators. In my opinion, there will be a great demand for health care professionals in general, but long-term professionals, especially. With baby boomers retiring, we were already approaching a high demand for professionals.
With the pandemic, we see early retirements, people returning to school for master's degrees to climb the corporate ladder, get out of the day to day operations, and just plain old burnout. The pandemic has hard hit the nursing home industry. Employees can earn more money on unemployment, and they can easily find other service-related jobs making the same amount of money, working fewer hours, and less stress.
We cannot forget the fear, anxiety, and the weekly, or more often, Covid tests that our staff has to endure. There is still a critical shortage of PPE in long term care. From what I am hearing from industry leaders and regulatory agencies, if new grads and interns can learn to navigate this pandemic and the ever-changing regulations, they will not only be an asset to the profession, but they will be in high demand.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Support Specialists to find work opportunities?
Jennifer Wagner: Sorry, I can only make an educated guess here, but the state's hardest hit by Covid will be in the highest demand for all health care professionals. As healthcare changes the way it does business, with more telehealth and more remote services, I think we will see an increase in demand for this generation of college graduates. They had an edge on all of us with technology before the pandemic, but switching to remote learning models over the last year, they have become technology experts.
I can give you a couple of examples from the two courses that I teach. I am a strong advocate for service-learning pedagogy (style of learning). My goal is to get students early exposure to real-world situations. In one class, my students have been creating Zoom group activities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in residential group home settings. The residents have been isolated, and they are eager to engage in activities with new people, even remotely. In another class, my students are paired with senior center clients diagnosed with dementia and are cared for at home by family and friends.
These are individual activities where the student again uses Zoom to come up with particular actions to help give the caregiver a much-needed break for 30 minutes once a week. Our community partners and the people they serve are excited to have these new contacts in both classes. It is something for them to look forward to and gives them new experiences to share with their families. The students, too, are loving the experience and learning firsthand the effects of quarantine and isolation on high-risk populations.