A new job is a huge step. It will affect every other aspect of your life: your time, your lifestyle, and even your sleep schedule. So when it comes to choosing one of the best Minnesota jobs for you, there are a few main things to consider. Decide which ones are most important to you and then weigh each of these aspects of job opportunities against each other to decide which one is the best fit for you and the life you want.
Characteristics of an Ideal Minnesota Job
Benefits
Vacation time, health insurance, HSAs, and retirement funds are all examples of job benefits. Every job will have different rules governing their benefits and how those benefits could change over time, so make sure to get a detailed breakdown of the benefits list from each job you’re considering.
Some jobs offer a sizable annual HSA contribution, but only a small amount of paid vacation days. Other jobs may increase the number of vacation days you’re allowed to use each year or every five years. Some jobs will match your retirement savings every month or every paycheck, while some may not offer any help with retirement planning or saving at all.
Take some time to consider which benefits are most important to you and which you could live without.
Location
The pandemic has made remote work more available and widely accepted all over the world. So a job you can work from your bed or couch may be right for you, but you could also prefer to get out of the house. How far of a drive or walk is a good length, and how far would be too far? Keep in mind how far your prospective job will be from your home, or what area you may have to move to in order to be reasonably close to work.
Political Stances
Whether you are strongly political or not as an individual, some companies are more vocal than others about their belief and priorities. Before signing on with a new company, make sure you can agree with their point of view on topics that are important to you. Otherwise, you could put yourself in a difficult situation later on.
Minnesota Jobs for Tradesmen/Tradeswomen
As you look through these jobs, be sure to factor in the benefits, locations, and political stances of each one. This will help you narrow down the job opportunities to the best ones for you and save you time on applying for jobs that don’t have the other features that are important to you.
Carpenter
There are lots of carpentry job opportunities in Minnesota. Carpenters in Minnesota can specialize in home remodeling, interior trim installation, framing, cabinet making and installation, sheetrock, and other areas of construction. Most of these jobs pay between $40k and $107K per year. Check out the job listings for carpenters in Minnesota for more info.
Electrician
There is a high demand for electricians in Minnesota. Electrician jobs in Minnesota include electrical and instrumentation journeyman, electrical journeyman/apprentice, instrumentation and electrician technician, plant electrician, residential electrician, electrician for diesel engines, and more. Most of these jobs pay $65k-$100k per year. Check the job listing for electricians in Minnesota for more info.
Plumber
Plumber jobs in Minnesota pay between $40k and $170K. These jobs include master plumber, journeyman plumber supervisor, foreman plumber, licensed plumber, plumber in charge, and plumber and HVAC installer. For more about these job opportunities, check out the job listings for a plumber in MN.
Minnesota Jobs for Artists
People love to say that art isn’t a career. Sadly, this general consensus, no matter how flawed it may be, does have an effect on jobs in the art industry. It may be more challenging to find a well-paying job in the arts with good benefits, let alone an ideal location and political views. Make sure you know what’s the most important to you as you sift through these various art jobs. At the time of writing in early 2022, each of these arts organizations linked above has openings for the positions described.
Art Painting Instructor
Places like The Painting Circle in Minneapolis may be looking for a painting instructor who can walk novices through painting a specific image for a party, such as a wine-and-canvas event. This kind of work is usually not full-time but pays a nice hourly rate. A high school degree is usually sufficient education to carry out the work as long as you are able to paint decently well. This type of job would be great for an artist with or without an art degree looking for opportunities to get more art experience.
Childrens’ Art Teacher
These kinds of jobs usually require a degree, but some for younger children do not. If you have a clean background check and are at least eighteen, you can work part-time as a children’s art teacher at a place like the Kid Create Studio or Young Rembrandts, after-school and summer camp art programs. These jobs are usually part-time and make great jobs for college students pursuing art degrees or degrees that involve childrens’ education and development.
Creative Arts Therapist
Centers for psychological care as well as the US Veteran’s Health Administration need to employ art therapists who can try to help their patients through mental and emotional challenges with art therapy. This job requires at least a master’s degree in art with a major in art therapy. This job would be more challenging to land, but very rewarding if you’re looking for an opportunity to help others through difficult times by sharing your art skills.
Minnesota Jobs for Tech Wizards
If working from home is a major benefit to you, then you’ll be in luck with most of these tech jobs. Many of them allow or even require remote work. But there are some that also require office time. Keep a close eye on the benefits for each company to determine the best ones for you.
IT Support
IT jobs in Minnesota include network engineer, systems engineer, Apple computer repair, technology support specialist, genius admin, computer specialist, IT technical analyst, IT support manager, systems administrator, service desk consultant, and more. Check out the listings for Minnesota IT job opportunities for an up-to-date list of what’s available now.
Computer Programmer
Computer programming jobs in MN include entry-level computer programmer, junior webs producer, software engineer, web developer, software developer, UI developer, media support analyst, data programmer, and Apple administrator. For an up-to-date list of computer programmer jobs available, check out the listings on Indeed.
Graphic Designer
There are several graphic designer jobs in Minnesota. Some of these jobs are for contract work with a company that needs graphic design work, and some are for agencies that provide graphic design to companies. If you get a job with an agency, you won’t have to go to the effort of finding clients, but you will probably get paid less because the agency is a middleman. If you find contract work with various clients on your own, you’ll likely make more per hour or per project, but finding the next one will be up to you. For more info, check the up-to-date listings for Minnesota graphic design jobs.
Minnesota Jobs for Animal Lovers
Animal care jobs also tend to pay on the lower end for the amount of expertise and emotional capacity they require. For animal lovers, it’s worth it. But still, it’s best to take some time to learn about the benefits each of these jobs offers before going into your interview. You may be able to haggle for more if you’re in the position to do so.
Veterinary Staff
At the time of writing, there are a lot more veterinary technician, veterinary receptionist, and veterinary assistant jobs than veterinarian jobs. Check out the hob listings for vet-related jobs to find current opportunities.
Zoo Animal Care
There are a handful of zoos and aquariums in Minnesota. One of them, the SeaQuest Roseville Zoo and Aquarium, is looking for an aquarist team member at the time of writing. Jobs at zoos go quickly and are very competitive, so if you’re looking for a job like this, apply quickly. For more updated animal care jobs, check out the listing on Indeed.
Dog Walker/Pet Sitter
There are a lot of pet sitter, dog walker, and animal care assistant jobs in Minnesota. Since these jobs don’t require degrees or significant experience, they tend to offer $13-$18 per hour. Some of these jobs specify that you won’t be required to work weekends, which is a big perk in the pet care industry where care is in the highest demand over the weekend when pet owners travel. Check out the listings for Minnesota dog walkers and pet sitters for more info.
Minnesota Jobs for Farmers
Agricultural
Agricultural jobs in Minnesota include agronomy operations, urban beekeeper, crop product development analyst, research plot technician, agricultural loan assistant, regenerative agriculture project manager, RCIS crop adjuster, farm manager, grower, crop nutrient trader, and more. Check out the listings for up-to-date agricultural job opportunities in Minnesota.
Farmhand
Minnesota jobs for farmhands include sustainable farm manager, farm laborer/equipment operator, livestock farm worker, general farm worker for poultry and other animals, grain elevator manager, and farm technician. For an up-to-date list of farmhand job opportunities in Minessota, check out the listings.
Closing Tips When Considering a New Job
Remember that your job will affect the whole of your life, so don’t settle for something with big downsides if you can help it. Take the time to compare the benefits and job responsibilities of each opportunity to determine which is best for your life.
If you’re looking for businesses to help you save your hard-earned money, check out Best Minnesota Credit Unions 2022 and Best Banks in Minnesota 2021.