When you think of “patriotic” positions, the first thing that pops into mind is military roles, but what about civilian roles that keep this country safe, healthy, and educated—jobs like police officers, firefighters, first responders, and teachers; aren’t these roles “patriotic” too?
In honor of Independence Day, global job search engine Adzuna conducted an analysis of “patriotic jobs” available across the United States. According to Adzuna, these patriotic professions are responsible for the maintenance and improvement of the country. The analysis identified truck drivers, nurse practitioners, construction workers, and teachers as the top four high-opportunity fields, making up 90% of patriotic jobs available today.
The research analyzed almost 3.5 million jobs currently advertised on Adzuna.com to identify the volume, sector, and location of roles within public service. The analysis found 1,560,716 open patriotic roles advertised in the United States, with top vacancies in California, Illinois, Texas, and Virginia, with average salaries ranging from $42,675 to $104,675.
“Many patriotic positions entail thankless responsibilities that work toward the benefit and greater good of the country, oftentimes at the expense of workers’ health, well-being or work-life balance. This includes positions in healthcare, agriculture, construction, education and environmental services,” says Adzuna U.S. Country Manager, Lily Valentin.
“We depend on these professions to provide us with clean water, nourishment, enduring public infrastructure and protection from a range of threats and disasters. With the fourth of July upon us, we salute the unsung heroes that work tirelessly to maintain and advance our country, especially those that stick around in the face of low wages and disappearing resources,” adds Valentin.
Truck Drivers
Truck drivers are responsible for the transportation of goods that keep the country functioning, including medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, food, fuel, and construction materials, to name a few.
Unfortunately, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, driving a truck is the deadliest occupation in the country. This, coupled with low average salary rates, provides insight into the growing skills shortage in the industry and could explain why truck driving is at the top of the list for positions with the most available job vacancies.
According to media solutions provider, Randall-Reilly, to attract this group of workers, companies looking to hire truck drivers should focus on providing targeted content, such as white papers, which explain what it’s like to work for your company, what you’re looking for in the perfect candidate, and more. Randall-Reilly also suggests using social media to get the buzz out about a job opening, and it suggests emphasizing what makes your company stand out among the rest.
Civil Servants
First responders that provide medical and protective services for citizens, including nurse practitioners, emergency medical service professionals, police officers, and firefighters, make up around 25% of the patriotic jobs available in the country. Florida, Illinois, and Texas make up the top states with the most vacancies in the field.
In a previous Recruiting Daily Advisor article, we uncovered the top ways to recruit nurses, which include offering learning and development opportunities, as well as a competitive salary. While many police officers and firefighters are employed at a state level, offering a competitive salary may be hard. Fire Chief Magazine explains that the recruiting of these professions is happening every day.
Every time a firefighter or police officer responds to a call, they’re making an impression on the public that may or may not entice the public to join forces. Fire Chief recommends leveraging social media as well, to get the word out about hiring these civil servants.
Construction Workers
Construction workers are tasked with the daunting responsibility of repairing and growing the country’s infrastructure at a federal, state, and local level. The country depends on working roadways, transportation systems, airports and seaports, and freight rails; and as the government plans to invest heavily in rebuilding infrastructure, the country will rely heavily on construction workers to lead the execution of government initiatives.
Recruiting Daily Advisor has also reported on the many ways to recruit construction workers, which include developing a strong safety culture, using prehiring assessments, improving training, and supporting technical educational opportunities.
Teachers
The future of America depends on the success of the next generation of citizens. Educators across the country are responsible for setting kids up for success, yet they’re facing an uphill battle. As the government proposes budget cuts to the education department, teachers are having to get creative and resourceful as access to important supplies taper off.
Low average salary rates are another hurdle faced by the industry, which contribute to the skills shortage crisis faced within education. Due to budget constraints, it’s harder to attract teachers when you can’t offer a competitive salary. However, K12 HR Solutions offers a variety of tips for recruiting teachers, which include using social media to showcase your school’s culture and values, poaching teachers from other districts, holding job fairs to attract new teachers out of college, and more.
More Data on Open Roles
The chart below highlights more open positions across the country and showcases which states have the most need for these roles:
| Position | Number of U.S. Vacancies | Average Salary | Top State with Most Vacancies |
| Truck Drivers | 778,508 | $42,675 | Illinois (47,115) |
| Nurse Practitioners | 325,929 | $87,550 | Texas (24,072) |
| Construction | 153,509 | $94,702 | California (15,757) |
| Teachers | 150,350 | $55,510 | California (14,112) |
| Emergency Medical Services | 72,016 | $79,132 | Texas (7,499) |
| Federal Government | 35,112 | $104,675 | Virginia (6,261) |
| Environmental Health | 34,923 | $84,606 | California (2,657) |
| Police Officers | 13,183 | $69,007 | Illinois (1,459) |
| Military Analysts | 11,746 | $96,686 | Virginia (1,739) |
| Farmers | 10,623 | $89,553 | California (1,575) |
| Water Treatment Specialist | 8,821 | $87,443 | California (763) |
| Firefighters | 1,108 | $46,927 | Florida (104) |