Careers, Jobs and Education Resources for: San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U.S. state of California, United States along its border with Mexico. The state of California estimates San Diego's population as of 2008 to be 3,146,274 people, increasing its rank to second place, ahead of its northwestern neighbor Orange County. The county seat is the city of San Diego. (from wikipedia)
California Fast Facts:
Location, Location, Location...: Located on the West Coast along the Pacific Ocean, California is the most populous state in the U.S. and is the third largest by area.
Cities: The state’s four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco, while the state’s capital is Sacramento.
Behind the Name: “The Golden State” is only one of several nicknames that have been associated with California. Over the years, California has been referred as “The Land of Milk and Honey,” “The El Dorado State” and “The Grape State.” These nicknames served at various times to promote business and tourism for the state.
A Closer Look: In the 19th century, the California Gold Rush brought about a large influx of people and an economic boom that helped San Francisco grow to a world-renowned metropolitan center.
Did You Know? The state is home to eight of the nation’s 50 largest cities. In addition to the four named above, the remaining cities are: Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach and Oakland.
California Careers and Employment:
Population: 36,756,666 (8.5% increase since 2000) – 50.0% Female, 50.0% Male (2008 U.S. Census Bureau).
Business Environment: Ranked 40th in Forbes Magazine’s “Best States for Business,” 2008.
Top Industries In terms of paid employees, according to a 2008 U.S. Census Bureau study: (1) manufacturing; (2) retail trade; (3) health care and social assistance; (4) professional, scientific and technical services; and (5) accommodation and food services.
Taxes: Income Tax, 1.0% to 9.3% and Sales Tax, 7.25% (Federation of Tax Administrators).
Cost of Living: 136.6 in relation to the “National Average” of 100 (Federal Cost of Living Index).
Quality of Life: Ranked 19th of 50 states by CNBC, 2009.
Weather: Average Temperature (In °F) – Jan: 45.19; Apr: 56.50; July: 75.32; Oct: 61.56 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
K-12: Ranked 43rd of 50 states in “Academic Achievement” by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2009.
California Economics:
In General: Most of the workforce (39%) focuses on the services sector, while other notable sectors include wholesale or retail trade (19%), military and government services (15%), and manufacturing (12%).
Service Industry: Community, business, and personal services comprise California’s leading service industry, including private health care, law firms and engineering companies, hotels and entertainment companies and repair shops.
Agriculture: California leads all of the other states in farm income, as it is strongly considered the agricultural centerpiece of the United States. About three-fourths of the state’s agricultural revenues are derived from crops, with the remaining revenues generated by livestock commodities. In terms of revenue generated, California’s top five agricultural products are dairy products, greenhouse and nursery products, grapes, almonds, and cattle and calves.
Manufacturing: Electrical equipment, components and military communication equipment are California’s leading manufactured products, including electronic systems for aircraft and missiles. Manufacture of computer machinery ranks second in production, followed by food product processing of baked goods, beverages, canned fruits and vegetables.
Mining: California is among the country’s leading mining states, producing a greater variety of products than most other states. Oil is the number one product. California mines all of the boron that is produced in the United States (2-4) [Ed. Note: What’s boron? According to Wikipedia, “boron is an essential plant nutrient. Whereas lack of boron results in boron deficiency disorder, high soil concentrations of boron may also be toxic to plants. As an ultratrace element, boron is necessary for the optimal health of rats and presumably other mammals, though its physiological role in animals is yet poorly understood.”]
Fishing: With 840 miles of coastline, it’s probably not surprising that California’s commercial fishing operation tops the nation as well.
Did You Know? If California were a country, it would rank among the ten largest economies in the world, with a gross domestic product similar to that of Italy. It would also be the 35th most populous country.
California Education:
In General: Enrolling more students than any other state, California holds the most expansive educational system in the nation. With a whopping 144 public and 256 private colleges and universities, as well as an increasing number of technical and vocational schools, California can achieve most educational goals.
In the Rankings: U.S. News and World Report rankings: National Rankings – Stanford University (#4), California Institute of Technology (#6), University of California, Berkeley (#21), University of California, Los Angeles (#25), University of Southern California (#27), University of California, San Diego (#35), University of California, Davis (#44), University of California, Irvine (#44), University of California, Santa Barbara (#44); Liberal Arts Rankings – Pomona College (#6), Claremont McKenna College (#11), Harvey Mudd College (#14), Scripps College (#27), Occidental College (#37), Pitzer College (#49).
Online Education: There are myriad accredited online universities offering degrees in the state of California.
A Closer Look: California’s state education systems are superb. The University of California system totals 11 campuses, of which at least eight typically appear on lists of the nation’s top colleges and universities. The California State University system has almost 450,000 students, making it the largest university system in the country. It is intended to accept the top one-third of California high school students and is primarily intended for undergraduate education. Furthermore, The California Community College system is the largest network of higher education in the U.S., composed of 110 colleges serving a student population of over 2.6 million. California also has hundreds of other private colleges and universities, including renowned universities such as Stanford University and the University of Southern California.
Did You Know? The preeminent research university system in the state is the University of California, which employs more Nobel Prize laureates than any other institution in the world and is considered one of the nation's finest public university systems.
Sources: In addition to specific citations noted in this “Career Information” section, supplementary source materials include: the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service; Netstate.com; Education-Portal.com; USCollegeSearch.org; and Wikipedia.com.