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Top 10 Hot Jobs in Amarillo

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By Patty Inglish, MS


The Texas Panhandle

The counties of the Panhandle region form a nearly perfect square in Northwestern Texas.

In the Texas Panhandle

The Panhandle Workforce Development Area and its geographical location make an almost perfect square at the top of Texas in the northwest sector of the map.

For additional city reviews and job listings/forecasts for Texas, see the link:

A Hub Portal for Texas Employment and Relocation


Amarillo and Route 66

Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch

Amarillo = Yellow


Origins of Progress of Amarillo

Amarillo is the largest city in the Texas Panhandle, which is designated an official Workforce Development Area. The Greater Amarillo Metro Area covers approximately four counties and the City of Amarillo lies in Potter County and part of Randall County as well.

Teh city has been nicknamed The Yellow Rose of Texas, because amarillo means yellow in Spanish. In addition to this colorful name, Amarillo is also the Beef City,because it supports an active beef processing industry at Tyson's Meats, one of the largest employers in the metro area. Beef cattle raising and processing was big business before the advent of the moder company, however, dating back to the trail drives of the 1800s and the boom created by the coming of the railroads in the late 1880s for faster and larger transport fo beef products.

Amarillo is also known as the home of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, since the city has been a leader in cattle feed production. It is also the headquarters for the renown American Quarter Horse Association. Horses and cattle as animal raising industries are both successful in Amarillo.

Aside from the designations above, Amarillo is also a nuclear weapons city. One of its largest employers, Pantex, is the only nuclear weapons assembly/disassembly plant in America. See a photo gallery of rail cars used to transport these weapons, now on exhibit at the Amarillo Railroad Museum: Nuclear Trains.

Amarillo is also recognized as one of the most famous stops on Route 66 in the 20th Century.

After the Civil War, several cattle ranches became prosperous in the Panhandle and the town formed in 1887 near the approaching railroad tracks that were soon scheduled to cross the Panhandle. In just about a decade, the Amarillo economy had grown with the easier transport of cattle and beef as well as manufactured grain products by rail.

Oil and gas were discovered in and near Amarillo around 1920 and this was a boost to economy in energy production. World War II resulted in the opening of the local Pantex weaponry plant after the Dust Bowl of The Great Depression devastated local economy. New manufacturing plants came to Amarillo in the 1970s - 1980s, and the city continued to grow via incoming propulsion and new businesses.

Downtown reconstruction began with restorations and additions of new commerical buildings around 1971 and continued on into the 2000s. Many local homes and commercial builds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Amarillo does a lot of business with Northeastern New Mexico and Oklahoma’s Panhandle region, becioming a buisiness hub in the tri-state area.

Pantex Nuclear Weaponry Plant

The Pantex plant served as the last assembly point for 70,000 nuclear weapons produced in America during the Cold War. Plutonium warheads went together with their triggering devices, all these nuclear weapons built in underground bunkers about 17 miles outside the city limits.

It is said in modern legends that many of the residents of Amarillo believe that the world will come to an end in flames caused by a nuclear blast. At the same time, the city has the reputation of being proud of its association with nuclear energy and weaponry production, holding huge patriotic parades for Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.

Dramatic Job Increase

A job listing boom is apparent from after July 2009, continuing in job listings icreasing for the Greater Amarillo Area though July 2009.  [Click to enlarge.]
A job listing boom is apparent from after July 2009, continuing in job listings icreasing for the Greater Amarillo Area though July 2009. [Click to enlarge.]

Feeling Defeated in Job Search and Interviews?

This is how many Americans feel, and far worse yet in Europe from 2009 likely to 2012. However, Texas advertises many job openings, especially in Amarillo.
This is how many Americans feel, and far worse yet in Europe from 2009 likely to 2012. However, Texas advertises many job openings, especially in Amarillo.

Top 10 Hot Job Listings

Employment listings seem to have skyrocketed in the Amarillo Area since July 2008, A downturn occurred around May 2009, followed by another increased in job listings, according to Texas labor statistics. Looking closely at the numbers and types of potiions listed on several thousand job search sites and company home pages, Indeed.com has found the following leaders in

  • Healthcare,
  • Retail Sales & Marketing, and the
  • Restaurant Industry --
  1. Heathcare - RNs, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Respiratory Therapists, and Physicians; all hired and placed through Job Cure at www.thejobcure.com.
  2. Merchandising Reps
  3. Assistant Store Managers
  4. Restaurant Managers
  5. Cashiers and Cooks (tie)
  6. Team Members - Retail Sales and Food Service
  7. Service Representatives
  8. Independent Sales Representatives
  9. Salespersons/Sales Associates
  10. Managers

Companies Listing Most Jobs

  1. Temps Inc - Placement/staffing agency.
  2. Voyage Healthcare
  3. Universal Health Services
  4. Northwest Texas Healthcare System
  5. Medical Connections
  6. Interim HealthCare
  7. Universal Health Service
  8. USMilitary.com
  9. Sears
  10. Veterans Affairs: Veterans Health Administration
  11. Army National Guard
  12. NES Employment Solutions

Manyof the companies in the list above are healthcare recruiters and staffing agencies, although Temps Inc. can help job seekers find temp-to-permanent positions in Amarillo. 

Johnny Cash: Rock Island Line - The famous railroad of the Panhandle.


Higher Education in Amarillo

Top Job Forecasts

The fastest growing new jobs in Amarillo include:

  1. Medical Assistants
  2. Personal, Home Care Aides, and Home Health Aides (HHAs)
  3. Registered Nurses (RNs)
  4. Food Preparation Workers, Cooks, and Dishwashers
  5. Mainstream Elementary School Teachers
  6. Mainstream Middle School Teachers
  7. Waitstaff - Waiters and Waitresses
  8. Customer Service Representatives
  9. Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants
  10. Industrial Machinery Mechanics

Largest Employers in Amarillo

  1. Amarillo Independent School District (4000+ employees)
  2. Tyson Meats - Cattle meat processing into vacuum-packaged boxed beef. Recovery of bone, fat trim, and hides for the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and clothing industries.
  3. BWXT Pantex - A segment of these employees are employed by the US Federal Government in defense and weaponry.
  4. Baptist St. Anthony's Health Care Systems - See the official hospital ratings/evaluation page for this award-winning facility and programs at Healthgrades.
  5. Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club
  6. City of Amarillo
  7. Northwest Texas Healthcare System
  8. Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  9. Affiliated Foods
  10. VA MedicalCenter, Amarillo
  11. Xcel Energy
  12. Texas Tech University Health Science Center
  13. United Supermarkets
  14. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad - The HQ building in Downtown Amarillo has been restored to preserve it as a historic landmark and to upgrade the the area as part of ongoing urban revitalization.

 

Jobs with the Highest Number of New Positions Opening by 2016

  1. Farm Workers and Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Workers
  2. Retail Salespersons

Armadillo!

(public domain)
(public domain)

Amarillo Sports

  • Amarillo Dillas - Pro baseball in the United League Baseball association.
  • Amarillo Dusters - Arena Football, AF2.
  • Amarillo Gorillas - Minor league hockey.
  • Rock Island Rail Trail - Biking, Hiking and green space.
  • Route 66 Motor Speedway
  • Amarillo Dragway
  • Comanche Trail Golf Links
  • Ross Rogers Golf Complex

Texas Ocelot

An endangered species most often found in the Rio Grande River Valley, but rarely seen. (public domain)
An endangered species most often found in the Rio Grande River Valley, but rarely seen. (public domain)

Amarillo Gourmet Products

Aji Amarillo Powder - 6 / 18 Oz Jar Case Aji Amarillo Powder - 6 / 18 Oz Jar Case
Price: $45.85

Texas in the News

  • Texas consumers not told about free state-run insurance program11 News Houston12 hours ago

    Having problems with your insurance company? Texas officials have a free mediation program to help get your claims resolved. So why don't they want you to know about it? HOUSTON -- The director of a state program designed to help consumers quickly and painlessly solve their insurance disputes says the Texas Department of Insurance is failing thousands of Texas consumers who need help. Houston ...

  • Brookshire’s named one of the best companies to work for in Texas 2010Sweetwater Reporter2 days ago

    Brookshire Grocery Co. has been named one of the Best Companies to Work for in Texas 2010. The program is a project of Texas Monthly, Texas Association of Business (TAB), Texas State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management (TSC-SHRM) and Best Companies Group.

  • After First Year of Practice, Law Grads Settle In to Lawyer LifeLaw.com13 hours ago

    The past year has been a tumultuous one in the legal industry, but despite the turbulent times, some new lawyers are flourishing. Texas Lawyer is following the careers of five attorneys who graduated from Texas law schools in May 2008 and began diverse full-time careers in different parts of the state. Four are with the same firms or organizations where they started their careers in 2008. Here ...

Comments & Additions

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Philipo profile image

Philipo  says:
5 months ago

Very detailed and educative hub. Much effort would have gone into it. Wish you the best.

Sandyspider profile image

Sandyspider  says:
5 months ago

Very informative hub. Really learned something.

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