Top 10 High Paying Careers in Dutchess County NY
Best Culinary Schools
Chef Duff of the Ace of Cakes graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Dutchess County.
Leaders in Chefs, Financial and Insurance Products, and Technology
Dutchess in southeastern New York is a small county that has gained a berth on the list of Top 25 Best Small Cities for Jobs and Business in America. It has remained on the list since 2007.
Among other records, the locale produces the largest number of certified chefs in the world from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
Vigor in financial product and insurances contribute substantially to the growing economic health of Dutchess Count, as do tourism-related concerns.
Successful New Business Ventures Include
- TD Banknorth's new branch office in Wappinger Falls with an opening in November 2008.
- Somerset Tire Service Inc. also opened a new retail outlet in Wappinger Falls, Summer 2008.
- Starbucks also opened a new cafe in Wappinger Falls in 08/2008.
- IBM is investing $1.6+ billion in Dutchess County in expansion projects for electronic chip manufacture and additional R&D projects. Further, New York State is providing these expansions with $140 million. At least several thousand jobs were created from 2008 - 2020.
Culinary Businesses
Culinary Institute of America
A number of the world's best and most recognized chefs have graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) , including many appearing on cable TV's Bravo Network and The Food Network.many of the instructors are winners in the Culinary Olympics held yearly in Germany.
- Iron Chef America's Cat Cora, with her Greek and fusion type cuisine is one familiar name, as is Ace of Cakes' Chef Duff..
- Michael Symon, from Cleveland, appears on several culinary TV shows.
- McDonald's even hires chefs from the CIA.
- Cameron Mitchell Restaurants? - Yes, the founder is from the CIA
- The late Anthony Bourdain.
The Institute has produced top chefs for over 30 years from its HQ in Hyde Park to its Texas and California branches. Scholarships are available. The Institute offers many features, including a large library, a computer center, and a video center.
Tourism Businesses
Tourism, Accommodations, and Hospitality Jobs
Tourism and related industries, including Retail Sales and to some extent, Medical Tourism, contribute a substantial portion of income to the county economy.
Eco-friendly, "Green" Tourism and Recreation
- Buttercup Farm Audubon Sanctuary: Includes 6 miles of hiking trails.
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: Tours, hikes, Friday Science Afternoon Seminars (open to the pubic), ecology summer camps for kids, and many more green activities.
- Over 50 farmer's markets: Locally grown goods throughout the county.
- Seven large formal gardens open to the public.
- Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center : Located on a 1,000+ acre working farm in Wappinger Falls.
- Several Parks, including the 86-acre Edward R. Murrow Park in Pawling at Pawling.org
- Sports: Dutchess & Beyond Bicycle Club. In fact, there are several cycling clubs in the county. Several horseback riding and shooting clubs
- Sports at Dutchess Stadium: Conservation conscious, recyclers. Home arena for the Hudson Valley Renegades minor league baseball (farm team for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays). In Wappingers Falls. HVRenegades.com
- Several river cruises, lake and river fishing, and sailing/water sports
- Wing's Castle: This is a Hudson River Valley stone castle built by artists Peter and Toni Wing. They used recycled building materials from antique buildings.
Local Money and Business Success
With a population of over 300,000, the county contains several cities, the names of which are familiar to many Americans for their US historical significance highlighted in various chronicles of the new nation from its colonial beginnings:
- Poughkeepsie ("reed-covered lodge by land of the little water" is now the Dutchess County seat)
- Clinton
- Dover
- Fishkill and East Fishkill
- Hyde Park
- La Grange
- Milan
- Pawling
- Red Hook
- Stanford
- Wappingers (named for Native Americans that explorer Henry Hudson met after 1609 on the Hudson River).
This county was named early on to honor Mary of Modena, who was the Duchess of York and later, England's Queen Mary and the second wife of King James II.
In the Revolutionary War, the town of Fishkill hosted the military camp for General George Washington's soldiers and was capital of New York for a short time. Poughkeepsie was the state capital for a short while after 1788.
Later, Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor used Dutchess County as an experiment for their New Deal projects and how they would work. They spent much time in Hyde Park.
Famous presidential race loser Thomas Dewey, from Pawling, ran against FDR in 1944, the only time two that two people from the same county ran against each other in the election. In addition, moneyed families like the wealthy Astors and Vanderbilts spent a lot of money and time in Dutchess County, even building vacation or resort homes, some of which are now tourist sites.
Business Growth
Top 10 Consistently High Demand Jobs
- Computer Engineers and Technicians
- Computer Parts Manufacturing Technicians
- Financial Products and Services and Insurance Account Executives
- Sales and Sales Related Occupations
- Auto Repair and Maintenance Technicians
- Registered Nurses (RN or BSN)
- Teachers K-12, including Special Education & Vocational and College Level Instructors and Professors
- Management Positions in many industries
- Secretaries, including Executive, Legal, and Medical
- Home Health Aides and Personal Care Assistants
Colleges and Vocational Institutes for High Demand Job Training
- Bard College
- Culinary Institute of America
- Dutchess Community College
- Marist College
- Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute
- Vassar College
Largest County Employers
- IBM
- CH Energy Group
- Vassar Brothers Hospital
- Vassar College
- Saint Francis Hospital
- Marist College
- State of New York - Government
- Texaco – Gas and Oil
Important Job Search Options
- DutchessCountyJobs.net
- Culinary Institute of America: Jobs listings, education & training, referrals to additional locations.
- Discover Hyde Park: Relocation, training and jobs.
- Mid-Hudson Works: midhudsonworkshop.org/
© 2008 Patty Inglish MS
