career school track: Medical assistant
Career education available: There are over 500 medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, and about 190 accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.
Career program length: Programs usually last either one year, resulting in a certificate or diploma, or two years, resulting in an associate degree.
Typical work week: Most full-time medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week.
Number of employees: Medical assistants held about 387,000 jobs in 2004. About six out of 10 of these worked in offices of physicians; about 14 percent worked in public and private hospitals; and 11 percent worked in offices of other health practitioners.
Salary stats: Median annual earnings of these career school graduates were $24,610 in May 2004.
Industry growth: Employment is projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014.

Career school track: paralegal
Career education available: About 260 institutions offer career education programs approved by the American Bar Association.
Career program length: Programs run anywhere from a few months (certificate) to two years (associate degree) to four years (bachelor's degree).
Typical work week: Paralegals working for corporations and government usually put in a standard 40-hour week.
Number of employees: Paralegals held about 224,000 jobs in 2004; private law firms employed seven out of 10 paralegals.
Salary stats: In May 2004, full-time paralegals had median annual earnings of $39,130.
Industry growth: Employment of these career school graduates is projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014.

Career school track: Preschool teacher
Career education available: The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education accredits over 600 teacher education career programs across the U.S.
Career program length: Some states require a four-year bachelor's degree in early childhood education; others require a two-year associate degree; others require certification such as the Child Development Associate credential.
Typical work week: Part-time schedules are common among preschool teachers, though teachers in daycare settings often work year round.
Number of employees: Preschool teachers held 431,000 jobs in 2004. Of these, 61 percent were employed in child daycare services, 12 percent in religious organizations, 9 percent in local government education services, and 7 percent in private education services.
Salary stats: In 2004, median earnings for preschool teachers were $20,980. According to the American Federation of Teachers, beginning teachers with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $31,704 in the 2003-2004 school year.
Industry growth: Employment is projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014.

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