Hot jobs: Demand, pay is high for the right skills

It's often said someone makes money even in a bad economy. Whereas workers in some industries are being laid off by the thousands, in others the watchword is "hired," not "fired," as new employees are being promised high paying jobs. Of course, many of the jobs have their downsides, but the financial incentives can be great.

Accounting: Nationwide, college accounting programs are booming, filled to capacity, growing and taking on more faculty. "As it turns out, accounting is rather resilient in good and bad times," said Steve Limberg, director of the master's of accounting program at the University of Texas. "In good times, people want to know how to manage their prosperity. In bad, they want to know how to mange their cost saving." At some schools, the job placement rates for accountants before graduation now range between 95 percent and 100 percent.

Nursing: "You're going to get a job, a good job with almost guaranteed lifelong job security," said Karen Miller, senior vice chancellor and dean of the University of Kansas School of Nursing. Starting salaries with a four-year nursing degree: About $50,000. The reason is the aging population. The job situation is similar for the other allied health professions, including occupational or physical therapy.

Pharmacy: Becoming a pharmacist requires an advanced degree. But, again, the aging population resulted in a nationwide shortage in pharmacists. That has caused first-time salaries to bulge well into the six figure. Some companies are wooing young pharmacists with offers to pay off their student loans.

Railroads: Conductors, brakemen, electricians, signalmen, locomotive engineers, track workers: all are in high demand in the railroad industry, which in recent years has started booming again as gas prices have risen and the industry itself has experienced a number of retirements. Higher fuel costs, and decreased consumer spending, have cut into the growth of the business within the last year. But in the last four years, BNSF Railway alone brought on more than 15,000 new employees, and it plans to bring on 2,000 more this year. Getting a railroad job is not simple. It's dangerous work. As such, employers place a premium on steady, safety-conscious employees. Many apply. For the few chosen, the pay is good around $65,000 a year.

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